When will Ink Master season 17 air? Release date, what to expect and more explored

Ink Master returns for its highly anticipated seventeenth season with a fresh theme titled “Hometown Heroes”, which premieres Wednesday, October 29.

This season will be available worldwide (except in Japan) on Paramount+ with three episodes released on the first day, followed by weekly episodes.

This new addition to the Ink Master legacy features new contestants, challenging formats and familiar faces both on the judging panel and behind the scenes.

Ink Master Season 17: Theme, Contestants and More

The theme of Hometown Heroes introduces a new level of regional pride to the competition, and every one of the 15 chosen performers represents their hometown or state.

Host Joel Madden, the leader of Good Charlotte and music firms Veeps and MDDN, returns to challenge the tattoo artists through a set of high-stress games that test their creativity, flexibility, and ability in all genres.

The cast of the show this season is loaded with a variety of talent, including:

• Boushee Bowie – Tulsa, Oklahoma


• Alli Johnson – Kansas City, Missouri


• ​Isnard Barbosa – Dublin, Ireland


• Tyler Jenkins – Orlando, Florida


• ​Emily Sabrina Estrada – Watford City, North Dakota


• ​Seth Holmes – Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania


• ​Keahi Ikeda – Honolulu, Hawaii


• ​Matt Mooney – Melbourne, Australia


• ​Sherri Austria – Los Angeles, California


• ​Mike Beecher – Gillette, Wyoming


• ​Kyra Torres – Vancouver, Canada


• ​OJ Thomas – (Hometown not specified in public sources)


• ​Nadia Most – Mashad, Iran


• ​Luka Lajoie – Montreal, Canada


• ​Teneile Napoli – Gold Coast, Australia

Contestants are tasked not only with creating stunning tattoos but also with putting their hometowns “on the map,” as described by host Joel Madden and in the official show synopsis.

There is also the element of competitive rounds as far as the tattoo goes; each time an elimination tattoo is applied to the same body part in every canvas, and this is done to play fair, but still, there is an element of psychology in the game.

Ink Master also features a renowned judging panel that comprises three-time Ink Master champion DJ Tambe, the first female winner of the show, Ryan Ashley and renowned color realism tattooist Nikko Hurtado.

Prizes and Stakes

The season 17 grand prize of Ink Master is $250,000 and the elusive Ink Master title. 

Fame, pride in the community, and life-transforming amounts of money are at risk, and participants must display their skills in all forms of tattooing and pick up novel formats, such as the "Hometown Challenge," where their creations are required to reflect the spirit of their home city of origin.

What to Expect

Ink Master Season 17 is described as “the most personal competition yet,” with contestants drawing upon their regional inspirations and tattoo traditions.

Joel Madden’s opening line in the trailer sets the tone:

“Each one of you will represent your hometown. It’s 15 hometowns battling to take over the world. I’m taking this back to Pittsburgh, Montreal, Melbourne and North Dakota. It’s time to rep where you’re from now.”

Contestants are clear about their ambitions.

A featured quote in the trailer captures the spirit: “Your tattoo must represent who you are and your hometown.”

This season, creativity will collide with personal history and city pride, delivering a unique and high-pressure environment.

As described by both contestants and judges, every canvas will receive tattoo art on the same part of the body during elimination rounds, making the technical evaluation more direct and the competition more unpredictable.

The pressure is further amplified by the time constraints and the intricacies of representing hometowns in visual form: “People are going to start crumbling,” one judge noted in the trailer.

Ink Master Season 17 promises a dynamic, regional showcase of tattoo artistry, inviting both returning fans and newcomers to witness hometown pride under the brightest lights of the tattooing world.

Stay tuned for more such updates!