Rules & Eligibility Requirements

Award Entry T&C'S

• $20 ENTRY FEE PER CATEGORY ENTERED - Payable when registering for the competition. Entry fee is non refundable.
• Must be present at the expo & tattooing at the expo.
• Your canvas needs to be up at the stage 15minutes before the competition starts.
• Your tattoo must be started and completed at the expo except for the healed categories.

Entry Limits

• Artists may enter one piece per category per day + if tattoo is started and finished on the day they can enter into tattoo of the day as well.
• A category may contain a maximum of 30 entries - once full, no additional entries will be accepted.

Major Award Categories

Major awards include:

• Tattoo of the Day (Friday, Saturday, and Sunday)
• Best Multi-Day Tattoo
• Tattoo of the Show.

These categories all have a runner up.

‍

Healed Tattoos

The only categories you can enter healed tattoos into are:

• Best Healed tattoos
• Best Bodysuit

You cannot enter a partially healed tattoo that you have continued to work on at the expo into Tattoo of the day.

‍

Tattoo of the Day

• Must be started and finished on the day of the competition.
• Cannot be entered in Best Multi-Day Tattoo.
• Healed work is not permitted.
• Collaboration tattoos are not permitted to enter into the tattoo of the day.
• A tattoo completed over multiple days cannot enter.

‍

Best Multi-Day Tattoo

• Must be completed over two or more days.
• Must be started and finished at the event.
• Cannot be entered in Tattoo of the Day.
• Healed work cannot be entered.

‍

Tattoo of the Show ($5,000)

‍

We’ve heard your feedback loud and clear and are excited to announce that the prize money is now open to all 1st place winners across the weekend.

‍

If you win 1st place in any category on Friday, Saturday, or Sunday (excluding Healed, Bodysuits, Multi-Day, and Collaboration), you will automatically qualify to go head-to-head against the other daily winners for the chance to win $1,500 cash that day.

‍

At the end of each day, all eligible 1st place winners will return to the stage where the judges will select one overall winner using our token-based judging system. Artists can only win one $1,500 daily prize across the weekend.

‍

All eligible 1st place winners across the entire weekend will then qualify for Tattoo of the Show on Sunday night, where the judges will select one overall winner to take home $5,000 cash.This includes the three $1,500 daily winners.

‍

Excluded categories:

• Healed Tattoos
• Bodysuits
• Multi-Day
• Collaboration

All finalists must be present at the stage when called or they will be disqualified.

‍

Best Fineline

Fineline tattoos are all about thin, clean lines and delicate detail.

• Be done with very fine lines
• Focus on detail and precision
• Use little or no shading
• Can be black or colour
• Be fully healed (if not done at the expo)
• 1RL–3RL is the largest needle to be used.

Common styles include florals, script, portraits, or geometric work — as long as the lines are fine and clean

‍

❌ No bold lines, heavy shading, or thick outlines

‍

Best Collaboration

• Only for tattoo projects created by two or more artists at the Expo
• Cannot enter Tattoo of the Day, Best Multi-Day Tattoo, or Tattoo of the Show.
• Each artist must contribute at least 50% to the tattoo.
• Minimum of two artists per team.
• Maximum of five artists per team.
• Up to two collaboration trophies will be awarded per competition; additional trophies may be purchased.** Please contact Holly after the expo to discuss.

NEW - Bodysuit

• A body suit is a large, connected tattoo that covers most of/ 70% or more of the body and flows together as one piece.
• Cover at least three major areas of the body  (e.g. full back, full sleeve, full leg, chest, etc.)
• Include at least one full limb (arm or leg) plus the front or back torso
• Be fully healed
• Be visually connected — not just random tattoos

❌ Not Accepted:

‍

● Patchwork tattoos with no theme or flow

● Just one large tattoo (e.g. a full back) on its own

‍

Best Blackwork Tattoos

Blackwork tattoos are made using only black ink — no colour, no greywash.

• Be done entirely in black ink only
• Use bold lines, solid black areas, or detailed patterns
• Fit styles like geometric, ornamental, or illustrative
• Be fully healed if not done at the expo

Dotwork is allowed (as long as it’s just black)

‍

❌ No greywash, colour, or shading gradients allowed

‍

Size Requirements for Small/Large Black & Grey and Colourblack & Grey and Colour

• Small (30cm) or smaller tattoos will be measured using a 30x30cm template.
• If exceeding 30cm, tattoos will be moved to the Large (≥30cm) or larger category.

‍

Best Realism/Photo Realism

• A photo reference must be supplied.
• Realism and photo realism are now one category.

‍

‍Best Freehand Tattoos

• A photo/ or video of the blank canvas must be taken before starting.
• No pre-existing linework or stencils can be used.

‍

Disqualifications & Refunds

• Any artist found not following the rules will be disqualified.
• If a tattoo is disqualified, no refund will be given for entry costs.

‍

NEW - Tribal/Cultural (This has replaced Polynesian)

‍

Tribal tattoos are bold designs based on traditional cultural styles.

• Use bold lines or solid patterns  

Styles that are welcome:

• Polynesian (Samoan, Marquesan, Tongan)
• Maori / Ta Moko
• Hawaiian / Filipino tribal
• Bornean / Iban
• Inuit / Native American
• African tribal  

❌ Not accepted:

• Tattoos that just “look tribal” but mix in other styles (like realism or colour)
• Non-cohesive designs with no clear tribal influence

Best Booth

• This is not a category that you need to enter. This is picked by the event organisers over the weekend and will be chosen on the following:  
• Creativity, Effort, Stand out style, vibe.

‍