Every city has it's own cream of the crop--literally. We're talking about salons that are booked up solid for months, celebrity hairstylists who are famous for creating cutting-edge editorial looks, and up-and-coming stylists who are the talk of the town. Once a year, they all convene in Las Vegas for the North American Hairstyling Awards (NAHA's), which doles out coveted awards to the best stylists in the business. It was our first time attending (we also covered the Cosmoprof trade show to scope out hot new trends), and never before have we seen such a dedicated, talented, and energetic group of creative minds--over 3,000 beauty pros attended the event.

Award: Hairstylist Of The Year
The most prestigious award, Hairstylist of the Year, went to Eli Mancha, of Lock & Loaded Salon, in Chicago, IL. "There is no higher honor in the beauty industry than the NAHA award. I am ecstatic to be named Hairstylist of the Year and have my hard work recognized by the beauty industry. I plan to continue challenging myself and hopefully win another NAHA in the future," said Mancha upon receiving his award.

Here are the other award winners:

Master Stylist of the Year
Kris Sorbie, REDKEN 5th Ave, New York, NY

Salon Team of the Year
Jackson Ruiz Salon, Austin, TX

Editorial Stylist of the Year
Dimitrios Tsioumas, Mizu New York, New York, NY

Student Hairstylist of the Year
Giovanna Simington, Golden West College of Cosmetology, Huntington Beach, CA

Texture
Carlos Cintron, TIGI, Lewisville, TX

Make-Up Artist of the Year
Clarissa Luna, Jackson Ruiz Salon, Austin, TX

Avant Garde
Jake Thompson, Lunatic Fringe, Salt Lake City, UT

Contemporary Classic
Simon Chercuitte, SACO, Montreal, QB

Fashion Forward
Zahir Ziani, Red Door Spas, New York, NY

Haircolor
Dimitrios Tsioumas, Mizu New York, New York, NY

Salon Design
Marco Verrelli, Salon M Squared, Toronto, ON

Salon MBA
Karie & Aaron Bennett, Atelier, San Jose, CA