Finalists of the 2026 International Visionary Award to be Announced in Madrid
Fifty professionals from twenty countries will compete for the title in the Spanish capital, integrating the competition into the Alternative Hair Show 2026.
The city of Madrid, in Spain, will host the grand final of the 2026 International Visionary Award. The event brings together fifty selected professionals from twenty different countries, marking a historic edition for the international community of barbering and creative hair.
This is the first time that the final of this prestigious competition takes place in the Spanish capital, coinciding with the holding of the Alternative Hair Show 2026. The ceremony is scheduled for Saturday, November 14, 2026, at the Look IFEMA Madrid venue. The gathering aims to unite the competitive dispute, global creativity, and the philanthropic commitment that characterizes the festival.
The contestants will compete in three main categories: Avant-Garde, Cut & Colour, and Men’s. The selection reflects a diverse panorama of contemporary hair art, with representatives from Europe, Asia, and the United States. Spain will have a notable presence, with professionals competing in all modalities.
In the Avant-Garde category, seventeen finalists were chosen, including names such as Aili Larsen, from Estonia, and Hiroshi Sawada, from Japan. In the Cut & Colour category, nineteen professionals stand out, among them Chloe Fitzgerald, from Ireland, and Kenta Uenishi, from Japan.
The Men’s category features fourteen selected finalists, representing countries such as Italy, the United States, and China. The event organization describes this edition as the largest final in history for the award, taking advantage of the exceptional setting offered by the festival.
The final will share the stage with the 43rd edition of the Alternative Hair Show, whose theme this year is 'Extravaganza'. The program will combine the competition finals with performances by the Alternative Hair Legend Artists. This union reinforces the role of the award as a platform to discover and showcase talents, bringing together different generations of artistic expressions.
The traditional connection between the competition and the festival highlights a vision in which technique, concept, image, and creativity become powerful forms of professional expression. For those working in the industry, the event represents a crucial moment for cultural exchange and technical recognition.
BarberRicci newsroom, with information from Estetica Magazine.