Tattoo Contest Showdown
3 Days. 20+ Categories. 1 King Crowned & 1 Queen Crowned
- Ink with Impact. Compete for a Crown.
Step into the spotlight. The Kings & Queens of Ink Tattoo Contest is where rising legends and seasoned pros go needle-to-needle for the crown.
Over 20 judged categories across 3 days — from bold color work to black & grey mastery. Whether it’s your first competition or your 50th, this is where reputations are built, trophies are earned, and royalty is crowned.
Tattoo Contest Rules
- All tattoos can be fresh or healed to enter the competition, except for tattoo(s) of the day competitions.
- All Contest (except for King & Queen) $10
- King of Ink & Queen of Ink $20
- Registration opens when the convention opens each day and will close 30 minutes before judging starts.
- Best of Day must have been STARTED and FINISHED at the show that day.
- Best of Show must have been STARTED and FINISHED at the SHOW throughout the weekend.
- PLEASE REPORT TO THE STAGE AREA 10 MINUTES BEFORE THE COMPETITION STARTS IF YOU HAVE ENTERED A COMPETITION. Competitions will start PROMPTLY at the times listed. No refunds will be given for missed competitions.
Daily Contest Schedule
Friday
Tattoo Contest Begins at 8 pm
Best of Day Contests Begins at 9 pm
- Best Horror
- Best Lettering
- Best Geometric
- Best Anime/Comic
- Best of the Day Color
- Best of the Day Black & Grey
Saturday
Tattoo Contest Begins at 7 pm
Best of Day Contests Begins at 9 pm
- Best American Traditional
- Best Neo-Traditional
- Best Asian Tattoo
- Best Sleeve (arm/leg)
- Best Chest or Back
- Best Cover-Up
- Best Job Stopper (hand/ head/neck)
- Best Black & Grey Portrait
- Best Color Portrait
- Best Black & Grey (sm, med, lg)
- Best Color (sm, med, lg)
- Best of the Day Color
- Best of the Day Black & Grey
Sunday
Tattoo Contest Begins at 5 pm
Best of Day Contests Begins at 6 pm
Best of Show Begins at 7 pm
- Best Black & Grey Realism
- Best Color Realism
- Best Black & Grey Color Fusion
- Best Overall Female Collector
- Best Overall Male Collector
- Best of the Day Color
- Best of the Day Black & Grey
- Queen of Ink (Best of Show Female Artist)
- King of Ink (Best of Show Male Artist)
Prizes & Judging Criteria
Prizes
- Custom-designed trophies
- Artist feature on official Kings & Queens IG
- Winner photo ops with judges + stage feature
- Prize packs from sponsors for Best of Categories
- The King & Queen will each get a free 10x10 Booth for Next Year's Show
Judging Criteria
How Winners Are Chosen:
- Overall composition
- Line work & technical skill
- Saturation & smooth shading
- Use of color or black & grey contrast
- Creativity/originality of the piece
- Creativity/Clean application and healed quality (if applicable)of the piece
Judging is done live and fairly by a panel of respected industry professionals.
