Every Artist to Win Ink Master: Their Victory, and What They’re Up to Now

ICYMI: The world’s FAVORITE tattoo competition is coming back with a brand new season after 2 long years of waiting! Airing this year on Paramount Plus, Ink Master will begin its 14th season with brand new artists hungering to be the next Ink Master!

As described by IMDB, Ink Master is a reality television show in which “ten [or more] of the country's most creative and skilled tattoo artists are judged by icons of the tattoo world. They compete for a hundred thousand dollars and the title of Ink Master!”

To help get into the Ink Master spirit, we’ve compiled a list of EVERY winner of Ink Master, detailing highlights from their respective season finale, and what they’ve been up to since their victory!

Season 1: Shane O’Neill (2012)

Debuting on Spike TV in 2012, Ink Master began its first season ever, quickly becoming a beloved tattoo reality show by tattoo enthusiasts across the globe! Since this was Ink Master’s first season, the pressure to win the competition was higher than ever, with all artists wishing to be the first Ink Master in history!

Various challenges and lots of drama later, the first finale of the Ink Master series took place with Shane O’Neill, Tommy Helm, and James Vaughn as the season’s finalists. For the final elimination tattoos, the style was determined by Ink Master host, Dave Navarro, and judges, Chris Nunez and Oliver Peck. Shane O’Neill and James Vaughn were both required to create a large-scale Irezumi piece, and Tommy Helm had to complete a horror-inspired piece. After the artists completed this 12-hour tattoo, they went on to complete an additional tattoo in a style of their choice. Due to his extreme versatility and talent, Delaware-native Shane O’Neill was crowned with the coveted title of Ink Master, making him the first winner ever in the television series!

Since his victory in 2012, Shane O’Neill has accomplished a plethora of things in his tattoo career. He is the owner of Shane O’Neill’s Infamous Tattoo, with 2 locations on the east coast: Middletown, Delaware and Willow Grove, Pennsylvania. In recent years, Shane launched a line of tattoo aftercare products, called System One Tattoo Products, which is sold at various tattoo conventions and on websites catered to tattooing. Due to his inactivity on social media, it’s hard to say exactly what else Shane is up to these days; but he appears to still be tattooing full-time out of his studio in Delaware, with frequent guest spots at other studios.

In regards to Ink Master, Shane has not returned to the TV series in any capacity; the reason seemingly being that he doesn’t want to embrace fame and the world of reality TV a secondary time. While it’s understandable, how awesome would it be to see Shane O’Neill appear on the show again?

Season 2: Steve Tefft (2012)

Just a few months after the first season of Ink Master concluded, the second season of the show was announced, and promptly premiered in October of the same year. 10 new artists began their journey to the Ink Master finale, which for the first time ever, occurred via a live television broadcast. Contestants, Steve Tefft, Sarah Miller, and Sebastian Murphy were the 3 finalists of the season; however, artists that were eliminated earlier in the competition had a separate competition of their own: winning a second-chance at competing on the following season.

For the finale, the finalists were required to complete a 24-hour tattoo session in a tattoo style of their choice. Specializing in black and grey and horror realism, Steve chose to do what he does best for his final tattoo of the competition. He did a full back piece, which depicted a winged-woman behind a large skull. Steve Tefft’s determination and artistry lead him to being crowned Ink Master for season 2 of the show!

Since his victory in 2012, Steve Tefft continues to operate and tattoo out of his studio, 12 Tattoos, in Groton, Connecticut. Steve has appeared in the Ink Master universe a plethora of times, including as a team coach for season 10, and as a competitor on the Ink Master spin-off series, Ink Master: Grudge Match.

Season 3: Joey Hamilton (2013)

In July of 2013, season 3 of Ink Master commenced with all new artists, and some interesting changes to the competition. This season, the Human Canvas Jury was introduced, giving the people tattooed each episode a platform to share what they liked, and what they didn’t about their own tattoo, and others. The Human Canvas Jury would collectively decide the worst tattoo of the day, which would place whichever artist they chose up for elimination that week. After 12 episodes of heavy competition, the season finale was scheduled to take place once again as a live broadcast. The 3 finalists of this season included Joey Hamilton, Jime Litwalk, and former Season 2 contestant, Tatu Baby.

For their final tattoo, each artist was required to create a tattoo that included every skill touched upon during the competition. The artists had 35 hours to complete this tattoo, with the ability to tattoo on any part of the body they wanted to. Tatu Baby and Jime Litwalk had similar ideas when it came to the location of their tattoo, placing them on larger areas of the body: back and chest. However, the composition of their tattoos were vastly different, with Tatu Baby’s back piece depicting a Native American woman with a wolf, and Jime Litwalk’s chest piece displaying a battle scene. Joey Hamilton went a completely different route with his placement, composing an underwater piece on the side of the thigh. When the final tattoos were revealed, all 3 judges were quite critical of each piece, but they determined that Joey Hamilton’s tattoo was the best, crowning him with the beloved title of Ink Master!

One year after his victory, Joey Hamilton opened his own studio called Revolt Tattoos, with fellow Ink Master competitor, Sausage. Revolt Tattoos now has 4 locations on the west coast: Lake Tahoe, Salt Lake City, and 2 studios in Las Vegas. When he’s tattooing, Joey can be found at one of the Las Vegas locations, but often frequents the other studios too!
In 2016, Joey returned to the Ink Master world, appearing on the spin-off series, Ink Master: Redemption. As stated by Paramount Network, Ink Master: Redemption is a television series that depicts “unhappy Ink Master human canvases [facing] the artists who tattooed them, and [the] canvases decide if they'll give the artists a chance to redeem themselves with new tattoos.” For this specific episode, Jime Litwalk’s human canvas from the season 3 finale is featured; however, it’s not because he hated his tattoo. Instead, this human canvas came to tell Joey Hamilton that he did not deserve to win Ink Master.

Season 4: Scott Marshall (2014)

Season 4 of Ink Master commenced in February of 2014, and marked the beginning of the end for the way the competition was running since its television debut. During the season 4 finale, it was announced that season 5 of Ink Master would have a brand new competition style, along with a special name. While it wasn’t announced then, this was the final season of the series to have the standard competition style, and continues to be to date.

For this season’s finale, competitors Scott Marshall, Sausage, and Matti Hixson were required to complete a full back tattoo in 35 hours. All 3 finalists completed pieces that incorporated a woman as the main subject in a style of their choosing. Scott Marshall’s impressive, neo-traditional composition won him the title of Ink Master for season 4.

After his victory in 2014, Scott Marshall continued to tattoo at Roselle Tattoo Company in Roselle, Illinois, where he had been tattooing prior to appearing on the show. In October 2015, one year after season 4 concluded, Scott Marshall passed away at age 41.

Season 5: Jason Clay Dunn (2014)

As stated above, season 5 of Ink Master brought a brand new format to the series, most likely intended to keep viewers engaged and interested as the seasons progressed. This season, titled Ink Master - Rivals, gave both previous and new competitors a chance to settle their differences with other artists. Some rivalries were born during prior seasons of the series, while others stemmed from more personal matters. Two artists returned to compete this season after losing the competition once before: Jason Clay Dunn, and Joshua Hibbard. Throughout the season, artists would not only compete against their respective rivals, they would also face the other competitors in order to advance to the finale.

The 3 finalists of this season were Jason Clay Dunn, Cleen Rock One, and Erik Siuda. Similar to the previous season, each artist was required to create a mesmerizing back piece in 35 hours in a style of their choice. With the reveal of the master canvases, Erik Siuda was eliminated, leaving the title of Ink Master for either Cleen Rock One or Jason Clay Dunn. The judges determined that Jason’s Japanese-inspired back piece was the stronger of the 2, and declared him as Ink Master for season 5!

Since his victory on the show, Jason Clay Dunn continues to tattoo in his specialty, traditional Japanese, while operating his tattoo studio, Tattoo Alchemy in Montclair, California. To date, Jason has only appeared on Ink Master once since his season; on an episode of Ink Master: Redemption. In the episode, Jason was met with his initial master canvas for the season finale, who ended up deciding she didn’t want to continue the tattoo. She told host, Dave Navarro, that she did not like the tattoo, despite knowing that Jason had free-reign on the design. When this episode aired, Ink Master fans everywhere had Jason’s back, declaring that the woman was in the wrong; and he deserved his win greatly!

Season 6: Dave Kruseman (2015)

Ink Master - Master vs. Apprentice was the sixth season of the series, which welcomed a healthy competition between seasoned tattoo artists and tattoo apprentices. Each artist, regardless of their title, had an equal chance at winning the competition; the only thing holding them back were the challenges thrown at them each week.

For this season, the 3 finalists were Dave Kruseman, Chris Blinston, and Matt O’Baugh, who all came into the competition as “masters.” Once again, the final tattoo was a full back piece, to be completed in 35 hours. While the finalists had to complete an additional tattoo based on votes from Ink Master fans, the 35-hour tattoo was the only piece that would determine a winner for the season. All 3 finalists went completely different routes for their tattoos in terms of style, giving the judges a very difficult decision to make. After much deliberation, Dave Kruseman’s American traditional piece granted him the title of Ink Master!

Prior to his appearance on the show, Dave Kruseman owned his own studio with his wife, called Olde Line Tattoo in Hagerstown, Maryland. He still continues to tattoo at Olde Line to this day, wearing his title of Ink Master proudly! Since his victory, Dave has not made any notable appearances on the show, or its spin-offs.

Season 7: Anthony Michaels (2016)

Season 7 of Ink Master was titled, Ink Master: Revenge, and aired on television in 2016. In this season, 8 previous Ink Master contestants returned for a second-chance at winning the show, along with 8 new artists competing as well. The returning artists had an obvious upper-hand this season, but for most, it wasn’t enough to move them forward in the competition. In the season finale, only one artist from the “veteran” category remained; fan-favorite artist, Cleen Rock One. The other 2 artists came from the opposing category: Anthony Michaels and Christian Buckingham. For the special finale tattoo, the artists were required to create a full-scale chest and abdomen piece in a style of their choice, which would then be judged by the panel to determine a winner! Anthony Michael’s Irezumi dragon piece took him to victory lane, making him Ink Master for season 7!

After his original victory on Ink Master, Anthony Michaels appeared to compete on the show once again, on Ink Master - Return of the Masters, but wasn’t able to secure a second win for himself. Nowadays, Anthony Michaels is a resident artist at Twenty Five Twelve Collective in Tucson, Arizona!

Season 8: Ryan Ashley Malarkey (2016)

Season 8 of the series, also one of the most-loved seasons to date, was titled Ink Master - Peck vs. Nunez! 18 talented artists were split into two teams mentored by Ink Master judges: Chris Nunez, and former Ink Master judge, Oliver Peck. Each week, an artist from either team would be eliminated based on their performance until 3 artists were left standing to compete in the finale: Ryan Ashley Malarkey, Gian Karle, and Kelly Doty. Each artist was required to complete a 24-hour tattoo that was decided by the opposing team; Ryan Ashley - New School, Kelly Doty - American Traditional, and Gian Karle - Watercolor. After the reveal of these tattoos, Gian and Ryan moved on to become the final 2 competitors, displaying an additional tattoo in their preferred style to determine the winner of the season. With the help of votes from Ink Master fans across the country, Ryan Ashley Malarkey became this season’s Ink Master!

Not only does Ryan Ashley hold the title of Ink Master, she also holds the title of being the first woman to ever win the competition! Ryan’s well-deserved win did produce some turmoil amongst Ink Master fans, with some saying that she won solely because she’s a woman. However, if you take a look at her work, you’d know that’s far from accurate!

In 2017, Ryan Ashley appeared in the Ink Master world once again to host the spin-off series, Ink Master: Angels, alongside fellow season 8 contestants: Kelly Doty, Nikki Simpson, and Gia Rose. As stated by IMDB, Ink Master: Angels depicts “[the four hosts] traveling the U.S. looking to spotlight talented artists. In each episode, the “Angels” host a competition at a local tattoo shop between 3 artists, and the best of the lot as judged by the ladies faces one of them in a final challenge. At stake for the locals is a spot on an upcoming season of Ink Master.” Ink Master: Angels ran for 2 seasons, ending promptly in 2019 with extreme certainty that it will never return for a third season.

After the ending of Ink Master: Angels, Ryan Ashley went on to reprise her role as a host on the most recent Ink Master spin-off, Ink Master: Grudge Match, alongside fellow winners, DJ Tambe and Cleen Rock One. Premiering in 2019, Ink Master: Grudge Match is described by Paramount Network as “Ink Master's bitterest rivals return for a new competition that's all about settling old scores.” Much like Ink Master: Angels, this spin-off show was also very short-lived, lasting only 1 season before it was canceled.

In more recent times, Ryan Ashley has experienced some very exciting things in both her life and her career! Ryan opened Elysium Studios, located in Grand Junction, Colorado, with her husband and notable tattoo artist, Arlo DiCristina. Since opening the studio, Ryan has been continually creating amazing tattoos in her distinct and elegant style. In 2020, Ryan and Arlo welcomed their first child into the world!

Season 9: Bubba Irwin and DJ Tambe - Old Town Ink (2017)

Now presenting Ink Master - Shop Wars, a specially formatted season unlike any other! Ink Master - Shop Wars featured 18 teams, which were each composed of 2 artists from the same studio. These teams would function like a single artist would on the show: the teams would complete challenges together, win challenges together, and be eliminated together. With this new season, Ink Master brought back a handful of fan-favorite artists to once again compete for the opportunity to become “Ink Master,” including Cleen Rock One, Lalo Yunda, Boneface, Tommy Helm, Aaron Is, and Bubba Irwin. With the amount of former contestants competing, it was a given that one of them would win; and that’s exactly what happened. At the conclusion of season 9, Bubba Irwin (previously from season 4) and DJ Tambe took Old Town Ink to victory, making the studio win the coveted title of Master Shop!

Following their Ink Master victory, DJ and Bubba opened Branded Tattoo Company in Nashville, Tennessee; however, they’ve continued their tattooing careers on the west coast at their respective studios.

Throughout the years, DJ Tambe went on to become quite a familiar face in the Ink Master world, appearing as a host on the spin-off series, Ink Master: Grudge Match. Almost immediately after his initial win, DJ Tambe returned to Ink Master once again as a team coach for season 10, winning the competition a second time, and becoming the only artist in history to win Ink Master twice. Currently, DJ Tambe tattoos at Bad Apple Tattoo in Las Vegas, Nevada, where his tattoo journey initially began!

As for Bubba Irwin, he appeared on Ink Master: Grudge Match, competing head-to-head with previous Ink Master contestant, Boneface. Bubba Irwin also appeared on Ink Master - Battle of the Sexes, acting as a coach for the women’s team for a single episode. Outside of the Ink Master world, Bubba Irwin is still owner and resident artist at Old Town Ink, tattooing alongside another former Ink Master contestant, Tommy Helm.

Season 10: Josh Payne (2018)

Another year, another speciality season of Ink Master! Ink Master - Return of the Masters featured all new tattoo artists, split up into 3 teams coached by previous Ink Master winners: Steve Tefft, Anthony Michaels, and DJ Tambe. The coaches would aid their pupils through each challenge, offering them advice and guidance to help them advance in the competition. They did not offer any hands-on assistance, except for the flash challenges at the beginning of each episode.

Because this season revolved around a team atmosphere, one artist from each team made it into the finale: Josh Payne / DJ Tambe, Roly T-Rex / Steve Tefft, and Juan Salgado / Anthony Michaels. The final 3 artists needed to complete a full-scale chest tattoo, with similar rules to previous seasons of the show. In addition to the finalists’ tattoos, the team coaches were also competing in the finale for a victory of their own. Each coach was required to compose and apply a head tattoo on a master canvas with the hope to win Ink Master a second time. With their combined determination and skills, Josh Payne and DJ Tambe brought their team to victory, making Josh Payne Ink Master of season 10!
Currently, Josh Payne is a resident artist at Long Live Tattoo Collective in Denver, Colorado! In regards to Ink Master, Josh Payne has returned to the series as a team coach for season 12, and was featured in an episode of Ink Master: Grudge Match, competing against Anthony Michaels.

Season 11: Tony Medellin (2018)

Announced during the season 10 finale, Ink Master: Grudge Match - Cleen vs. Christian combined the beloved spin-off series with its creator! Fan-favorite artists, Cleen Rock One and Christian Buckingham returned to settle their differences that began during season 7. Much like season 10, the 2 veterans coached separate teams each composed of 9 artists, and would mentor them throughout the season. For this particular finale, the number of artists left on each team mattered greatly for the coaches, as they were competing as well and could even utilize their remaining teammates to sabotage the other. With Team Cleen’s undeniable determination, 2 of their artists made it to the finale: Tony Medellin and Tiffer Wright. Team Christian was visibly outnumbered, only having 1 artist reach the final episode: Teej Poole. Due to this advantage, Cleen Rock One was able to win his Grudge Match against Christian Buckingham, and receive his first win on the show!

As for the other competitors, they were required to complete a full-scale back tattoo, with similar rules to previous seasons. Tony Medellin’s warrior-inspired piece won the judges’ hearts, granting him the title of Ink Master! Needless to say, Team Cleen came to win it all (and they did)!

Before his time on Ink Master began, Tony was a contestant on Ink Master: Angels, where he won a spot to compete in season 11. He was no stranger to competing against the best, and that definitely showed during his time on season 11!

Since his victory in 2018, Tony has been up to some pretty exciting things (besides tattooing of course)! He is the owner of Gold English Goods, which provides artwork and apparel via their online store. Tony has also appeared many times on Inked Magazine’s digital series, Tattoo Artists React! Currently, Tony is a resident artist at Lasting Dose Tattoo in Reno, Nevada.

Season 12: Laura Marie (2019)

Ink Master - Battle of the Sexes was the title of the 12th season, and was exactly what the name suggests: male artists vs. female artists. Two teams of 9 artists, separated by gender, were coached by previous Ink Master winners and veterans each episode. Like the teams, the coaches were also competing for a spot in the finale, which was called Clash of the Coaches Face-Off. Depending on which team lost a member by elimination, the coach for that team would also be eliminated and replaced the following episode. This interesting spin on the competition added an extra layer of desire to advance in the season, and Ryan Ashley Malarkey ended up winning due to her dedication coaching the men’s team.

Battling for the title of Ink Master, Laura Marie, Dani Ryan, and Creepy Jason were required to tattoo a back piece on their master canvas, following the standard rules for the final tattoo. Laura Marie’s stunning Irezumi piece bought her the title of Ink Master, and she became the second woman ever to win the competition!

Since her victory in 2019, Laura continues to co-own and tattoo at her studio, Atomic Roc Tattoo in Rochester, New York. Recently, Laura has become a part of the tattoo company, Tatventure, which many other artists from Ink Master are involved with too. The company prides itself on combining making memories with tattooing by raffling off chances to travel the world to get tattooed by a specific artist.

Season 13: No Winner (2020)

If you’re an avid fan of Ink Master, you’ve probably seen the judges forfeit awarding a winner for specific challenges throughout the competition(s). However, nobody had ever seen, nor anticipated a season ending with no artist winning the title of Ink Master. Unlike the other instances of no winner being awarded, this situation was completely out of Ink Master’s hands. The season finale of Ink Master - Turf Wars was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, leaving no artist declared as Ink Master for the 13th season. Instead, all 3 finalists: Angel Rose, Bob Jones, and Jimmy Snaz walked away with a cash prize of an unknown amount, and the ability to say they made it to the finale and didn’t lose; something every single other runner-up of the show can’t say.

Ink Master returns with a brand new season sometime in 2022, available for streaming on Paramount Plus! If you’re as excited as we are, feel free to let us know all about it on Instagram!