Nominations are officially open for Long Island beauty and wellness professionals hoping to be recognized at one of the region's newest industry celebrations, and the process to submit one takes just a few minutes online.

The LI Herald and RichnerLive, a division of Richner Communications, publisher of the Herald, are hosting the second annual Herald Health and Beauty Awards of Long Island. The inaugural event was held July 16, 2025, at the Heritage Club at Bethpage, and organizers are now gearing up for round two.

This year's gala is set for Thursday, October 8, 2026, from 6 to 9 p.m., once again at the Heritage Club at Bethpage, located at 99 Quaker Meeting House Road in Farmingdale. The evening is designed to spotlight the practitioners, spas, and entrepreneurs who make up Long Island's health and beauty industry, drawing sponsors and honorees from across Nassau and Suffolk counties.

The awards program covers more than 20 categories, giving a wide range of professionals a shot at recognition. Categories include Rising Star, Aesthetic Excellence, Medical Aesthetics and MedSpa, Beauty and Wellness Entrepreneur, and Wellness and Longevity, among many others. Whether someone runs a solo practice, manages a medspa, or has built a wellness brand from the ground up, there is likely a category that fits their work.

More than 23 businesses have already signed on as sponsors of the 2026 awards, including Alluring Age, Churgin Plastic Surgery, Earth Therapeutics, ISDIN, Benefit Cosmetics, and Vandegrift Plastic Surgery. That level of industry support reflects how quickly the program has grown since its debut last summer.

It's worth noting that this is a distinct program from the Long Island Beauty Awards, which is run separately by Beauty Affair. The two events share a similar spirit, celebrating beauty and wellness professionals on Long Island, but they are organized independently, run by different companies, and have their own nomination processes and ceremonies. Anyone nominating a colleague, favorite provider, or their own business should make sure they're filling out the right form for the recognition they're aiming for.

For the Herald Health and Beauty Awards specifically, the nomination form is live now through a link on RichnerLive's event page. The process is straightforward: visit the page, find the nomination link, and submit the honoree's information along with the category that best fits their work. There is no cost to nominate, and readers can nominate a business, a colleague, or themselves.

With the gala still months away in October, there is time to put together a thoughtful nomination, but interested readers shouldn't wait too long. Award programs like this one often see nomination windows close well before the event itself, so those who want to see a favorite local aesthetician, dermatologist, medspa owner, or wellness entrepreneur honored should head to RichnerLive's site soon to get the process started.

Mark the calendar for October 8 at the Heritage Club at Bethpage, and keep an eye on RichnerLive for updates as the nomination period continues and the list of categories and sponsors takes final shape ahead of this year's ceremony.