OUR 2024 MAIN SPONSORS

COMPETITION TIME

JUDGING CATEGORIES

SATURDAY

Best Newcomer

(This can be entered / judged on Saturday or Sunday. The highest scores over the weekend will be one winner and runner up.  An artist with 3 years or less experience and no previous convention awards. This will need to be evidenced with a social media account history. Any style, colour, placement, any size.)

Best Realism 

(This can be entered / judged on Saturday or Sunday. The highest scores over the weekend will be one winner and runner up.  Any colour, placement, any size.)

Best Small Black & Grey Tattoo

(Any style or placement. No other colour permitted except white for highlights. Size up to A4)

Best Small Colour Tattoo

(Any style or placement. Must contain more than white, black and grey. Size up to A4)

Best Small Blackwork Tattoo

(Any style or placement. Must be black ink only. Size up to A4)

SUNDAY

Best Newcomer

(This can be entered / judged on Saturday or Sunday. The highest scores over the weekend will be one winner and runner up. An artist with 3 years or less experience and no previous convention awards. This will need to be evidenced with a social media account history. Any style, colour, placement, any size.)

Best Realism 

(This can be entered / judged on Saturday or Sunday. The highest scores over the weekend will be one winner and runner up. Any style, colour, placement, any size.)

Best Large Black & Grey Tattoo

(Any style or placement. No other colour permitted except white for highlights. Size over A4)

Best Large Colour Tattoo

(Any style or placement. Must contain more than white, black and grey. Size over A4)

Best Large Blackwork Tattoo

(Any style or placement. Must be black ink only. Size over A4)

Best In Show

(The tattoo that scored the highest score of the weekend.)

ENTERING

Artists can choose to enter a single category at registration each morning.

Each artists will be provided with a numbered card which needs to be presented at judging by the client.

All tattoos entered MUST have been started and finished at the show. Tattoos must not be started before 10 am (although client prep can be completed before this time) and must stop at 7pm Saturday (6:30 pm if being entered) and 6:30 pm on Sunday.

Tattoos must be judged in person, photos or video will not be accepted.

All categories will have a runner up award.

All winners will be announced on Sunday.

JUDGING

Apart from the categories that are only listed for Saturday, all tattoos can be completed over the two days and entered on the Sunday.

Tattoos for the Newcomer and Realism categories can be judged on Saturday and will be running against tattoos entered in these categories on Sunday.

Judging will take place from 4pm each day with clients being called forward by their number in batches. If your tattoo isn’t finished don’t worry, we will come back. All tattoos to be judged that day must be presented no later than 6:30 pm. We will start with the smaller tattoos allowing more tattooing time for larger pieces.

Judging will take place on the mezzanine above the main hall via the lift. Artists must not attend the judging. 

We have three judges who are experienced tattoo artists with over half a century of tattooing experience. These judges do not work with artists or studios attending.

The judging will take place ‘blind’ with the judges not being told the identity or category of the artist and tattoo.

Each tattoo will be individually scored by each judge with a mark out of 20 for each attribute.

The scores will be totalled for each tattoo giving the total score out of a possible 300.

The highest score for each category wins.

The judges decisions are final and cannot be challenged.

Any query or issue with the rules MUST be raised with the show management team prior to entering.

Any queries will be discussed by the judges and changes may be made to the rules until 26th July 2024.

Contact GWTS