Contessa 38 Finalist Curtis Anweiler Eyes Canadian Hairstylist of the Year

Curtis Anweiler, owner of Anweiler Hair Inc. in Edmonton, Alta., is a finalist in the Contessa 38 awards, competing in the Canadian Hairstylist of the Year category (styled in French as Styliste Canadien de l'année). The Contessa awards, run by Salon magazine, are Canada's longest-running professional hairdressing competition, and the overall hairstylist title sits at the top of the programme.

Who made the entry happen?

A Contessa submission is a team production, and Anweiler's credit sheet names two specialists. Brian Jovellanos handled makeup for the collection. Jason Soprovich shot the photography.

That division of labour matters for any salon weighing a Contessa entry of its own. Competition collections typically demand paid collaboration with a makeup artist and a photographer whose rates sit outside the salon's normal operating costs, and the entries are judged substantially on the strength of the imagery.

How large is the collection?

The finalist submission consists of five looks. Each one appears as a separate entry image in the official Contessa 38 finalist gallery, which is where judging and public viewing take place.

Five finished looks is a meaningful commitment of chair time. Between prep, colour work, styling, makeup and the shoot itself, a finalist-level entry consumes multiple model sessions before a single frame is submitted.

What does the finalist listing actually tell working stylists?

The credit structure — stylist, makeup artist, photographer, salon — mirrors the staffing a competitive editorial portfolio requires in practice. For Anweiler, the listing also puts Anweiler Hair Inc., an independent Edmonton salon, on a national stage alongside larger operations.

For the industry audience, the Canadian Hairstylist of the Year shortlist functions as a scouting tool: names that surface here routinely move into education, brand ambassadorships and platform work in the following cycle.

The Contessa 38 winners will be announced at the awards ceremony, and that result — whether Anweiler takes the title or another finalist does — is the next data point to watch for anyone tracking Canada's competitive hairdressing scene.