The Scratch Stars Awards is a prestigious annual event that celebrates excellence, innovation and creativity within the UK&I nail sector. Launched in 2012, it serves as a platform to recognise outstanding professionals and businesses that have significantly contributed to advancing the industry.

These awards honour nail technicians, salons, educators and teams who demonstrate exceptional skill, forward-thinking and dedication to their craft.

Categories range from technical artistry and customer service to business acumen, ensuring a comprehensive acknowledgment of the diverse talents and efforts within the industry.

Entry to the awards is free. Those entering must have been established/working actively in the field for a minimum of 12 months (on or before 1 February 2024).

Beyond recognition, the event fosters community and inspires emerging talent. The Scratch Stars Party on 6 July, at which the awards winners will be announced, is the highlight of the industry calendar. It provides a unique opportunity for networking among industry leaders, professionals and enthusiasts, alongside fantastic entertainment, cocktails and more!

The Scratch Stars Awards is the ultimate celebration of creativity, passion and the collective efforts that elevate the standards of the vibrant and dynamic UK&I nail industry.

I’ve decided to write a full article about the Scratch Awards because they’ve genuinely been the best awards experience I’ve had. I’ve got an article elsewhere where I talk about different UK awards and my thoughts on them, and this year I wanted to share why Scratch stood out.

I’ve never entered the Scratch Awards before. As a nail tech, I’ve just never felt good enough. There are some seriously talented people who enter, next level talented and I’m not at that standard. I’m educated, I’m good, but I’ve never felt like I was "Scratch Awards level."

A few months ago, I was talking to a friend about this, and she told me to just enter. I explained all the reasons I didn’t think I should, and she told me to go for Beauty Salon of the Year and Services to the Industry. So, off I went.

The entry process was honestly a breath of fresh air. It had the perfect balance, enough questions to make you think without feeling like you had to sell your soul. Everything felt thought-out. The questions were different for each category and actually relevant. Some other awards I’ve entered recently have the same questions across categories, and it just ends up feeling like box-ticking. Scratch felt different it felt like they genuinely wanted to know who you are.

I submitted both entries and somehow made finalist in Beauty and Nail Salon of the Year and Services to the Industry. I’ll talk about them separately.

his is such a great category. We’re known for nails, but ultimately, we are a beauty salon. So it was amazing to be able to show what we actually do across the board.

We were told to expect a mystery shopper, which counted toward the initial entry. Knowing one was coming gave us the perfect excuse to sit down as a team and talk about how we present ourselves and what the client journey really looks like.

We didn’t need to change anything, we already had everything in place  but it was great to have that chance to reflect and refresh.

The mystery shopper came in a few weeks ago and had a gel polish treatment. From what I've heard she was lovely. The team genuinely felt good about it. They said it was a chance to test themselves, and they actually enjoyed the experience.

Of course, I had a bit of a nosy to see who else is in our category, and honestly, I was happy. These are the kinds of salons I shout about all the time, solid, high-quality, professional businesses holding up the industry. I’m not a high-end salon in a prime location. I don’t have a massive budget. But we provide great services and think carefully about everything we do. And from what I can see, the other finalists are exactly the same. I’d be proud to be placed behind any one of them.

I’m not going to lie I was shocked (and a bit overwhelmed) to be a finalist. Like I said, I’m not a scratch-level nail tech. I’ve tried for decades, and I’ve always fallen just short of that bar. This category has had some serious icons win, and I questioned whether I should even be in the running.

But a few pep talks from some industry friends helped me realise that this award isn’t about being the best at nails, it’s about what you’ve contributed. And that’s when I started to see it differently.

Putting together my evidence portfolio was tough, but in a good way. It made me reflect on everything I’ve done over the past five years. From launching the Directory, to the free training, to mentoring, to industry advocacy, it reminded me that I've shown up for this industry time and time again. And I’ve still got so much more planned.

The Scratch Awards made me work for this, and I respect that. And the best part? It’s actually affordable. I can bring my team, enjoy the night, and relax knowing we’ve earned our place. I’ve also heard it’s quite the party and I’m here for that!

Honestly, my advice to anyone thinking about awards is this: enter the ones you think you’re not good enough for. Let it push you. Let it challenge you. You’ll grow just by trying.