2026 Beacon Awards Crown 31 Winners as Salt & Stone, Jolie and RoC Skincare Take Top Honors

Salt & Stone emerged as one of the biggest winners, collecting both the Growth and Late-Stage Deal awards. Ulta Beauty president and chief executive Kecia Steelman, who presented the honor, said the premium body care label had built a differentiated brand, surpassed $165 million in revenue and helped redefine its category.

Jane Wurwand, founder of Dermalogica and the International Dermal Institute, received the Industry Icon award. She was recognized for more than 40 years of work championing education, elevating professional skin therapy and creating opportunities for generations of entrepreneurs.

RoC Skincare chief executive Fernando Acosta was named Brand Builder, Snif's Bryan Edwards took the Entrepreneur award and Jolie was honored as Best Brand. Alaffia, L'Epoque Parfums and Megababe were among the other names recognized across the 31 winning slots.

The honors, now in their seventh year, drew more than 130 nominees across categories spanning deals, product launches, entrepreneurship and broader industry achievement. Winners were announced Wednesday during a digital ceremony emceed by Nader Naeymi-Rad, founder of Indie Beauty Media Group.

A panel of 25 expert evaluators selected the winners. It included Steelman, IPG president and co-founder Tish Poling, K18 founder Suveen Sahib, Caliray founder Wende Zomnir, former Cos Bar chief executive Oliver Garfield, former Sephora senior vice president Alison Hahn, former Ilia Beauty chief executive Linda Berkowitz, Beekman 1802 chief executive Jill Scalamandre and Tai Life Media founder Tai Beauchamp.