Team of the Year, Tim Scott-Wright from Lisa Shepherd Midlands for Midlands Hairdresser of the Year and Robert Eaton from Russell Eaton in Barnsley for North Eastern Hairdresser of the Year.

Publisher/Editor-in-Chief of Hairdressers Journal Inter-national Jayne Lewis-Orr adds, "Each year the standard of work gets better and better and this year is no exception. We are so proud that British hairdressing has tremendous standing within the rest of the world and the British Hairdressing Awards prove that British is definitely best! " To enter the competition, hairdressers working in salons throughout the United Kingdom have to submit four images,

Two styles from Angelo Seminara's award winning collection in 2007.

which fulfil the criteria set. Depending on the hairdresser's location, they can enter their regional category - Eastern, London, Midlands, North Eastern, North Western, Northern Ireland, Scotland, Southern or Wales & South West. If their talents lie within a particular discipline, they are also able to enter one of the six specialist categories - Afro Hairdresser of the Year, Artistic Team of the Year, Avant Garde Hairdresser of the Year, Men's Hairdresser of the Year, Newcomer of the Year or Schwarzkopf Professional British Colour Technician of the Year.

The first round judging took place to establish the six finalists in the regional and specialist categories. Members of the British Hairdressing Awards Hall of Fame, along with previous British Hairdressing Awards winners were invited to judge the work submitted. Judges cannot confer during the judging process, and each mark all entries independently. The points are handed to a team of auditors, who then process the results to find the six finalists in each category.

To go forward to the second round, the six finalists in each category have to produce a second set of four images, which will then be judged as a complete set of eight. The same guidelines are adhered to as before, with the winner being announced at the biggest event in the hairdressing industry's calendar.

The Finalists for the 2008 British Hairdressing Awards

Specialist Categories - a few previews below of entrants in these categories.

Afro Hairdresser of the Year

Top: Styles by Kim Johnson, Junior Green, Claire Rothstein Bottom: Styles by Michelle Thompson, Sandra Webb, Renda Attia

Renda Attia Junior Green Kim Johnson Claire Rothstein Michelle Thompson Sandra Webb

Steven Carey Hair Salon Junior Green Hair & Beauty Ltd Hype Coiffure Bloww Francesco Group Academy Sandra Webb Hair & Beauty

London London London London Staffordshire London

Artistic Team of the Year

Top: Styles by Brooks & Brooks, Rush, Hooker & Young Bottom: Styles by Andrew Collinge, hob Salons, Haringtons

Brooks & Brooks Andrew Collinge Hairdressing Haringtons hob Salons Hooker & Young Rush

London Liverpool London London Newcastle Croydon

Avant Garde Hairdresser of the Year

Top: Styles by Efi Davies, Desmond Murray, Darren Ambrose Bottom: Styles by Michael Barnes, Karen Brown, James Rowe

Darren Ambrose Michael Barnes Karen Brown Efi Davies Desmond Murray James Rowe

D&J; Ambrose Michael Barnes Hairdressing Hair by JFK Toni & Guy Desmond Murray Kontakt

Pinner London Edinburgh Covent Garden London London

Men's Hairdresser of the Year

Top: Styles by Jim Shaw, Mark Leeson, Jamie Stevens Bottom: Styles by Leonardo Rizzo, Desmond Murray, Sally Brooks

Sally Brooks Mark Leeson Desmond Murray Leonardo Rizzo Jim Shaw Jamie Stevens

Brooks & Brooks Mark Leeson Hair Body and Mind Desmond Murray Sanrizz Essensuals Errol Douglas

London Mansfield C.G. London Guilford Billericay London

Schwarzkopf Professional British Colour Technician of the Year

Top: Styles by Andrea Beers, Hooker & Young, Christel Lundqvist Bottom: Styles by Tim Scott-Wright, Paul Scully, Michelle Lawley

Andrea Beers Christel Lundqvist Gary Hooker & Michael Young Michelle Lawley Paul Scully Tim Scott-Wright

Andrea Beers hob Salons Hooker & Young Royston Blythe Scully Scully Lisa Shepherd Salons

Kidderminster London Newcastle Compton Godalming Birmingham

Newcomer of the Year

Christopher Appleton Alfie Booth Peter Joseph Burkhill Ben Ferris Ashley James Gamble Victoria Nebbett

George's Hair Salon Andrew Collinge Hairdressing Headlines UK Goldsworthy's Royston Blythe Monroe Hairdressing

Stoneygate Manchester Leeds Swindon Compton Leatherhead

Regional Finalists

Eastern Hairdresser of the Year

Simon Cawthorne Sharon Cox Paul Falltrick Terri Kay Anne McGuigan Karen Scantlebury

Cawthorne and Wright Sanrizz Paul Falltrick Mark Leeson Hair, Body & Mind Anne McGuigan Ciente

Rutland St.Albans Romford Mansfield Bedfordshire Berkhamstead

London Hairdresser of the Year

Louis Byrne Errol Douglas Karine Jackson Richard Mannah Desmond Murray Cos Sakkas

Adee Phelan Errol Douglas Karine Jackson Ltd Toni & Guy Desmond Murray Toni & Guy

London London London Kensington London Covent Garden

Midlands Hairdresser of the Year

Midlands Hairdresser of the Year Anya Dellicompagni Timothy Lawton Peter Prosser Emma Steven James Whyte

Royston Blythe Francesco Group TPL Hairdressing Peter Prosser Hairdressing Lisa Shepherd Salons Soul Hair

Compton Eccleshall Nantwich Hereford Sutton Coldfield Chester

North Eastern Hairdresser of the Year

Jen Deighton Paul Ferguson Susan Hall Marcus King Neville Ramsay Katrina Ashton and Lisa Shaw

Toni & Guy Hooker & Young Reds Hair and Beauty Hooker & Young Ramsay & Johnson Headlines Elite

Sunderland Gosforth Sunderland Wynyard Sunderland Sheffield

Northern Ireland Hairdresser of the Year

Julian Dalrymple Clive Johnston Keith Kane Andrew Mulvenna John Morrison and Carolyn Russell Michael Quinn

The Sittingroom Hairdressing Clive Alexander Keith Kane Hair International Andrew Mulvenna JL Morrison Hairdressing Michael Quinn Hairdressing

Ballymena Enniskillen Carryduff Belfast Belfast Belfast

North Western Hairdresser of the Year

Mike Bennell Harry Boocock Jayne Mahon Marcello Moccia Sharon Peake Melanie Tudor

Time Hairdressing The Hair Studio Andrew Collinge Hairdressing Room: 97 Creative Hairdressing Ethos En Route Hair & Beauty

Liverpool Leeds Liverpool Wakefield Manchester Wakefield

Scottish Hairdresser of the Year

Nelson Brown Gary Skinner & Stanley Cowley Tracey Devine Gary Hunter & Leslie Hunter Suzie McGill Lynne Welsh

Browns Hair by JFK Angels Frances Hunter Hair and Beauty Rainbow Room International Mosko

Dumfries Edinburgh Aberdeen Stirling Uddingston Wishaw

Southern Hairdresser of the Year

Anna Chapman Ross Dilanda Paul Hawes Seung Ki Baek Rae Palmer Leonardo Rizzo

Trevor Sorbie Scully Scully Review Rush Rae Palmer Sanrizz

Brighton Godalming Petersfield Epsom Southsea Guildford

Wales & South West Hairdresser of the Year

Ian Davies Ken Picton Scott Smurthwaite Sally Stevens Vicky Turner Tommy Van Der Veken

Ocean Ken Picton Cream Central Studio Goldsworthy's Tommy's Hair Company

Cardiff Cardiff Bay Gloucestershire Bristol Swindon Ruthin