Nominations are open for Beauty Independent’s Beacon Awards, the annual program honoring the brightest lights in the emerging beauty space.
Now in its sixth year, the Beacon Awards celebrate companies and people reshaping the beauty industry across 28 categories spanning brands, products, retailers, investors and executives. New this year is the addition of a treatment category highlighting the practitioners and modalities redefining the future of aesthetics and wellness. The public has until April 25 to nominate standout people and brands via Beauty Independent’s website for the Beacon Awards program.
“From noninvasive to surgical procedures, energy cleansing and new forms of meditations, treatments are becoming an increasingly integral part of beauty and wellness routines—and we’re not just talking about your standard facial or Botox appointment,” says Jane Carlson, managing editor of Beauty Independent. “Many of today’s innovations deliver dramatic transformations, some combining modalities that alter physical appearance, but also support mental and emotional wellbeing. With aesthetic medicine rapidly rising as one of beauty’s fastest-growing sectors, now is the perfect time to spotlight the trailblazers leading the charge.”
Beauty Independent’s editors and contributors will narrow down submissions to six nominees per category, except retail categories that have a single honoree. Nominees will be notified over the coming months, with the full list announced in August. Nominees will be eligible to participate in the program by paying an application fee. Winners will be chosen by a panel of 25 esteemed evaluators, who will consider testimonials from Beauty Independent subscribers. Evaluators will serve on committees aligned with their expertise.
Beacon Awards winners will be revealed during a live digital event on Sept. 17 at 1 p.m. EST, following in-person cocktail events in New York and Los Angeles. The New York event will coincide with Beauty Independent’s BITE NY brand showcase on Sept. 10.
This year’s Beacon Awards is being presented with support from manufacturers International Products Group (IPG), FP Labs and iLABS. Tish Poling, president and chief development officer of IPG, says, “IPG is proud to sponsor the Beauty Independent Beacon Awards again this year. They are the most prestigious and established awards program for high-growth beauty and founder-led brands. We are excited to recognize and encourage those brands that prioritize innovation and excellence in the beauty industry.”
Melissa Niebes, CEO of FP Labs, says, “By recognizing cutting-edge products and approaches, awards encourage further innovation and development within the beauty industry. I’m excited to join this group of like-minded advocates who are just as passionate about promoting our industry based on innovation, effectiveness, creativity, consumer value and overall impact.”
Nader Naeymi-Rad, publisher of Beauty Independent, adds, “It’s our honor to shine a light on Beacon Award-winning brands early in their journeys, trailblazers like Caliray, Byoma, Youth to the People, K18 and Adwoa amongst so many others. Identifying who’s shaping the future of beauty is our superpower and telling their stories is what we love most.”
Last year, 27 brands and individuals took home Beacon Awards, including Kimberly Villatoro, CEO of Patrick Ta Beauty, David Chung, founder of iLABS and The Rootist, Glow Recipe, Higher Dose, Unbound, JooY and Merit Beauty founder Katherine Power. Other honorees were luxury beauty retailer Bluemercury, online retailer This is Beauty and haircare brand K18.
Chung, who was recognized as an Industry Icon in 2024, says, “At Innovation Labs (iLABS), we are dedicated to pioneering breakthrough R&D and state-of-the-art turnkey manufacturing for skin, body, fragrance, hair and wellness brands. I believe that agile innovation thrives in independent beauty – where creativity, passion, and purpose meet to drive swift breakthroughs. That’s why we are honored to be a part of the Beacon Awards—an esteemed program that celebrates the trailblazers, visionaries, and changemakers shaping the future of beauty.”
Among the expert evaluators for the 2025 Beacon Awards are Carol Hamilton, group president, acquisitions and West Coast headquarters for L’Oréal, Divya Gugnani, founder of 5 Sens and founding partner at Concept to Co, Carla Ruiz, SVP of global M&A at Shiseido, Hind Sebti, co-founder of Waldencast and founder of Whind, Lynda Berkowitz, advisor to Sandbridge Capital, and Jill Scalamandre, CEO of Beekman 1802.
The Beacon Awards are an integral element of Beauty Independent’s broader programming, which extends to the investment-related conference Dealmaker Summit, BITE (Beauty Is The Experience) and In Conversation webinars. Together, these initiatives place Beauty Independent at the heart of beauty’s next chapter by amplifying the voices and visions of beauty entrepreneurs and their ecosystem.
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