NAIL NEWS

Nailympia Anaheim at Premiere Beauty Show: Celebrating Global Excellence in Professional Nails

ARTICLE BY ALISHA RIMANDO | PUBLISHED IN 2026

The Premiere Beauty Show in Anaheim, CA once again served as a powerful meeting point for licensed beauty professionals, hosting another standout edition of Nailympia. As a global benchmark for professional nail competition, Nailympia Anaheim continues to grow in participation, reach, and impact reflecting the evolving strength of the international nail community.

Across the two-day event, 84 competitors filled 254 seats, with 110 arena seats occupied during live competition, clear evidence of sustained momentum and deep engagement from nail professionals across North America and beyond. Turn-in art entries and poster submissions were a major highlight, with 71 posters submitted across multiple categories, while Gel Polish Manicure emerged as the most popular arena category overall. All poster entries were judged online one week prior to the event by an international panel, part of the 41 judges who upheld Nailympia’s rigorous and transparent standards for this competition.

The event was proudly sponsored by Byootique, whose founder Andy Lee personally addressed the audience to express appreciation for licensed nail professionals. Each of the six trophy winners received a mobile beauty trolley supporting not only recognition, but real-world professional growth.  KUPA inc also donated prizes to the 3 Winner of Winners.
At the heart of Nailympia is celebrating excellence. This year’s top honors included Francesca Paliotto (Italy) as Individual Top Scorer, alongside Winner of Winners titles awarded to Thanh Thao Tran (Division 1, USA), Linh Duong (Division 2, Canada), and Francesca Paliotto (Division 3, Italy). Art Winner of Winners was claimed by Thanh Thao Tran, while Anh Thy Vu earned Top USA Tech.

This event marked the 50th Nailympia arena competition since 2005 and the 17th in partnership with Premiere Beauty Shows, reinforcing a legacy built on integrity, education, and artistic excellence. A particularly moving moment came when Alex Fox presented Alisha Rimando with an award honoring 20 years of dedication to the Nailympia brand, from competing in the very first London event in 2005 to now serving as Head Judge for North America.

As Alex Fox shared, the momentum seen in Anaheim mirrors continued growth across the USA, driven by artists who recognize the true value of competition not just for awards, but for confidence, business expansion, relationships, and inspiration. Events like Nailympia Anaheim remind us that when education, integrity, and community come together, the entire nail industry rises. As GlossaryLive, we are proud to witness Nailympia Anaheim continue to elevate the profession bringing together artistry, education, and community in a way that strengthens the global nail industry year after year.


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