Showcase Your Skills: Apply for the IKKiCON Cosplay Contest

• You must have a valid IKKiCON 2027 badge to participate. 

• If you are under the age of 13, you must have your parent or guardian's permission to enter and you must also be accompanied by your parent or guardian during judging, rehearsal and the contest.

• When you sign up for this contest you agree to read and abide by all rules as posted. If you don't, you will be disqualified. 

• Cosplay staff reserves the right to disqualify you for any reason. 

• The Main Cosplay Contest is rated teen. Severely offensive language and overt sexual humor is not cool. Be clever, not crass. Judgment on the appropriateness of material is left to the discretion of our cosplay staff.

• All costumes entered must adhere to the cosplay, costume and dress policy. If your costume does not meet this criteria you may be asked to change or not permitted to walk the stage. 

• 75% of the cosplay must be constructed or altered by the entrant. If you are modeling a cosplay that someone else made, they MUST be with you at pre-judging for you to be eligible for an award.

• Purchased or commissioned cosplays are NOT eligible for any awards and cannot be entered into the contest except as part of a skit.

• Skill divisions are strictly enforced. If an entrant is deemed above the skill level of the division they have entered by the judges, they will be moved up a division. If an entrant is found to have intentionally entered a class below their skill level,you will be disqualified. 

• Be respectful to other cosplay entrants and the judges. Unruly or disruptive behavior during pre-judging, backstage, or during the contest is not permitted.

• Entrants must be able to enter and exit the stage quickly on their own. If your costume/prop is too big for you to get on and off the stage by yourself easily, you may bring a handler to assist you. Our cosplay staff will not be able to provide a handler for you.

• Entrants with disabilities are welcome to provide their own handler or request handler assistance from our cosplay staff for any stage of the cosplay contest process. If you think you may need assistance, we request you to contact us in advance or request assistance during the pre-judging process.

• To prevent sandbagging, entrants wishing to compete with costumes that have previously won a major award at a costume competition must declare this upon registration. In order to be accepted, at least 60% of the costume must be altered or remade since the costume last won an award and the costume must also be entered in a higher skill division if one exists. Failure to inform the judges and our cosplay staff of this will result in being prevented from entering in future Ikkicon contests.

• Group entries of up to 5 people are allowed. Entrants may not participate in multiple groups. 

• Costumes entered must be presented with reference images and recreate characters from anime, manga, animation, etc. At least one reference image must be in color. Reference images must be provided during pre-judging and may be provided on any medium including, but not limited to, paper, phone, tablet, etc. You can also submit it digitally at ikkiconcosplay@gmail.com

• Original characters will not be permitted; however, art book variations and reinterpretations of existing characters (including gijinka, Hannah Alexander) will be allowed with an accompanying reference.

• Progress portfolios are HIGHLY encouraged as they include photo documentation of your work from start to finish.

• Professional cosplayers ARE WELCOME to enter. A professional cosplayer is anyone who makes a significant portion of their income from costume design, construction or sales or feels they are a master of their craft. If you are a pro, you MUST enter in the MASTER division.

• All contestants must participate in the Main Cosplay Contest pre-meeting and rehearsal on Saturday. If you arrive late or after the rehearsal you will not be allowed to compete or participate in the contest.

• Sign ups will take place online. Slots that do not fill by the deadline will be available on site in Cosplay HQ on-site on a first come, first served basis until all spaces are filled. Skits will not be accepted on site due to the approval process required.

  If there are available slots on-site, we will accept signups at the following times during the event:

  • Friday, from 10AM - 3PM

  • Saturday, from 10AM - 2PM

  The times above are subject to change and will no longer be available once all slots for the contest have been filled.

  If you enter a skit, the audio recording (or a download link) must be submitted to us via email at cosplay@ikkicon.com on or before the deadline cutoff to be considered for approval.

  Each entrant (or group leader) must fill out the Cosplay Sign-Up Application online. Only one entry per group is allowed.

  Once your entry is confirmed, you must check in at Cosplay HQ before or at your scheduled judging time or you will be dropped from the contest. Additionally, please be aware that only two (2) handlers are allowed with you unless specifically required. We will ask you how many will be needed at check in so we can allocate the correct number of seats.

• We're sure you have excellent taste in music, but you will not be able to submit your own track for your walk on. We will choose from our fine selection.

• Walk-on entries will be limited to 30 seconds and may include up to 5 people. 

• Walk-on entries are required to attend craftsmanship judging. If you skip this, you will not be eligible to receive awards or participate in the contest. 

• Any costume that is skin tight is expected to have the appropriate underthings. I.E. A dance belt. Any lack of such will result in you being removed from the contest.

• Skits will be primarily judged on performance and visual impact. Craftsmanship judging is OPTIONAL, and purchased/commissioned costumes will be permitted if permission is granted by the creator.

• Skit entries that are judged for craftsmanship will additionally choose a craftsmanship division and be eligible for craftsmanship based awards.

• Skits may option to use our video wall for background video. All videos submitted must be a minimum of 9020p. 4k video is recommended and preferred. Due to copyright infringement, please no AMVs or unlicensed fan content you download from the Internet. Anime clips from purchased or licensed sources are allowed. No full dance videos or cosplay PVs. Remember, these videos will be playing behind you and should enhance your performance - not be your performance.

  • If using subtitles in your video, please place them at the top of the video.

• All skit audio must be pre-recorded, including all dialogue, music, and sound effects. Audio tracks must be received by our cosplay staff by the application deadline regardless of when the application was filled out. The deadline is December 27, 2026.

• A video, storyboard, or written script must be submitted with your audio that includes all speaking parts and stage directions. Surprise your audience, not your staff or judges. Skits that do not submit both a visual/written script and an audio will not be accepted.

• Written scripts will not be accepted in lieu of recorded audio in order to meet the deadline. Any skit entries that do not submit a pre-recorded soundtrack by the deadline will be disqualified.

• Should a soundtrack or skit be deemed inappropriate, entrants will be allowed to re-record it once. Once the audio has been approved, it may not be changed or resubmitted for ANY reason. If submitted audio tracks exceed the time limit, they will be cut off at 2.5 minutes.

• Skit performances will be limited to 2.5 minutes on stage with one minute allowed for setup.

• Dance skits must feature original choreography. Dancing along to music videos is fun, but please show off your own talents!

• Skit performances cannot exceed more than 8 people, including handlers and set crew (“stage ninjas”).

• No microphones may be used by the contestants at any time.

• Everything brought onto the stage during a walk-on or skit entry must be removed at the end of the time limit. Messy substances including confetti, glitter, flower petals, and water are not allowed.

• Pyrotechnics or special effects such as fireworks, flash paper, or smoke machines will not be allowed on the stage or backstage area.

• Contestants may not throw anything off the stage or into the crowd, including themselves.

• All stage fighting or acrobatics must be limited to ¾ speed and quarter strength. One foot must remain on the floor at all times. Climbing onto the stage or leaping off the stage is strictly prohibited.

• All costumes must be made by the entrant(s) or credited to the creator(s) on the entrant’s entry form. Creators not entering in costume must be present to receive awards. Purchased costumes will not be allowed for craftsmanship judging. 

• All walk-on entries must be at least 75% made or significantly modified from original garments.

• When filling out the application, you must choose a one-hour block during which your group will come in for judging. If your first choice is full, you will be asked to choose another time slot. Each entry will be allowed 3 minutes to present their costume to the judges; groups of 3+ people will be allowed one minute for each additional group member (up to a maximum of 5 minutes). Entries that go over their time limit may be disqualified. Please be courteous to your fellow cosplayers and to your judges by keeping your presentation brief! 

• Pre-judging is NOT open to the public. Only participants, handlers, and parents/guardians are allowed.

• Craftsmanship judging will take place in Cosplay HQ. Please arrive a few minutes early if possible in order to check in, as entries for each block will be judged in the order they arrive. If you arrive late, you may not have the chance to be rescheduled. If you find out in advance that you will not be able to make your timeslot, please contact us. Entries that do not show up for judging will be disqualified. 

• There will be Saturday judging ONLY. You may check in to the contest either Friday during open table hours or Saturday before your judging time.

• Reference images and progress binders used as part of craftsmanship presentations must be picked up immediately after the contest or they will be destroyed.

• Walk-On: Contestants walk onto the stage and do several different poses for at least 30 seconds to show off their costume.

• Skits: Contestants perform on stage. Performance can be a skit, music, dancing, martial arts, etc. Skits are restricted to two and a half (2.5) minutes on the stage.

Here is a list of Skill Levels, sometimes referred to as divisions. If you have questions about which division you should be in, feel free to ask us. We would like to assist you.

• All groups must enter the division applicable to the most skilled member of the group.

• The judges reserve the right to move your placement to another division if we think it's a better fit for you.

The Novice division exists to encourage people who are new to costuming to compete.

You should enter if: 

• You are new to costuming, have never competed before, or are not a professional costumer.

• You have competed in the Novice division, but you have not won any awards.

• You have competed in the Novice division, but have won less than three major awards. A major award is anything that is not a judges’ award (IE: Best Novice, Best Craftsmanship, Best Novice) at any convention.

You should not enter the Novice division if:

• You are a professional costumer.

• You have competed or won an award in Journeyman/Masters/Advanced.

The Journeyman division is an interim division for costumers who have consistently won awards in the Novice division, but who feel they are not yet ready to compete in the Master division.

You should enter if: 

• You have been cosplaying for a number of years but do not yet feel like a master of your craft or are not a professional costumer. 

• You have won more than three major awards in the Novice division or less than two in the Journeyman division.

You should not enter the Journeyman division if:

• You are a professional costumer.

• You have competed or won in the Master division. 

• You have won Best in Show, Best Youth, or Best Journeyman. 

• You have won more than three awards in the Journeyman division.

The Master division is open to any competitor who wishes to enter. Professionals MUST enter this category.

If you have questions or are not sure what category you qualify for, our cosplay staff would be happy to help you figure it out.

• • Best in Show - This award is to be granted to the entry that shows an overall exceptional degree of craftsmanship and stage presence. This award may be given to an entry in any division. 

  • Best in Division- Given to an entrant who has shown an exceptional degree of craftsmanship and presentation for their division.

  • Best Craftsmanship - Given to an entry which displays an exceptional degree of craftsmanship.

  • Best Performance - Given to an entry which provides the best visual performance.

  • Judges’ Awards - Each judge may grant an award to an entry that they feel is exceptional.

  NOTE: Only trophies will be handed out on stage. Any other prizes must be picked up by the winners immediately following the cosplay contest at Cosplay HQ. Awards may be added or removed based on the number of entries accepted.

1. You must have a valid badge in order to participate.

2. Entrants 12 and under must have their parents’ permission to enter.

3. By entering this contest you agree to read and abide by all rules as posted and failure to do so will result in your disqualification from the contest and/or removal from the event.

4. Cosplay Staff reserves the right to refuse entry to anyone to the Hall Cosplay event for any reason.

• Entrants must exhibit good sportsmanship and remain professional at all times. Rude behavior may be considered grounds for disqualification.

• Cosplayers may enter both the Hall Cosplay Contest and the Main Cosplay Contest, but CANNOT enter the same costume in both events.

• Costumes entered must be presented with reference images and recreate characters from anime, manga, animation, etc. Original characters will not be permitted.

• Hall cosplay judging is based entirely on craftsmanship. Therefore, at least 80% of the costume pieces should be handmade.

• Each entry (groups count as a single entry, regardless of size) will be allowed 3 minutes to talk to the judges and show off their work. Entries that go over this time may be disqualified.

• At least 2 reference images must be submitted with each entry at the time of craftsmanship judging, either printed or easily accessible on a phone, tablet, or computer.

• If someone helped make your cosplay, they must be present for judging.

• You will never be required to go on stage or in front of others for Hall Cosplay, but awards are announced on stage during the Main Contest.

• Divisions will be divided up the same as the Main Contest (Novice, Journeyman, Masters). 

  1. The Youth Division is available for anyone 14 and under.

• Awards handed out will be:

  • Best In Hall

  • Best Hall Masters

  • Best Hall Journeyman

  • Best Hall Novice

  • Best Ball Youth

1. Show up to the Hall Cosplay table next to the Main Cosplay Contest Sign Up Table during open hours wearing the cosplay you want to be judged in. Entries will be taken on Friday 3PM-5PM and Saturday 11AM-2PM. No entries will be accepted before this time.

2. Sign up and fill out a basic form. The information on the form is kept confidential and destroyed after the contest.

3. Answer questions and talk about your costume to the judges right at the table. A photo is taken for reference later. If you place, the photo may be shown during the contest so the audience can see your winning work.

4. Enjoy the rest of your day.

5. Winners will be contacted via text using the number provided at sign up. Show up to the main contest to get your award!

6. That’s it! Super easy and takes little or no time at all!