Convention awards
Competitions
Celebrate the art of tattooing at UKTTA, where top artists go head-to-head across the weekend for huge prizes, trophies and bragging rights.
Win big at UKTTA
Across the weekend our competition stage showcases some of the strongest work of the convention. Artists compete in a wide range of categories – from colour and black & grey to traditional, fineline, collaboration pieces and more – with special awards for the very best work of each day.
Only tattoos started and completed at the event are eligible for the main awards, with separate categories for fully healed work and standout projects. It’s the perfect chance to push yourself, shine on stage and get your work in front of a packed crowd.
Prize pot
£4,000+
Shared across Best of Saturday & Best of Sunday plus category awards.
Categories
15+
From fineline and ornamental to collaboration, colour & more.
Schedule
Saturday from
5pm - 8pm
&
Sunday from
5pm-7:30pm
If you’re not entering, you can keep tattooing while the awards run.
Judged by artists
Our awards are judged by a panel of experienced tattooers who recognise technical skill, composition, creativity and healed results where applicable.
Convention awards
Tattoo
Competitions
Prize Pool
£2,000 Saturday · £2,000 Sunday
The best of each day is selected from the first-place winners of every category over the day. Win your category and you're entered automatically for Best of Day — judged at the end of Saturday and Sunday.
Entries from the Best Healed category are not included for Best of Saturday or Best of Sunday.
Saturday Categories
5 categories · Best of Saturday £2,000
Picked from each Saturday category's 1st place winner. Healed excluded.
Best Small Colour
- 1st, 2nd & 3rd place prizes.
- Smaller than A4, any style.
- Started & completed at the show.
Best Traditional / Neo‑Traditional
- 1st, 2nd & 3rd place prizes.
- Any size and any colour.
- Started & completed at the show.
Best Fineline
- 1st, 2nd & 3rd place prizes.
- Any size of Fineline pieces, any colour.
- Started & finished at the show.
Best Healed Work
- 1st, 2nd & 3rd place prizes.
- Fully healed work only — from artists working the show.
- Not eligible for Best of Show.
Best Small Black & Grey
- 1st, 2nd & 3rd place prizes.
- Smaller than A4. Can include opaques & whites.
- Started & completed at the show.
Sunday Categories
6 categories · Best of Sunday £2,000
Picked from each Sunday category's 1st place winner.
Best Large Colour
- 1st, 2nd & 3rd place prizes.
- Larger than A4, any style.
- Started & completed at the show.
Best Collaboration
- 1st, 2nd & 3rd place prizes.
- Two or more artists, any style.
- Any size — started & completed at the show.
Best Avant-Garde
- 1st, 2nd & 3rd place prizes.
- Any size, monochrome or colour.
- Small pieces started & finished at the show.
Best Large Black & Grey
- 1st, 2nd & 3rd place prizes.
- Larger than A4. Can include opaques & whites.
- Started & completed at the show.
Best Large Ornamental
- 1st, 2nd & 3rd place prizes.
- Larger than A4. Colour and Blackwork — Mandala, Geometric, Dotwork.
- Started & completed at the show.
Best Large Project
- Details to follow.
Final category list, rules and sign-up details will be confirmed closer to the event and announced on our social channels and artist info packs.
Rules & eligibility
One entry per artist, per day. (This does not include entries to the healed category. For example, you can submit a piece to the healed category and a separate piece to best small colour.)
How to enter
In order to enter our competitions, you will need to enter on the day. From 5pm on Saturday and 5pm on Sunday our judging will begin, all artists wishing to participate will need their client ready at the stage when the specific category is called. We will announce the categories on stage please listen out for announcements. You will also receive a competition timings document when you arrive to set up.
Competition highlights
