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Masquerade Costume Contest and Cosplay Catwalk

Masquerade Costume Contest
This is a craftsmanship competition. If you would like to participate in a walk-on showcase, please sign up for the Cosplay Catwalk. If you would like to participate in a performance-based contest, please sign up for the Celestial Lipsync Spectacular.

Contestants must pre-register online by 11:59pm on July 5th. Selection confirmation will be sent out by July 8th.

Apply for the Masquerade Costume Contest Here.

A waitlist will be made available to those who are not selected, or have missed the pre-registration period. On-site registrations will only be available if we have spaces left.

Contestants must check-in on the day of the competition at least by 2:45PM. Check-In is located at Chell Creates’s booth. Upon checking in, you will be given an entry number and a judging time.

Judging and Award Categories

Purchased cosplays are not allowed to compete in the craftsmanship contest.

The masquerade has two categories to enter in: Novice and Experienced.

Novice

  • Have minimal sewing and crafting experience and/or have not been formally trained in sewing or crafting.
  • Have not won any previous awards at any major cosplay craftsmanship competitions or best in show at a small local cosplay craftsmanship competition.
  • May or may not have competed in cosplay craftsmanship competitions – novice level is based on skillset and whether or not you have won awards for the skills.
  • To be eligible to compete at Novice level, you must have made and/or altered at least 75% of your cosplay.

Experienced

  • Anyone who does not fit into the requirements to compete in Novice level.
  • May or may not have competed or won in cosplay competitions – solely based on your craftsmanship skill level.
  • Experienced level must have made 75% or more of the costume from scratch.

If you have doubts on which category you should select for your entry, please contact us at [email protected].

Other Requirements

Build books are required at both Novice and Experienced level. Contestants must be able to explain their craftsmanship to the judges during their pre-judging. Contestants will have up to 3 minutes to present their cosplay in pre-judging. The amount of time for pre-judging is subject to change depending on the number of entrants. Digital build books are able to be submitted prior to the competition – if no digital book is submitted, then a physical one must be presented to the judges in person

Contestant’s cosplay must not have won a major award in a previous competition in order to be eligible to participate in craftsmanship judging or receive any awards.

Contestants’ costumes will be judged based on the following criteria:

  • Craftsmanship: Overall skill execution, creativity and attention to detail.
  • Technical Difficulty: Level of complexity of the techniques used to create the cosplay.
  • Accuracy: How closely the cosplay resembles the original source.
  • Stage Presentation/Walk-On: Presence on stage, sense of the character’s personality.

Awards

The following awards are able to be granted. Depending on the number of competitors and other factors, some awards may not be given out at the discretion of the judges.

  • BEST IN SHOW: Contestant that showcases excellence in craftsmanship and stage presence. Craftsmanship shows multiple techniques at a superb skill level. Original designs are allowed.
  • BEST IN CLASS – NOVICE: Contestant that showcases excellence in craftsmanship techniques and stage presence in the novice class at a great skill level. Original designs are allowed.
  • BEST IN CLASS – EXPERIENCED: Contestant that showcases excellence in craftsmanship techniques and stage presence in the intermediate class at a great skill level. Original designs are allowed.
  • JUDGES’ CHOICE: An award given by each of the judges to recognize a contestant’s efforts and want to highlight a particular skill or craftsmanship technique.

Please note that if you win a prize of admission for a future Pretty Heroes event, we will require your real full name and email address in order to distribute the prize.

Stage Walk Rules

Although we want all participants to have fun, there are some rules that contestants must follow:

  • All entries are allowed 1 minute maximum to use the stage. The stage portion is only a walk-on, where the host will read out the pre-written description of the costume provided by the cosplayer.
  • No profanity or coarse language.
  • No throwing of anything from the stage.
  • No pyrotechnics, other stage tricks, or any actions that may be unsafe for yourself or others.
  • No jumping off the stage, please only use the stairs.
  • Be respectful of your fellow cosplayers, judges, and convention crew.
  • No nudity as this is a family-oriented event.

Masquerade Costume Contest Schedule – Saturday

12:45 pm – 2:45 pm Check-In
2:45 pm – 4 pm Pre-Judging
4:45 pm Call Time
5:00 pm Masquerade Show

Prizes for Our Masquerade Costume Contest

We are happy to announce a variety of sponsors for this year’s Masquerade Costume Contest! Special thanks to Anime North, The Dangerous Ladies, Cospayton, and Hokey Pokey for their generous contributions.
Anime North

The Dangerous Ladies

Cospayton

Hokey Pokey

Best in Show Prizes:

Best in Class Novice and Best in Class Experienced Prizes:

Cosplay Catwalk

The Cosplay Catwalk is a walk-on showcase on Sunday of the convention, which is open to everyone in both bought cosplays and handmade cosplays. The main purpose is to show off your costume in the spotlight and celebrate the joy of cosplay.

Best in Show will be awarded two weekend passes to Pretty Heroes 2026, and judging is based on stage presence and the overall visuals of the cosplay.

If you would like to participate in a performance-based contest, please sign up for the Celestial Lipsync Spectacular. If you would like to participate in a craftsmanship contest, please sign up for the Masquerade Costume Contest.

To sign up for the Cosplay Catwalk, please visit Chell Creates’s booth on Sunday, July 20th. Sign ups will only be available in person.

In order to enter, please prepare:

  • Cosplayer name to be read on stage
  • Cosplay name
  • Media the cosplay is from
  • Do you require assistance with accessing the stage? (Yes/No)

Cosplay Catwalk Schedule – Sunday

10:30 am – 12:00 pm Sign Up/Check In
2:45 pm Call time
3:00 pm Cosplay Catwalk showcase