Judging

Our panel of judges is empowered to make independent decisions on awarding of prizes and recognition. The judges are selected from the cosplay community to judge cosplayers. Each judge has their own unique skill and background, and they will work collectively to determine awards.

Judging Rules:

  • All Display Entries (walk-ons) must be judged for Craftsmanship.
  • Performance groups can choose to be judged.
  • All submissions for craftsmanship judging must submit a Craftsmanship Judging Form (form TBA), contained in the registration form. Please send your completed forms to masquerade@fanime.com
  • Judges have the option of not awarding a category award because of insufficient competition. If there is only one dance performance, then how can it be judged?
  • Awards can be retracted if competitors are found to knowingly violate the competition rules by making false claims or deliberately not attributing the maker.

Make sure you read and understand the Craftsmanship judging rules below.

Craftsmanship Judging Rules:

  1. PARTICIPATION: All Craftsmanship judging participants must also be approved Masquerade entrants and must participate in Masquerade, either with a presentation or a walk-on.
  2. ELIGIBILITY: All Costumes are eligible for Craftsmanship Judging but mandatory for display entries.
  3. REQUIRED FORMS: You must fill out a Craftsmanship Judging Form, contained in the registration form. Please send your completed forms to masquerade@fanime.com.
  4. JUDGING TIMES: If you registered for Craftsmanship judging, you need to:
    • Present your costume(s) for judging prior to the start of Masquerade.
    • There will be limited time for the craftsmanship judging, so be prepared and have all your members there.
    • Every contestant needs to be prepared to answer the judges’ questions about their role in the construction of their costume. A dress diary or online journal is always a plus.
  5. GROUP CONSTRUCTION:
    • If your entire group designed and constructed the costumes together and the group wants to compete for the group craftsmanship award, you must be judged as a group and all members of the group must be judged at the same time.
    • If only one person in your group made all of the costumes, only that person is eligible for an award.
  6. INDIVIDUAL CONSTRUCTION:
    • An individual (or a member of a group being judged as an individual) must have designed or constructed their own costume by themselves to win an Individual Craftsmanship Award.
    • An individual that designed and created all of the costumes for a group is eligible for an individual Craftsmanship award.
  7. DOCUMENTATION: The Craftsmanship Judges recommend that each competitor bring the following:
    • At least one color picture, preferably two, of each character the entry represents.
    • Source Documentation on the character.
    • The judges also appreciate craftsmanship documentation dress diaries or online albums.

For additional information, see the Craftsmanship Judging Form contained in the registration form. Please send your completed forms to masquerade@fanime.com.