TWO Gwent hairdressers won top awards in the Welsh Hair and Beauty Awards on Sunday.

Maxine Jones, who owns MJ’s hair salon in Newport with husband Carl, and Brynmawr hair salon Kutz and Kurlz were both named winners at the prestigious event.

Mrs Jones, who started her salon in Celtic Springs Business Park three years ago, was named top women’s hair stylist in the whole of Wales.

And Kutz and Kurlz, which has salons in both Brynmawr and Abertillery, beat six other finalists to win Hair Salon of the Year in the mid-Wales category.

Speaking earlier today, Mrs Jones said: “It is such a huge honour to win this award, and I want to send a huge thank you to all my clients for their support.

“And a huge thank you to the MJ’s team for their continued hard work and dedication.

“To be up against the rest of Wales and come out the winner is just fantastic

“It’s amazing, the hard work and commitment has paid off, the award will take pride of place in the salon.”

It is the second year running Mrs Jones has been named finalist for Women’s Stylist of the Year.

The husband and wife duo opened MJ’s after working as a hairdresser for 28 years in Cardiff.

The team at Kutz and Kurlz posted a statement on their Facebook page. They said: “Thank you to our amazing clients for nominating us! We are so proud.”

Stephanie Edwards, who works at Kutz and Kurlz, told the Argus in the run up to the awards it was really “brilliant” to have been nominated.

The Tredegar stylist said: “I’m quite chuffed with it when you consider the amount of people and salons it’s out of."