Sebastian Professional’s What’s Next Awards (WNA) is now open and looking for new and established talent to create “What’s Next” in the professional hair industry. WNA will be launched with the Black Ops program and represents Sebastian’s long-term commitment to stylists, style and career-long artist development. This year, the Awards have been updated and improved with their Facebook-based submissions, new student category, live event in LA on April 28, 2013 and more.

The competition this year will include a professional category (stylists must be licensed) and new talent/student category (includes inspiring or newly minted stylist who are enrolled in an accredited cosmetology program or recent graduates with less than two years out of beauty school). Four finalists from each category will receive roundtrip airfare and hotel accommodations to Los Angeles to compete live, onstage at the last stop of the Sebastian What’s Next Tour. One Grand Prize Winner from each category will be selected from the event and receive their prizes.

The Professional category winner will receive a roundtrip flight from their originating city to New York City, two nights stay at a hotel in NYC, a day-rate contract to style backstage at New York Fashion Week with the Sebastian Design Team and a Sebastian-sponsored editorial photoshoot with an industry-leading trade publication (the shoot applies for the Student category as well). Students will win a one-year mentorship from a select Sebastian Design Team member, coaching and entry sponsorship into the North American Hairstyling Awards (NAHA) competition for 2014, and travel and accommodations to NAHA venue if winner entry is selected as a NAHA finalist.

Entry deadline is February 1, 2013, finalists will be announced March 15, 2013 and the final competition will be April 28, 2013. For more details visit facebook.com/SebastianPro.