The Essie Nail Awards Want to Make You a Celebrity Manicurist

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See you at New York Fashion Week! (Photo: Jon Paterson)

Good news for amateur manicurists hoarding nail polish in their bedrooms: today, Essie launches the first-ever nail art contest hosted on YouTube — and anyone can enter. The competition consists of four rounds of nail art challenges to “discover the next great nail artist.” The grand prize winner will receive a $20,000 partnership with Essie, a spot at New York Fashion Week with celebrity manicurist Michelle Saunders, and “much more.” (We hope this involves unlimited Essie polishes for life.)

“The nail industry has been rapidly evolving, but I saw the biggest change in 2011 when creative people began using nail beds as their canvas and posting on social media,” Saunders tells Yahoo Beauty. “The combination of DIY and social media became the perfect combination to express creativity and individuality.”

The final two contestants will be determined through a combination of online votes and a panel of experts including YouTube nail guru Jenny Fox, Saunders herself, and fashion designer Rebecca Minkoff, who also serves as Essie’s Global Color Designer. Not everyone will make it though all four rounds, so here’s the breakdown:

Phase 1: Qualifying Challenge (January 6th – February 22th)

Qualifying submissions will open to all participants. Contestants will be required to upload two videos to essie.com, including: an “All About You” video and a “Show Us Your Skill” video.

The Goods: Essie’s gel.setter kit.

Phase 2: Spring Trend Challenge (February 22th – March 28th)

The contestants will be challenged to create the ultimate spring trend-inspired nail art look. Videos will be uploaded to Youtube.com where online fan votes will determine the top six semi-finalists.

The Goods: Essie’s Spring 2016 collection.

Phase 3: Dream Getaway Challenge (March 28th – May 2nd)

Semi-finalists will create a nail art look inspired by their dream getaway. The top three finalists, as chosen by online fan votes, will move to the last phase.

The Goods: An Essie branded polish rack filled with 90 shades.

Phase 4: Blank Canvas Challenge (May 2nd – June 6th)

The finalists will be flown to New York to film their last video in YouTube’s studio. Essie’s expert panel will select the top two winners who will be announced on June 1st.

The Goods: A blank canvas for the runner-up. A $20,000 prize, a spot backstage at New York Fashion Week, and additional swag for the winner.

For complete contest rules and information, visit essie.com/theessies. Good luck — and we hope to see you backstage at New York Fashion Week!

Related:

Designer Rebecca Minkoff on Instagram, Essie, and NYC

Rebecca Minkoff and Essie Team Up For Killer Nails

What You Need to Know About Sporting Long Nails