The #ONESHOT Hair Awards was created by behindthechair.com 11 years ago to honor and celebrate hairdressers who were doing real, everyday work behind the chair — talent that often went unrecognized.
We built the awards on transparency, allowing every participant to see the work that is entered by hairstylists around the world.
To bring this awards program to life, we leveraged the reach of Instagram and the editorial expertise of our team — building what has become the world’s largest and most prestigious hair competition, with over 2 million entries from more than 100 countries.
#ONESHOT features two distinct competitions, each with its own set of categories:
Hot Shot
Celebrates the work of hairdressers doing real hair behind the chair. Submissions include the work they do on their actual clients and are often shot on a phone.
Big Shot
Celebrates the work of artists who are creating editorial hairdressing looks, often shot in studios by a professional photographer.
#ONESHOT was created by Mary Rector after decades of working alongside professional hair artists and witnessing firsthand how much talent often goes unseen.
As the founder of Behindthechair.com, the industry’s leading digital education and inspiration platform, Mary envisioned a program that would celebrate artistry on a global scale — while staying rooted in fairness, transparency and community.
That vision ultimately shaped #ONESHOT Hair Awards into the world’s largest global hair competition, built on visibility, access and trust.
Today, Behindthechair.com celebrates 26 years of serving the professional beauty industry and welcomes more than 10 million hairdressers annually across its website and social media channels.
