Beauty Independent Announces Beacon Award Winners

NEW YORK, Oct. 1, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Indie Beauty Media Group (IBMG), publisher of Beauty Independent (BI) announced the winners of its inaugural Beacon Awards during a live virtual celebration on Sept. 30th. This program, the first of its kind, is exclusively focused on recognizing innovation and excellence in independent beauty and beauty entrepreneurship.

The editorial team at Beauty Independent selected 75 nominees across 15 award categories. Winners were then determined by a panel of 15 expert evaluators assigned to four evaluation committees based on their background and expertise.  The evaluation process also took into account testimonials, provided by Beauty Independent subscribers, whose voices represent the diverse and thoughtful community the publication serves.

"Although the indie beauty segment has made inroads in the beauty industry, it's still dominated by legacy players," says Beauty Independent Editor In Chief Rachel Brown. "However, consumers are increasingly voting with their dollars for emerging brands that have unique voices, distinctive products and founders with compelling stories. Beauty Independent's mission is to focus on these emerging brands and the Beacon Awards celebrates them."

Beauty Independent is the leading resource for independent brands and entrepreneurs covering the creativity, passion and purpose that consistently moves the beauty industry forward daily. The editorial team believes excellence, achieved against enormous odds, should be rewarded.

"The Beacon Awards are about lauding the top and most interesting independent operators and entrepreneurs in today's beauty market, giving them the recognition they deserve," says Nader Naeymi-Rad, publisher of Beauty Independent and co-founder of Beauty Independent's parent company, IBMG. "Many of the most innovative products and visionary leaders in beauty and wellness are to be found among the small startups doing things that larger and more established companies would or could never do. These individuals and their organizations are a beacon; they are a symbol of possibility, revealing the edges of how far we could go, but daring us to surpass it."

Each Beacon Award category winner will be a focus of a feature published in Beauty Independent, to be released weekly for 15 weeks. The Beacon Awards are a separate and complementary program to Indie Beauty Expo's (IBE) annual Best In Show Awards, which has a distinct focus on products featured at IBE events, rather than those shaping the indie business at large.

Beacon Award Winners:
Julissa Prado, Entrepreneur of the Year
Marcia Kilgore, Industry Icon
Kreyol Essence, Brand of the Year
Odele, Brand Launch of the Year
Olive & June's The Studio Box, Product Launch of the Year
Touchland's Moisturizing Hand Sanitizer Mist, Product Development Innovation of the Year
Kjaer Weis, Best Packaging
Hero Cosmetics, Best Social Media
Axiology, Sustainability Champion
Spktrm Beauty, Inclusivity Champion
The Detox Market, Large Indie Retailer of the Year
Inside Outer Beauty, Small Indie Retailer of the Year
Verishop, Online Retailer of the Year
Unilever Ventures, Investor of the Year
Topicals, Indie Deal of the Year

About Beauty Independent (BI)
Beauty Independent is the leading B2B publication dedicated to covering the intersection of beauty and entrepreneurship.  With a focus on independent brands, the platform follows breaking news, provides educational resources, data-driven content, and amplifies the stories of innovators shaping ground-breaking businesses. A megaphone for the big brands of tomorrow, BI is the definitive resource for beauty entrepreneurs and their partners to learn and grow their businesses.

About Indie Beauty Media Group (IBMG)
IBMG's mission is to recognize, showcase, and celebrate independent beauty brands and to support the growth and success of the entrepreneurs behind them. IBMG's platform includes Indie Beauty Expo (IBE), BeautyX Summit series, Beauty Independent, and Uplink and Uplink Live.

SOURCE Indie Beauty Media Group