Cosplay Competition 2026 - Awesome Con (original) (raw)
Washington DC'S Comic Con | April 23 - 25, 2027 | Walter E. Washington CC
Cosplay Competition 2026[email protected]2026-03-02T12:08:46-05:00
COSPLAY COMPETITION 2026
SATURDAY, MARCH 14 | Main Stage
Awesome Con’s most popular event is back again, and this year it’s bigger and better than ever. See the biggest and best in cosplay craftsmanship, as cosplayers of all skill levels and talents grace our Main Stage with their stunning handcrafted costumes. Who will excite the judges with their electric stage presence and be awarded Judge’s Choice?
The deadline to apply to be in Awesome Con’s Cosplay Contest was February 23rd, 2026. Applicants will be notified of the status of their application by March 2nd, 2026. After the deadline new applications will not be accepted, even if the form is still live. If there is an opportunity for in-person applications at the event, we will make an announcement. Thank you for all your hard work, Cosplayers!
Plexi Cosplay Judging in 2024
- _You must read the rules, FAQ, and agree to our Competitor Guidelines of Behavior in order to compete.
- Applications are considered in a jury process after the application period ends, NOT first-come, first-served. We won’t review any applications until after the deadline and there’s no advantage to applying early. Likewise, there’s no disadvantage to applying on the day of the deadline.
- Take your time to submit as complete an application as possible, with as many pictures/videos and details as you can share. Incomplete applications will not be selected.
- You must have 50% of your cosplay completed at the time of applying in order to be considered to compete.
- Please note that previously purchased fan badges are not eligible for a refund, should you be selected to participate in the Cosplay Competition.
Cosplay Competition Guest Judges
Cosplay Competition Special Guests
Cosplay Competition Sponsors
MAIN STAGE COSPLAY CONTEST INFO
The Cosplay Contest will take place during the weekend of Awesome Con on our Main Stage.
Costumes spanning the worlds of comics, movies, anime, manga, video games, musicals, books, and more are all eligible for entry (original characters, too), but please note costumes must comply with our Cosplay & Prop Weapons Policies.
Applications are considered in a jury process after the application period ends, NOT first-come, first-served. We won’t review any applications until after the deadline and there’s no advantage to applying early. Likewise, there’s no disadvantage to applying on the day of the deadline. Take your time to submit as complete an application as possible, with as many pictures/videos and details as you can share. Applications considered incomplete will not be selected.
WHEN AND WHERE
Awesome Con’s Cosplay Competition is happening Saturday, March 14, 2026, on the Main Stage!
COMPETITION RULES & REQUIREMENTS
You will apply to a competition level. The competition level determines who you’ll be judged against. This ensures that you’ll be competing against other cosplayers at a similar experience level.
COMPETITION LEVELS
The competition is split into four experience-based levels. This determines the category of competitors who you will be judged against.
- Beginner
- Intermediate
- Advanced
- Kids – Competitors must be 11-15 years of age to compete in this category. (Competitors younger than 11 years of age are welcome to enter our cosplay parade in the Awesome Con Jr area.)
Important Notes:
- Professional costume makers may only compete at the Advanced level.
- If entering as a group, your category is determined by the most experienced member of your group. This means if you are in beginner and someone in your group is in advanced, you must compete in advanced.
- Competitors 16+ years of age may not enter a group in the Kids category; however, kids may enter with adults in a group in another category if they wish, but this means they will be judged for that group’s skill level.
Please see our Cosplay Contest FAQ for more information on categories and choosing yours.
If you still have questions or concerns about what category you should enter, feel free to email us at [email protected].
- Costume Requirements:
* Your costume must be 75% handmade by you/your group, which means no store bought cosplays are allowed.
* You must be at least 50% done with your cosplay at the time of your application to be considered.
* You must share at least three groups of photos of your costume. If you do not provide these, you will not be considered for a spot in the contest:
* One to three full-body shots of you, a dress form, or laid out on the floor in as complete of a form as you have. It’s okay if it’s only 50% done, but you must show us everything in at least one picture.
* Five to ten pictures of the creation of your costume to show proof of work.
* At least one reference photo of your character. - Prejudging: You will attend a required prejudging session with the judges earlier in the day (or sometimes the day before) to explain the making of your cosplay.
* A build book will be required as a part of Craftsmanship judging, which you may submit physically or digitally.
* Competitors will self-select their judging time slot on an first come, first served basis in advance of the competition using an online calendar tool.
* Prejudging time slots will be ~3 minutes in length.
* Groups of 3 or more will be given extended prejudging session times.
* If you have further questions, please review the Cosplay Contest FAQ. - Stage Show: You will go on stage individually or in your group, exhibit two to three poses as our emcee reads your costume description, and then exit.
Awards: If competing in a group, awards will be given to the group, not individuals.
- Costume Requirements:
GENERAL RULES AND REQUIREMENTS FOR ALL COMPETITORS
For even more information, please see our Cosplay Contest FAQ.
- General:
- Applicants must be 11 years of age or older to compete.
- All Cosplay Competition competitors must be Awesome Con attendees, and badges will be checked when entering the convention center.
* Competitors accepted into the Cosplay Competition will receive a comp 3-day badge to Awesome Con. More info on this is at the bottom of the page. - You are responsible for all expenses incurred in order to compete in Awesome Con’s Cosplay Contest.
- Application & Entry:
- You must read our Contest Competitor Guidelines to compete. If you don’t read the guidelines and accidentally break a rule, you will still be held accountable. You also agree that you’ve read the rules in your application.
- You must apply by the deadline and be accepted in order to compete and applications are not accepted after the deadline under any circumstances.
* We may sometimes offer at-con registration which will be laid out on this page and social media if we are doing it. - Groups only need to fill out ONE entry form for the entire group.
- If the cosplay you are entering has previously won in competition at any LeftField Media show (Awesome Con, Rose City Comic Con, AnimeNYC, Anime Frontier) or a major award in another cosplay or costume contest, it cannot be re-entered. Please see our Cosplay Contest FAQ for more information about this topic.
- You can apply as many times as you would like with as many costumes as you would like, but please note that only one costume can be accepted into the competition per person. You will be notified which costume is selected for the competition and you may not change to a different entry.
- If selected to participate in the Cosplay Contest, you agree to allow us to share photos you provide for marketing purposes and promotion as well as future events and will be asked to sign a release form if your application is accepted.
- Winning a major award at any of our competitions/masquerades does not guarantee you entry into the Cosplay Competitions or Masquerades in future years. We consider every single application on the merit of its contents alone in our decision-making process and will accept the ones we believe are the most competitive with this year’s pool of competitors.
- We reserve the right to edit stage description material for time and content.
- Any applications without any photos of the cosplay will not be considered.
- Safety:
- Competitors must review and adhere to the Contest Competitor Guidelines.
- Cosplays and performers must also comply with our Policies, including the Anti Harassment Policy. This means no profanity, hate speech, religious, political, or otherwise inflammatory messages are allowed.
- Don’t jump off the stage. The audience is also not allowed to approach the stage.
- No projectiles are to be thrown on to the stage and don’t throw anything from the stage.
- Do not leave anything behind that could damage another cosplay or cause injury. This includes, but is not limited to, sharp objects, liquids, machinery, costume pieces, etc.
- There is no adult-related content allowed on stage. Keep all performances respectful and appropriate for general audiences.
- You must be able to walk on/off stage and maneuver freely in your costume without assistance unless you require assistance due to medical needs.
- All props, setups, and scenery must be taken down after your performance. Do not leave any items behind that can hinder the competitors after you. Don’t make a mess.
- Rehearsal Requirements:
- Attending the rehearsal is required for all competitors unless otherwise stated.
- Rehearsal typically takes place right before the stage show, though this is dependent on convention room needs for other panels.
- Generally, full costumes are not needed for the rehearsal, but if you have a very large costume that restricts mobility, please wear it to ensure you can enter and exit the stage safely.
- There may also not be time between rehearsal and the stage show to change, so keep this in mind when planning your day.
AWARDS
The below prizes will be awarded at the end of the stage portion of the Cosplay Competition. Awards are based on competition level, but Best in Show can be awarded from any competition level.
| Best Awards | Runners Up | Minor Awards |
|---|---|---|
| Best in Show | Judge’s Choice | |
| Best Advanced Craftsmanship | Advanced Craftsmanship Runner Up | Best Stage Presence |
| Best Intermediate Craftsmanship | Intermediate Craftsmanship Runner Up | Superlatives, if given |
| Best Beginner Craftsmanship | Beginner Craftsmanship Runner Up | |
| Best Kids Cosplay |
PRIZES
Best in Show Trophies designed by Hoku Props
We’re excited to partner with Hoku Props in the design and production of our coveted Best in Show trophy. Cosplay awards created by respected professional cosplayers in the space? That’s what our cosplay community is all about. Stay tuned for pictures of these epic pieces when we’re ready to show them off!
BADGES
Awesome Con provides a complimentary 3-day badge to all cosplayers selected to participate in our Cosplay Competition!
- All Cosplay Competition participants must have badges to Awesome Con.
- If you are accepted into the Awesome Con Cosplay Competition, you will be issued a badge as a QR code via email as a thank you for your time and effort on stage.
- Applying for the Cosplay Competition does not guarantee free admission. You must be accepted to compete via our application process.
- If you are accepted and then later drop out, your badge will be revoked.
- Please note that previously purchased fan badges are not eligible for a refund, should you be selected to participate in the Cosplay Competition. As we are not able to refund already purchased badges, you may gift any existing badges to a friend.
Have any questions? Please reach out to [email protected].
HOW TO ENTER
Sign-ups will open on January 9, 2026. The deadline to apply to be in Awesome Con’s Cosplay Competition is February 23rd, 2026. Applicants will be notified of the status of their application by March 2nd, 2026. After the deadline, new applications will not be accepted, even if the form is still live.
Please note that previously purchased fan badges are not eligible for a refund, should you be selected to participate in the Cosplay Competition.