Zenoti's 2026 Golden Hands Awards Honor Nine Beauty and Wellness Professionals Selected from More Than 449,000 Across North America

Now in its fourth year, the awards recognize the exceptional talent, dedication, and client relationships that define the beauty and wellness industry

SEATTLE, Oct. 13, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Zenoti selected nine beauty and wellness professionals for its 2026 Golden Hands Awards from a pool of more than 449,000 providers considered across North America, honoring them at a ceremony at the Seattle Aquarium on Sept. 21 during Innergize, Zenoti's annual industry summit.

Now in its fourth year, the Golden Hands Awards recognize the outstanding service providers at the heart of the beauty and wellness industry: the stylists, barbers, therapists, nurses, and estheticians whose skill, dedication, and artistry help guests feel confident and cared for. Honorees are selected based on their impact on guest experience and business revenue.

The awards are one of the signature moments of Innergize each year, which this year drew more than 1,000 beauty and wellness leaders to Seattle for three days of keynotes, workshops, and panels on the practical use of AI in business operations, including sessions from author and performer Carlos Andrés Gómez and Stanford professor Jeremy Utley.

The ceremony capped a day that also saw Zenoti founder and CEO Sudheer Koneru unveil Growth Diaries: How the Best Beauty and Wellness Brands Scale from 1 Store to 100+, a new book featuring insights from 42 industry leaders across nine countries. The book offers a practical blueprint for business growth, with lessons for beauty and wellness operators at every stage, from opening their first location to scaling a multi-location brand.

"The Golden Hands Awards are a chance to spotlight the people our industry doesn't always celebrate enough," said Koneru. "So many providers show up every day, year after year, to help their clients feel good, so those clients can find their own greatness. These nine providers show up with real skill and real care, and they represent the best of what this whole industry does. That's the heart of what makes the industry work."

Together, the Golden Hands Awards, Growth Diaries, and Zenoti's annual Beauty and Wellness Benchmark Reports reflect the company's broader commitment to recognizing industry excellence, sharing knowledge, and helping beauty and wellness businesses grow.

The 2026 Golden Hands Award Winners

• Stylist of the Year – Luxury Salon: Trenton Lacy, Douglas J Rochester Hills
• Stylist of the Year – Salon: Elma Howard, Fantastic Sams, Naples
• Stylist of the Year – Quick Service Salon: Victoria Phillips, Supercuts, Southwest Florida
• Barber of the Year – Barbershop: Jung Halverson, The Barbers, Portland
• Provider of the Year – Waxing Salon: Carla Imbrogna, Brazilian Wax and Spa by Claudia
• Provider of the Year – Medspa: Kara Jones, ARNP, 4Ever Young Anti-Aging Solutions
• Nurse of the Year – Medspa IV Therapy: Kelly Lopez, RN, Modwella
• Nail Stylist of the Year – Nail Salon: Anna Le, Nail Garden
• Esthetician of the Year – Spa: Angela Cutler, APRN, Sakoon the Spa

The honorees span specialties and career paths, united by the skill, consistency, and client relationships that are central to the beauty and wellness experience.

Learn more about the honorees and their stories on the 2026 Golden Hands Awards winners page.

ABOUT INNERGIZE

Innergize is Zenoti's annual conference for the beauty and wellness industry, bringing together salon, spa, medspa, and fitness leaders for keynotes, hands-on AI sessions, peer networking, and industry awards. Now in its fourth year, Innergize has become a defining gathering for operators who want to lead, not follow, what comes next. Innergize 2027 will be held in Atlanta, Sept. 12–14, with early-bird registration now open at innergize.me.

ABOUT ZENOTI

Zenoti is the leading cloud software platform for the beauty and wellness industry, trusted by more than 30,000 businesses worldwide. From independent boutique salons to multi-location enterprise brands. Zenoti's unified platform covers appointment booking, payments, marketing, memberships, inventory, employee management, and AI-powered intelligence, giving operators a single source of truth across their entire business. For more information about Zenoti, see zenoti.com.

SOURCE Zenoti