At PBA’s 2026 North American Hairdressing Awards sponsored by JCPenney, the “3” in L3VEL3 became even more meaningful, as not only did the ambassador team garner three finalist spots for the Barber of the Year category, but they took home their third consecutive win, with Carlos Pagan – aka Drastic Barber earning his very own trophy.
BarberEVO was lucky enough to speak to Carlos and the rest of the L3VEL3 team after their win in the Winner’s Lounge sponsored by Goldwell, but also in the BarberEVO X L3VEL3 podcast booth the very next day. David Foster sat down with Jay Nouri as well as Carlos himself to get the team’s first reaction.
When Carlos heard his name announced as the 2026 NAHA Barber of the Year, he did not see it as a solo victory. He immediately framed the win as a collective achievement, saying it was not his moment, it was their moment, and that everyone had put so much energy into the journey and helped each other so much that he genuinely believed all of them were winners.
Standing under the lights in Orlando, Carlos was not just accepting an award. He was validating a culture of shared success.
From Rocky Roads to Red Carpets
Carlos’s NAHA moment was inseparable from a health battle that could easily have ended his run before it began. He recalled that in January 2025 he had been diagnosed with cancer and had fought it for four or five months.
Later that year, he received a call from Jay, who told him he wanted Carlos in for a September shoot. Carlos admitted he told Jay he was not ready, but Jay – in a loving push – decided otherwise and told him he would be coming to shoot the NAHA collection.
He described that outcome as proof that God was amazing, that God allowed struggle to test how a person handled life, then surprised them with something like this on the other side. For Carlos, the award signaled that there was another chapter waiting, one in which God had more in store than he had imagined.
Carlos described the moment his name was called with disarming honesty. He said, “I heard ‘Carlos,’ I thought it was former winner and teammate, Carlos Estrella (Los Cut It.) I will be honest; I totally forgot about myself.”
Sitting in a category with people he called “so, so unbelievable,” including: “Papi Blendzz,” “Los, the goat himself,” and “Arod, the most well-known barber in the world,” he said he simply thought, “Los’s got it.” The reality hit when he heard “Pagan.” From there, the night became a blur of hugs and gratitude.
“When they called my name, I could not believe it, not even for a second. It took me so long just to make it to the stage, because everybody was just hugging me and hugging me and hugging me, and I did not want to let nobody go either.”
“You Are the Captain of Your Life”
In his final words as NAHA’s 2026 Barber of the Year, Carlos turned his story into a directive for others.
He told barbers and creatives: “Do not let nobody tell you what is going to be the destiny of your life. You are actually the captain of your life.” He urged: “Take decisions, put one foot in front of the other, and remember that with God, everything is possible, and there is always a brighter day tomorrow. No matter how big the storm looks today.”
For Carlos “Drastic Barber” Pagan, the NAHA win was not just a personal milestone. It was living proof that faith, family style teamwork, and a refusal to let ego lead could turn a cancer diagnosis, a first-time collection, and a stacked category into a moment that belonged to an entire community.