Tattoo Competitions – Sydney Tattoo Convention 2025

Step up or sit back and witness tattoo artistry at its absolute peak. The official 2025 Sydney Tattoo Convention competitions are where legends are made, and rising stars get their spotlight. With categories for every style and scale — from small masterpieces to full back epics — this is where creativity collides with technical brilliance. Open to both artists and collectors, the comps run all weekend long. Whether you're in it for the trophy or just the thrill, this is the electric core of the expo.

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Sydney Tattoo Convention 2025 – Competition Categories

Friday

9pm

  • Tattoo of the Day – Friday

Saturday

3pm

  • Best Collector
  • Best Vintage
  • Best Sleeve
  • Best Leg
  • Best Back
  • Best Front / Chest / Torso
  • Best Bodysuit
  • Best Head

5pm

  • Best Apprentice
  • Best Fineline
  • Best Script / Lettering
  • Best Japanese
  • Best Oriental
  • Best Cultural
  • Best Neo Tribal
  • Best Ornamental / Blackwork
  • Best Geometric / Dot Work
  • Best Bio Mech / Organic
  • Best Anime / Pop Culture

7pm

  • Best Black & Grey – Small / Medium
  • Best Black & Grey – Large
  • Best Colour – Small / Medium
  • Best Colour – Large
  • Best Realism – Colour
  • Best Realism – Black & Grey
  • Best Neo Traditional – Small / Medium
  • Best Neo Traditional – Large
  • Best Traditional – Small / Medium
  • Best Traditional – Large
  • Best Cover-Up

9pm

  • Tattoo of the Day – Saturday

Sunday

6pm

  • Best Banner
  • Best Collaboration
  • Best Multi-Day
  • Tattoo of the Day – Sunday
  • Tattoo of the Show
  • Artist of the Show

Competition Guidelines & Rules

  • Open to: All artists and collectors.
  • Registration: Required at least 1 hour before category start via QR code at the venue. Entry fee: $10.
  • Stage Time: Participants must be stage-side 15 mins before competition.
  • Eligibility: Tattoos must be fresh (done at the convention) or fully healed. Partially healed work is not permitted.
  • Collector Presence: Collectors must be present for judging.
  • Trophies: Artists not present must email to arrange collection.

On-site-Only Categories:

  • Tattoo of the Day (Fri/Sat/Sun)
  • Best Collaboration
  • Best Multi-Day
  • Tattoo of the Show

Judging Criteria:

  • Artistic Quality: Line work, shading, colour saturation, composition
  • Originality
  • Placement: Fit to body
  • Technical Skill

Size Categories:

  • Small / Medium: Up to 30cm
  • Large: Over 30cm

Style-Specific Rules:

  • Blackwork: Only solid black
  • Colour: Full colour allowed with black lines
  • Black & Grey: Greywash only, no colour

Special Categories & Notes

Best Cultural

Recognises tattooing with deep cultural, ancestral, or spiritual roots. Open to all. Styles include Aboriginal, Polynesian, Samoan, Tongan, Tahitian, Filipino/Batok, Bornean, etc.

  • Cultural integrity
  • Artistic quality
  • Visual impact

Artist of the Show

  • Awarded to the most consistently awarded tattooer.
  • Points-based system: 1st = 3pts, 2nd = 2pts, 3rd = 1pt.
  • Tie-breaker decided by judges.

Best Cover-Up

  • "Before" photo required (preferably printed A4 colour)
  • Judged on concealment and final result

Best Bodysuit

  • Must be a cohesive full-body design
  • Fully healed only
  • Judged on cohesion, technical proficiency, flow, originality

Best Collector

  • Curated collection from multiple respected artists
  • Fully healed work only
  • Judged on merit, cohesion, diversity, presentation

Best Vintage

  • Must be 20+ years old
  • Judged on aging quality, integrity, skin integration

Best Banner

  • Hand-painted banners only
  • Judged via floor walkthrough (no entry needed)
  • Judged on creativity, artistic skill, relevance, and visual impact
  • Collaborations allowed (credit all artists)