Discover the most prestigious tattoo conventions and award winners of 2025 across Korea and the globe. From Seoul’s Korea Tattoo Convention to the international Gods of Ink in Germany, top artists showcase their craft, winning accolades in categories like realism, neo-traditional, blackwork, and more.

Best Tattoo Conventions and Award Winners in Korea and Worldwide 2025

The tattoo world thrives on innovation, creativity, and artistic excellence. In 2025, major tattoo conventions both in Korea and internationally showcased incredible talent. Here’s a look at the most prestigious events and the outstanding artists who earned top honors.

🇰🇷 Major Tattoo Conventions in Korea

Korea Tattoo Convention (한국문신전)

Held at Seoul’s iconic Dongdaemun Design Plaza (DDP), the Korea Tattoo Convention stands as the nation’s largest tattoo art festival. Celebrating artistry across various genres such as Oriental, Bodysuit, and Neo-Traditional, the event features over 25 competition categories, including Best of Show and career/newcomer divisions.

• 2025 Event Date: Scheduled for August 30–31, 2025. Winners to be announced post-event.

• 2024 Highlights:

  • Best of Best, Leg/Sleeve/Neo-Traditional 1st Place: Joo Yoo-jin (Korea)

  • Black and Grey Experienced Division 3rd Place: Mr. Salai

TattooStar Awards 2022

Organized by the International Tattoo Artist Association, the TattooStar Awards aim to enhance the artistry and public perception of Korean tattoo culture. Judged by nine prominent tattooists, the awards included categories such as Black & White 2D, Color 2D, Black & White 3D, and Color 3D.

• Grand Prize: Hong Hansul (Pinky)

• 1st Place: Kim Sola (Triton)

🌍 Major International Tattoo Conventions

Cyprus Tattoo Convention 2025

Hosted on the Mediterranean island of Cyprus, this convention welcomes over 100 global artists. Categories such as Blackwork, Neo-Traditional, and Realistic are featured.

BEST OF THE SHOW: Kelvin – KTM Tattoo Studio CY

Japanese 1위: Kelvin – KTM Tattoo Studio CY

Realistic 1위: Nicolas Christodoulou (Turtle) – Tattoo By Cozzi Crew CY

NeoTraditional 1위: Eddy Bussler – Silent Water Tattoo GER

Black Work 1위: Asickpen – Cisse Tattoo Crew CY

Black & Grey Big 1위: Nicolas Christodoulou (Turtle)

Color Big 1위: Kelvin – KTM Tattoo Studio CY

Portrait 1위: Giorgos Pappas – CY

Illustrative Blackwork 1위: Pieris Tattoo – CY

Dot 1위: Stromz – Seven Stones Tattoo CY

Old School 1위: Powtattooer – Three DAGG3RS Tattoo CY

Tattoo Freeze 2025 (UK)

One of the UK’s premier winter tattoo conventions, Tattoo Freeze celebrates styles like Avant-Garde, Oriental, and Realism.

BEST OF CONVENTION: Victoria Stoianova – Vivid Ink Derby

BEST OF SATURDAY: Victoria Stoianova – Vivid Ink Derby

BEST OF SUNDAY: Jacob Lennon – House Of Gold Tattoo Co

BEST AVANT-GARDE: Cameron Collins – New Identity

BEST BLACKWORK: Jessica Brown – Bold As Brass Tattoo

BEST ORIENTAL: Jason Griffiths – Ultimate Ink

BEST TRADITIONAL: Stu Holmes – Lucid Shadow Tattoo

BEST COLOUR: Victoria Stoianova – Vivid Ink Derby

BEST NEO-TRADITIONAL: Jacob Lennon – House Of Gold Tattoo Co

BEST REALISM: Katie J – Katie J Tattoo

BEST BLACK & GREY: Kyle ‘Egg’ Ink – Grindhouse Tattoo

Mondial du Tatouage 2025 (Paris)

Recognized as one of the world’s largest tattoo conventions, over 500 artists participate. Legendary judges like Mark Mahoney and Kari Barba grace the event. Winners will be officially announced on the Mondial du Tatouage website.

Gods of Ink Tattoo Convention 2025 (Germany)

Hosted by Miki Vialetto, publisher of Tattoo Life Magazine, this prestigious convention invites over 400 top artists from more than 20 countries.

Best of Show: 1위 @uncogrim, 2위 @shooby_tattoo, 3위 @julian.siebert

Best Backpiece/Bodysuits: 1위 @fibs_, 2위 @hanmotattoobin, 3위 @horihiro_tebori

Best Colour: 1위 @ytztattoo, 2위 @yingham.tattoo, 3위 @pablo_frias.tattoo

Best Realism: 1위 @mihail_kogut, 2위 @sziditattoo, 3위 @thomas_vincentink

King of Tattoo 2025 (Tokyo, Japan)

Japan’s flagship international tattoo convention, blending traditional and contemporary tattoo artistry. Global and Asia’s top artists gather in Tokyo. Official winner announcements are pending and will be available after the event concludes.

Conclusion

Whether in Korea’s burgeoning tattoo scene or on the global stage, 2025 has been a year of remarkable artistry and innovation in the world of tattoos. These conventions not only celebrate technical skill and creativity but also bridge cultures through the universal language of ink.

Stay tuned for updated results as more official announcements roll in!