Cosplay Masquerade

There will be eight major awards given out at this year’s Anime Crossroad’s Cosplay Masquerade, listed below:

• Best Novice Performance
• Best Journeyman Performance
• Best Master Performance
• Best Junior
• Best Novice Craftsmanship
• Best Journeyman Craftsmanship
• Best Master Craftsmanship
• Best in Show

Best in Show can be selected from any category. You are not required to compete in both Craftsmanship and Performance to be eligible for this award, but you will have a better chance of winning Best in Show if you show excellence in both categories.

• Junior – Contestants 14 and under ONLY. If the contestant wishes to be placed in a higher division, they may. This category is the same for both Performance and Craftsmanship entrants.
• Novice – Contestants who have won 1 Major Award or less. (Best in Category, Best in Show)
• Journeyman – Contestants who have received no more than 2 to 4 Major Awards. (Best in Category, Best in Show)
• Master – Contestants who have received 5 or more Major Awards. (Best in Category, Best in Show)

• Major Awards count as Best in Category and Best in Show.
• Group entries enter the highest eligible division based upon whoever in your group has the most Major Awards (ie: if someone in your group has 3 Major Awards, then the group will compete in Journeyman).
• If you are not sure what skill division you should be in, feel free to contact cosplay@animecrossroads.com.
• If you enter into Craftsmanship AND Performance, you are eligible to win a skit award as well.
• The Live Events Heads and the Cosplay Judges have the right at any time during the Cosplay event to move an entry to a different skill division as they see fit.

• You MUST have made at least 75% of your costume to be eligible for Craftsmanship judging. Store-bought or commissioned costumes (made for you by someone else) are not eligible for Craftsmanship entries. A piece that is purchased and altered is also not eligible.
• Any entry that attempts to submit under false pretenses will be Disqualified immediately. NO EXCEPTIONS.
• Any Sandbagging, meaning any costume that has previously won a Major Award is not eligible for entry. Disqualification will be effective immediately.
• Craftsmanship entries must provide PRINTED reference images so the Judges can thoroughly evaluate your costume fairly even if you’re not in the room. Do not assume the judges will know your character!  Please bring full body, full color, official images of the character you are cosplaying. These need to show the character wearing the outfit from varying angles and sides if possible.
• Progress photos and Build Books are not required but highly encouraged as it gives our Judges a chance to see your costume throughout the process. They can also help show pieces of your costume they may not see otherwise.
• A group may enter Craftsmanship. All groups must enter under the class of the most experienced member. Should they win, they’ll share the prize given for winning.
• All Craftsmanship participants will be judged Saturday in the designated area. Judging times will be assigned upon entry in blocks based on the allotted time. Please arrive 10 minutes prior to your scheduled judging time. We will do our best to accommodate the time period you request.
• Open registration will be on the Friday and Saturday of the convention at the Cosplay Table so long as there are spots available.
• Craftsmanship entries will do three poses on stage, pausing to let pictures be taken.

• Should a group win a performance award, they’ll share the prize given for winning.
• Performances are limited to a maximum time of 4 minutes.
• Performances must be able to come on and off the stage in no more than 2 minutes. Large sets, instruments, or props that cannot be carried straight on and off the stage without assistance are prohibited. 
• NO LIVE STEEL. Anything that could be mistaken as a realistic weapon must be cleared by ACORE as per con guidelines. You must bring all props to rehearsal for approval.
• Your performance content, including language and thematic content, must be family friendly as ACross is a family-friendly event, and the Masquerade will be attended by young children and parents. The Live Events Heads and Cosplay Judges reserve the right to disqualify, modify, or remove a skit they feel is inappropriate.
• Please do not leave anything on stage when you exit. NO GLITTER.
• Performance entries must attend a mandatory skit approval on Saturday morning, time will be announced in acceptance emails.
• If your on-stage presentation deviates from what you showed the cosplay staff at rehearsal, you will be disqualified. You can surprise the audience but DO NOT SURPRISE US.
• Stage combat and gymnastics must be approved by the Live Events Heads. Please ask if you have questions; we want your skit to be great, but we also want the temporary stage to stay stable during.
• If you wish to use prerecorded audio, it is required to attach it in the form before submission. You cannot submit a form that has requested audio playback without attaching the audio.
• Make sure it is a MP3 file. We will NOT accept anything else. We will NOT edit your audio for you.
• The Live Events Heads have final say in all circumstances and disputes and may modify rules at any time if necessary.