One of our goals at NAILS is to elevate the status of nail professionals. We do this in a variety of ways. We seek out expert advice to help you run your business. We provide step-by-step tutorials and videos online to help you improve your skill level. We offer opportunities in the pages of NAILS and on NailsMag.com to let you tell your story and show off your work. We’ve created a monthly magazine where we offer you the latest and greatest by way of new products, service ideas, techniques, and trends. And we’ve created an online community for you to share your thoughts and ideas with other nail techs.

In the past we ranked nail competitors with our Top 25 list and we named Nail Tech and Salon of the Year. We like to think that over the years, we’ve played a small part in creating some pretty big names in the world of nails. Tom Bachik. Tom Holcomb. Vicki Peters. Maisie Dunbar. MaeLing Parrish. Holly Schippers. Maggie Franklin. And we don’t want to stop there. We want to help build the next generation of nail stars.

I’m excited to announce our newest contest, designed to identify up-and-coming stars in our industry. NAILS’ Next Top Nail Artist sponsored by Hand & Nail Harmony will be an online, ongoing contest modeled after many of today’s top reality shows. Think of it as a cross between Project Runway, Top Chef, Shear Genius, and America’s Next Top Model.

The contest will run online from September through November, with the final two contestants facing off in a live challenge at ISSE Long Beach 2014. The eight finalists will be given weekly tasks and challenges to show off their skills in a variety of ways. We’ll be asking the finalists to shoot photo tutorials, videos, and create their best nail art. We’ll have weekly guest judges and mentors to help with each challenge. And through our sponsors, we’ll have great prizes (including a trip to ISSE Long Beach 2014 and cash prizes for the top two contestants).

Right now we’re looking for contestants. If you’re not employed by a manufacturer and you’re a professional nail technician, you’re eligible to compete. We’ll be accepting applications until April 27. Simply go to www.nailsmag.com/nexttopnailartist and fill out the entry form. You’ll be asked a series of questions and will need to upload both high-res photos and a video diary.

We’ll identify 16 semifinalists by mid-summer and contact those nail techs for a series of preliminary challenges that will result in us naming the top eight finalists in the September issue of NAILS. Then, the contestants will undergo weekly challenges voted on by a panel of judges and the readers of NAILS. That’s right. We’re giving all of our readers the opportunity to weigh in and vote for your favorites each week.

The winner will get an amazing amount of nail art supplies, the opportunity to work for a major manufacturer, and a spot on the NAILS blogroll for one year, elevating your profile to new levels in the industry.

So, are you the Next Top Nail Artist? We want to see what you have to offer. Good luck!