Masquerade
A fan favorite at every anime convention, the Masquerade has something for everyone! Animazement’s most-attended contest is the Saturday night Masquerade! Come out and see the best costumes and skits our attendees have to offer, and find out who will win the top prizes! Costumes are not required to be a part of the audience, so if your sewing skills aren’t up to the task, you can still enjoy the show.
If you have ANY questions or need clarification at the convention regarding Cosplay Events, please visit the Cosplay HQ Room – Your center for all things cosplay related. This room is located at the end of the hallway in the Marriott, The Alumni Room. **SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT** We are now accepting entries from the following: World of Warcraft, Heroes of the Storm, League of Legends, and Overwatch.
Sign Up
Pre-Registration for The 2025 Cosplay Contest/Masquerade will open on TBD.
Enter the Masquerade Contest and show off your costume in front of thousands of screaming fangirls and fanboys! Read on for more details on how to become a part of the Masquerade Contest.
How it Works
The Masquerade Contest is one of the largest events at Animazement. Our goal is to start on time, and keep this event within its time constraints. We ask that all those wishing to participate in the Masquerade Contest adhere to the more precise scheduling and commitment that this event warrants.
- All music must be in MP3 format. Solo Entries have sixty (60) seconds of stage time. Group Entries receive three (3) minutes.
If you are registering at the convention for the Masquerade, there is a meeting Saturday morning where you can fill out the forms and turn in mp3s on flash drives. PLEASE DO NOT BRING CDs and do not send youtube videos. Flash drives are strongly preferred.
Levels
Novice is 0-3 Major awards.
Journeyman is 4 to 6 Major awards won.
Craftsman is 7 or more Major awards.
*Major awards are First, Second, Third, Best of or Best… Honorable Mentions and Judge’s Awards not do count as a Major Award.
Youth Awards are for those 12 and younger.
Costume Rules
- Solo Entries have ninety (90) seconds of stage time. Group Entries receive three (3) minutes.
- Because this is a platform stage, no “hard falls” or leaping off the stage.
- No confetti, glitter, or mess. Everything you bring on the stage should come off-stage as well.
- Keep skits tasteful – PG-13 or less. Unsure? Please send our coordinator an email.
- No live steel or weapons.
- While cameos are fine from comics and pop-culture media, please keep your skit of Japanese or Asian origin.
- All decisions of the judge and coordinator are final.
Guidelines
All costumes must be relevant to Anime, Manga, Video Games, and Theater all derived from Asian Culture. We also are now accepting entries from Overwatch, League of Legend, Heroes of the Storm, and World of Warcraft.
Competing “down” (A Craftsman entering as Journeyman for an easier win) is discouraged and will lead to disqualification.
The “strongest” member of the group will have the group entered as that level (One craftsman, two Journeyman, one novice entering will result in the group entering as Craftsman.)
If you need further clarification, please e-mail craftsmanship@animazement.org.