Six Dublin based hair & beauty creatives were crowned winners at the Professional Beauty and Hairdressers Journal (PB & HJ) Ireland Beauty, Hair and Spa Awards 2022.
Announced at the gala ceremony in The Shelbourne in Dublin, the inaugural awards celebrate creativity, business acumen, and achievement in the beauty, hair and spa sector across Northern Ireland and Ireland.
Winners named as the top Beauty and Hairdressing creatives in the city are:
Make-up Artist of the Year, sponsored by Associated Irish Therapists – Ella Carr, Ella Carr MUA
Ella Carr was delighted with the win, and said: “I feel so overwhelmed. It is even more important to me because it has been chosen by people that are highly respected within in the industry. I feel like they have realised and understood my vision for the future and also all of my students and anyone who is learning from me and their future. I just love make up and I love my job. It is such an honour to win this award.”

Aesthetic Clinic of the Year, sponsored by Aesthetic Training Academy Ireland
Laser & Skin Clinics, Dublin and Co Westmeath
Anna Gunning from Laser and Skin Clinics was delighted with the win, and said: “Always delighted to be recognised in the industry and to be number one in Ireland is a wonderful surprise. It’s great to be a part of the celebrations tonight championing the industry as a whole.”
Aesthetic Practitioner of the Year, sponsored by Cosmeditech Ireland
Dr Emma Cunningham, Dr Emma Clinics, Newry, Dublin and Slieve Donard
Dr Emma Cunningham was delighted with the win, and said: “I am absolutely delighted to win this prestigious award. There are many of my peers who are deserving of this award so I feel really proud.”
Nail Salon of the Year – Duchess On Duke Street Beauty Salon, Dublin
Jan Cleary from Duchess on Duke St was delighted with the win, and said: “It’s absolutely amazing to have won this awards. We have been open just over a year so it’s amazing to have won and for our salon to be recognised across the industry. We can’t wait to win more!”

Digital Salon of the Year, sponsored by Treatwell – Ashleigh Kelly Hairdressing, Dublin
Commenting on winning Digital Salon of the Year, owner, Ashleigh Kelly also said: “Social media and online communication is the gateway to our clients and also connects us to our industry as a whole so to win this award and to have our efforts recognised across Irish hairdressing is just wonderful.”
Colour Technician of the Year, sponsored by Schwarzkopf Professional – Jade Connor, Ashleigh Kelly Hairdressing, Dublin
Jade Connor from Ashleigh Kelly Hairdressing was delighted with the win, and said: “To have been shortlisted as Colour Technician of the Year was just amazing but to have won overall is truly an honour.”

Organised by the same team behind the Professional Beauty UK Awards and the British Hairdressing Awards, the categories were split across beauty, hair and spa, with the entries judged independently by industry experts, who were selected for their knowledge and expertise. The awards – in their inaugural year were launched to celebrate creativity, business acumen and achievement in the sector. Featuring 14 categories, the awards reward the individuals and teams who are making waves within their business as well as influencing the broader landscape of the industry. Host for the evening was comedian Andrew Ryan, who was joined by Jayne Lewis-Orr, Executive Director of PB & HJ’s Awards and Mark Moloney, Managing Director of Professional Beauty Group.
Jayne Lewis-Orr said: “These awards champion and recognise the very best Irish talent, celebrating the passion, artistry and expertise of individuals from across Ireland and Northern Ireland. These awards champion and reward both those often-unsung heroes who work tirelessly to lead and motivate teams, demonstrate innovative ways of keeping their clients engaged and find ways to sustain their business, alongside the creative visionaries capturing beautiful imagery that showcases their skills and passion for hair and beauty.
Mark Moloney said: “It’s so good to see so many faces, both established and new to the profession, and to share the excitement of the winners, as they celebrate their hard work and success.”
Sponsored by some of the biggest names in the industry including ghd, Murad, Great Lengths and Schwarzkopf Professional, the awards may be in their inaugural year, but the industry they’re celebrating is established, resilient, diverse – and thriving.
Hair and beauty businesses in Ireland contribute €2.79 billion to the country’s GDP according to HABIC*, and support 30,800 jobs directly, and 18,480 indirectly.
Professional Beauty Hairdressers Journal Ireland Awards 2022 category winners:
Hair Salon of the Year
LS Hair, Westport, Co Mayo
Hair Salon Team of the Year, sponsored by Great Lengths
Ritzys Hairdressing, Tullamore, Co Offaly
Colour Technician of the Year, sponsored by Schwarzkopf Professional
Jade Connor, Ashleigh Kelly Hairdressing, Dublin
Business Director of the Year, sponsored by HABIC
Susan Fox, Eden Beauty Group, Wicklow
Irish Hairdresser of the Year, sponsored by ghd
Julie Cherry, Shane Bennett Salon, Lisburn
Digital Salon of the Year, sponsored by Treatwell
Ashleigh Kelly Hairdressing, Dublin
Make-up Artist of the Year, sponsored by Associated Irish Therapists
Ella Carr, Ella Carr MUA
Aesthetic Clinic of the Year, sponsored by Aesthetic Training Academy Ireland
Laser & Skin Clinics, Dublin and Co Westmeath
Aesthetic Practitioner of the Year, sponsored by Cosmeditech Ireland
Dr Emma Cunningham, Dr Emma Clinics, Newry, Dublin and Slieve Donard
Nail Salon of the Year
Duchess On Duke Street Beauty Salon, Dublin
Beauty Salon or Spa Team of the Year, sponsored by Image Skillnet
Eden Beauty Group, Wicklow
Beauty Salon of the Year
SeaBreeze Beauty and Skin Clinic, Oranmore, Co Galway
Spa of the Year, sponsored by Murad
Thermal Spa Village, Galgorm, Co Antrim
Therapist of the Year, sponsored by iTEC VTCT
Gillian Redmond, The Zen Room, Co Wexford
Highly Commended Aesthetic Clinic of the Year, sponsored by ATAI
Elite Aesthetic Clinic, Derry
For further details please visit https://professionalbeauty.co.uk/e/Ireland/
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