British Hairdresser of the Year award 2025: Can Robert Eaton bring the UK's hairdressing Oscar back to Yorkshire?
The British Hairdressing Awards take place on Monday, November 24, with Yorkshire hairdressers and salons in the running for top awards.
Robert Eaton, creative director for Russell Eaton salons in Leeds and Barnsley, has been nominated for British Hairdresser of the Year 2025, having already won this most prestigious ‘Oscar’ of the hairdressing world in 2019 and 2021. Can he bring it home to Yorkshire for a third time?
Robert is a leading UK hairdressing industry ambassador and spokesperson, and also works with those who have lost hair due to cancer treatment. He has previously won Afro Hairdresser of the Year, creates hair styles for catwalks and stage shows and is pioneer of new hairdressing and colour techniques.
He was inducted into the British Hairdressing Awards Hall of Fame in 2022 and became president of the Fellowship for British Hairdressing, an honour and commitment that runs for two years.
Russell Eaton was founded by Robert’s father, Russell, in 1978 and now has salons in Leeds and Barnsley.
“It is such an honour to be nominated again for the British Hairdressing Awards,” Robert says. “I love the whole process of creating a collection of images and being part of the event generally. I have been lucky to be a part of such a creative industry with brilliant people involved in this event. Let’s see if I can bring the award back to the North.”
The British Hairdressing Awards are the Oscars of the British salon world, and have sky-rocketed the careers and brands of top industry names including John Frieda, Charles Worthington and Nicky Clarke. Yorkshire’s Mark Hill, from Hull, won in 2000 and 2003 and Barnsley-born Andrew Barton won in 2006.
They celebrate the best of British hairdressing, recognising and rewarding the creative talents of individuals and teams who make the industry vibrant. More than 287,000 people work within the UK’s hairdressing, barbering and beauty industries, with salons remaining vital to the health of the British high street.
The British Hairdresser of the Year is by nomination from industry peers and influencers. The other BHA25 British Hairdresser of the Year nominees are: Richard Ashforth, Sassoon; Sally Brooks, Brooks and Brooks; Jordanna Cobella, Cobella Salon; Efi Davies, TONI&GUY; Errol Douglas MBE, Errol Douglas; Gary Hooker & Michael Young, Hooker & Young; Cos Sakkas, TONI&GUY.
The first round of judging for this year’s awards took place in July at Epsom Downs Racecourse, where more than 100 industry experts came together to choose their favourite work across 17 specialist and regional categories.
Nominated for Afro Hairdresser of the Year are Rick Roberts & Zoe Roberts, of Rick Roberts in Beverley, while the Rick Roberts Art Team is also nominated for Artistic Team of the Year, as is RUSH, which has a salon in York. Rick Roberts is also nominated for Trend Image of the Year.
Covering most of Yorkshire, the North Eastern Hairdresser of the Year 2025 finalists are:
Emma Simmons of Salon 54 in Thirsk; Kirby Blythe of Hair by Kirby Blythe in Scunthorpe; Gee-Kent Ho, Newcastle; Nathan Richardson in Sheffield; Sophie Lenton and Jonathan Turner of HOOKER & YOUNG, Newcastle; Kelly Rowney, Tate Hair in Middlesbrough.
The British Hairdressing Awards 2025, sponsored by Schwarzkopf Professional, will be held on Monday, November 24, 2025 at JW Marriott Grosvenor House Hotel, London.