# Ink Master season 16
**Ink Master season 16**, subtitled **OGs vs. Young Guns**, is the sixteenth season of the [Paramount+](https://www.edgepedia.org/paramount) tattoo competition series *Ink Master*, in which sixteen professional tattoo artists were split into a veterans' team and a newcomers' team and competed in weekly challenges for a $250,000 prize and the title of [Ink Master](https://www.edgepedia.org/ink-master). The season premiered on Paramount+ on October 23, 2024, with three episodes released at launch and subsequent episodes dropping weekly.[1](https://banijayamericas.com/paramount-reveals-stacked-lineup-of-contestants-for-the-much-anticipated-return-of-ink-master/)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Title | OGs vs. Young Guns, splitting sixteen artists by years in the industry[2](https://tiered.tv/shows/ink-master/season/ogs-vs-young-guns) |
| Premiere | October 23, 2024, three episodes at launch on Paramount+, then weekly drops[1](https://banijayamericas.com/paramount-reveals-stacked-lineup-of-contestants-for-the-much-anticipated-return-of-ink-master/) |
| Host and judges | Host Joel Madden; judges DJ Tambe, Ryan Ashley, and Nikko Hurtado[3](https://www.tvinsider.com/show/ink-master/) |
| Prize | $250,000 and the title of Ink Master[4](https://www.paramountplus.com/shows/ink-master/episodes/16/?msockid=0d7c4874855067e22e875ed884dd6630) |
| Finale | "OGs vs Young Gun season finale", December 10, 2024; ten-episode season[5](https://www.thetvdb.com/series/ink-master/seasons/official/16) |
| Winner | James Tex, with his son Anthony Tex as runner-up[6](https://www.justjared.com/2024/12/11/who-won-ink-master-season-16-winner-revealed/) |
## Format
Season Sixteen divided its field by working history rather than by style, geography, or gender: OGs, artists with a decade or more in the industry, faced off against newer Young Guns, after a selection round trimmed the field before the teams even formed. Commentators on the format described this as a cleaner, skill-relevant divide than some of the show's past team twists.[2](https://tiered.tv/shows/ink-master/season/ogs-vs-young-guns)
The season ran ten episodes on Paramount+. The first episode, in which the Young Guns competed first as the battle for the $250,000 prize began, aired October 23, 2024, and the finale aired December 10, 2024. Other episodes included "Monsters Ink" on November 20, 2024.[5](https://www.thetvdb.com/series/ink-master/seasons/official/16)
## Cast and judges
[Joel Madden](https://www.edgepedia.org/joel-madden) returned as host, and the judging panel consisted of DJ Tambe, Ryan Ashley, and Nikko Hurtado.[3](https://www.tvinsider.com/show/ink-master/) Paramount+ promoted the cast as a "stacked lineup" of tattoo artists ahead of the premiere.[1](https://banijayamericas.com/paramount-reveals-stacked-lineup-of-contestants-for-the-much-anticipated-return-of-ink-master/) Among the contestants was Stephanie Heffron, a Tucson tattoo artist whose participation was covered by local press, which described her bold creative style.[7](https://tucson.com/article_0cb07554-a060-11ef-a1ee-4752ca98a5ed.html)
## Winner
James Tex was named the winner of the season, with his son, Anthony Tex, finishing as runner-up, a father-son result announced in December 2024 coverage of the finale.[6](https://www.justjared.com/2024/12/11/who-won-ink-master-season-16-winner-revealed/)
## Context in the series
*Ink Master* premiered in January 2012 on Spike as the first tattoo competition reality series, and later moved to Paramount+, where it has continued with new seasons; the series' seventeenth season premiered on October 29, 2025.[8](https://paramountglobalcontent.com/title/ink-master) Across its run the show has changed its team structure nearly every season, from the original no-teams format of season one through pair-based and group themes; the experience-based OGs versus Young Guns split of season 16 was one entry in that pattern.[2](https://tiered.tv/shows/ink-master/season/ogs-vs-young-guns)
## References
1. [Paramount+ Reveals Stacked Lineup of Contestants for the Much Anticipated Return of Ink Master, Banijay Americas](https://banijayamericas.com/paramount-reveals-stacked-lineup-of-contestants-for-the-much-anticipated-return-of-ink-master/)
2. [Ink Master S16 — OGs vs. Young Guns, tiered.tv](https://tiered.tv/shows/ink-master/season/ogs-vs-young-guns)
3. [Ink Master — Paramount+ Reality Series, TV Insider](https://www.tvinsider.com/show/ink-master/)
4. [Ink Master Season 16 Episodes, Paramount+](https://www.paramountplus.com/shows/ink-master/episodes/16/?msockid=0d7c4874855067e22e875ed884dd6630)
5. [Ink Master — OGs vs Young Guns — Season 16, TheTVDB.com](https://www.thetvdb.com/series/ink-master/seasons/official/16)
6. [Who Won 'Ink Master' Season 16? Winner Revealed!, Just Jared](https://www.justjared.com/2024/12/11/who-won-ink-master-season-16-winner-revealed/)
7. [Tucson tattoo artist competes on Ink Master season 16, Tucson.com](https://tucson.com/article_0cb07554-a060-11ef-a1ee-4752ca98a5ed.html)
8. [Ink Master, Paramount Global Content](https://paramountglobalcontent.com/title/ink-master)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Screen and stage › Film and television › Seasons, episodes, and installments › Screen seasons › Culinary, physical, and other skill competition seasons › Racing and adventure competition seasons*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Oct 15, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license