Masquerade Rules:

Please read the following rules for applying for the Masquerade at ANIMAINE 2026

The ANIMAINE Masquerade will take place on Saturday, November 7, 2026 from 6:00 - 8:00 PM in the Pine-Evergreen Room. 

Applications will be open from August 11, 2026 - October 7, 2026. All applicants will receive notification of their acceptance, waitlist, or denial status no later than October 11, 2026. 

 

All Masquerade participants must have purchased a badge for ANIMAINE. To allow for fair participation, no ANIMAINE 2026 staff members may participate in the masquerade. 

Both canon and fan-made designs are eligible.

Solo, duo, and group entries accepted. Due to the size of the performance location, groups are limited to 10 people. 

There is no physical stage for the Masquerade. 

There will be access to a projector, so participants may provide a video if they wish. If you do not have a video, we will show the ANIMAINE background. 

"Stage ninjas" or handlers are welcome. 

No AI-generated audio or videos may be used. 

Applicants can choose to enter in Craftsmanship, Performance, or both. Please read the categories section below for full details. Please note only applicants entered into both categories are eligible for Best in Show. 

All acts must be rated PG-13 or under. ANIMAINE Masquerade staff reserve the right to deny applicants if there submitted act is inappropriate. 

All costumes must comply by ANIMAINE's dress code, prop, and weapon policies. Those can be found here: https://www.animaine.org/policies

Any costumes or performances who have previously won major awards (i.e. Best in Show, Best Novice, etc.) at other Masquerades or cosplay contests are not eligible to enter. If you entered a Masquerade or cosplay contest with a costume or performance but did NOT win or did not win a major award, you may still enter. 

Participants who are 16 or under must complete the Parental/Guardian consent form and bring it with you signed to the con or email to us ahead of time: Permission Form. 

All participants must check in at the convention to confirm your participation. Further information will be provided closer to the con on where/when to check in by. If you are participating in craftsmanship, you will be given a time for pre-judging. 

Please no confetti, glitter, or other props/effects that would require cleaning of the performance area between acts. If you cannot carry it on and off with you, please do not bring it.

Please make sure you are applying with an active email that you have access to and will check. All masquerade-related correspondence will be done via email from cosplay@animaine.org. 

If you are an idol and want to perform but do not want to be in a judged contest, please apply to the ANIMAINE Idol Showcase, hosted by Kirameku Melody! These events are completely separate and held on different days, so you can participate in both if you wish. 

CRAFTSMANSHIP

  • To be eligible for craftsmanship, a minimum of 80% of the costume must be handmade. No purchased costumes or those containing less than 80% handmade items are eligible.

  • It is expected that the participant(s) made their costumes themselves. Exceptions include if 1 group member made the costumes for all their group members, or if the participant is modeling a costume that was made by someone else. If this the case, the creator must be present for pre-judging and for the masquerade. 

  • Craftsmanship participants will be assigned a time to meet with the judges for pre-judging, where the judges will get an up close look at your costume and ask questions. This is a great time to tell them any info about your costume that you may not be able to share during the Masquerade itself. Participants will be provided this time ahead of the convention via email. 

  • A build book is helpful for judges to see your progress, reference photos, and things they cannot see during judging, and is highly encouraged, but is not required. 

  • If you are not also a performance participant, you will have 30 seconds - 1 minute onstage to pose and show off your costume for the audience. 

  • Only participants entering in both Craftsmanship and Performance are eligible for Best in Show.

PERFORMANCE

  • Please keep your performance 3 minutes.

  • Audio should not contain any profanity or offensive language. 

  • Please submit audio files in MP3 format by Sunday, November 9, 2025 at 11:59 PM. 

  • Performances can include dances, skirts, musical performances, singing, etc. 

  • Participants doing Performance only will be judged for their performance only, not costume. Purchased costumes are allowed in this category. 

SKILL LEVELS

  • Novice: You have little to no experience with cosplay or masquerades, and have won fewer than 2 major awards at previous masquerades and cosplay contests (not including Best in Show)

  • Advanced: You have moderate to extensive experience with cosplay or masquerades, and have won 3 or more major awards at previous masquerades and cosplay contests OR a Best in Show. 

AWARDS

  • Best Novice Performance

  • Best Novice Craftsmanship

  • Best Advanced Performance 

  • Best Advanced Craftsmanship

  • Judges Awards (1 per judge)

  • Best in Show (wins a free weekend badge to ANIMAINE 2027!)

For any questions, please send an email to cosplay@animaine.org