BEST OF DAY
- Best of Day — Color
- Best of Day — Black & Grey
KINGS & QUEENS OF INK
Fresh work. Healed masterpieces. Three days of competition. One artist will leave Southern InkFest with the weekend’s highest honor.
CLAIM THE CROWN
The Kings & Queens of Ink Tattoo Competition celebrates technical execution, creativity, composition, readability, and the artistry behind every entry.
Artists and collectors can compete across style, placement, portrait, realism, specialty, and size-based categories throughout the weekend. Daily competition culminates in Best of Day Color, Best of Day Black & Grey, and Sunday’s Best of Show.
THE WEEKEND’S TOP HONORS
Best of Day recognizes the strongest color and black-and-grey tattoos completed during each day of Southern InkFest. One Best of Show winner is crowned Sunday.
One tattoo. One winner. The highest tattoo-competition honor of the 2027 weekend.
2027 COMPETITION CATEGORIES
Review the confirmed Friday, Saturday, and Sunday category lineup below. Entry windows and eligibility requirements will be published soon.
Entry fees, registration windows, competition times, designations, size definitions, and complete eligibility rules will be published before registration opens.
HOW COMPETITION ENTRY WORKS
Complete registration instructions will be released before the event. Use this overview to prepare.
Confirm the category, eligible tattoo type, size requirements, day, registration deadline, and judging time.
Register during the posted competition window and provide the collector's name in the correct category, and tattoo information requested.
The collector must be present at the designated staging area before the category closes.
Finalists and winners must be available for photographs.
JUDGING
Exact category criteria will be included in the official rules. Judges may evaluate the following qualities as appropriate to the category and tattoo.
IMPORTANT INFORMATION
Every entry must meet the published requirements for its selected category. Tattoos entered in an incorrect category may be moved or disqualified.
The submitting party is responsible for accurate collector information.
Late entries or entrants who are unavailable when called may lose eligibility. Follow all staging and presentation instructions.
Judging decisions are final. Event management may make reasonable category or schedule adjustments when necessary.
DON’T MISS AN UPDATE
Join the Royal List for competition schedules, rules, registration information, artist announcements, and ticket updates.