Competition

Join the best
of the best

Fifteen categories across three days, judged on the convention floor. Register your piece at the contest desk before the category is called.

The panel

Meet the judges

Six official judges score every category on the floor, across all three days.

The rules

Competition
conditions

The work

  • Every tattoo entered must be started or finished at the convention
  • Pieces started here must be finished during the convention
  • Healed tattoos can only enter the healed category — no touch-ups, no exceptions
  • One artist per entry, in attendance, except Best collaboration
  • Best collaboration takes up to three artists
  • One tattoo per artist per category

On the day

  • Models must be present at registration
  • Artist and model must both collect the trophy
  • Winners stay in the convention area until the award is handed over
  • Judges may inspect fresh tattoos up close
  • Fewer than five entries and the category is cancelled
  • Every category has 1st, 2nd and 3rd — except Best of show and Best collaboration, which award 1st only

Photographers from tattoo and lifestyle magazines shoot the winners and entrants. The convention may publish those photographs for promotion and documentation; entering confirms you agree.