SFTBP Wins Best Podcast at Doxumentale 2026
We are absolutely thrilled to share some incredible news with our community: the Stories from the Beauty Parlor podcast has officially been awarded Best Podcast at the Doxumentale 2026 festival in Berlin!
The Doxumentale jury—consisting of Dina Elsayed, Peter Drössler and Marie Eickhoff —was deeply moved by the series. In their official award statement, they beautifully captured the essence of what we set out to achieve:
"‘Stories from the Beauty Parlor surprised us. Listeners to this podcast are taken on a journey to beauty salons around the world. These salons are not just about beauty, but about culture and conflict’".
Furthermore, the jury highlighted our team's delicate balance of "journalistic research and personal intimacy," summarizing the podcast as "an invitation to feel and to learn".
Winning this award at a premier international festival dedicated to outstanding documentary storytelling proves the immense value of impactful audio journalism. As Festival Director Anna Ramskogler-Witt noted during the festival, works celebrated here share the "power to create empathy" and bring "people into conversation with one another through stories" truly reflecting the heart of our mission.
For those who haven't yet joined the journey, the series takes listeners inside beauty salons across the globe—from hammams in Morocco to queer nail salons in the underground of Kyiv. We explore these spaces not just as places for aesthetic transformation, but as vital, safe community hubs where individuals carve out their identities and share powerful stories. This award is a profound validation of our team's dedication to uncovering stories of everyday women whose lives are deeply shaped by social and political realities.
A massive thank you to everyone who has listened, shared, and supported this project. Especially all the people opening up their salons, make-up boxes and hearts with us so far. You are the true everyday heroines constantly showing up despite the increasing backlash.
This critical acclaim proves that lifting up compelling, global voices truly makes a difference. We look forward to bringing you even more award-winning stories in the future!