Cosplay Competition
Showcase your latest cosplay in our yearly main stage competition.
Welcome to this year’s WasabiCon Cosplay Competition! Have you been making something incredible? Looking for a chance to show your work off to the cosplay community? Well here is your chance. We are very excited to see all of the amazing work you will bring to this cosplay skill based event.
There were so many awesome cosplays at last year’s show, we just knew we had to turn up the heat on this year’s competition. We’re doing things a little differently this year, so please read carefully.
Here are a couple of things to remember before you apply for this year’s event.
SIGN UP: 2023 sign-up is now closed. See you at the show!
PRE-JUDGING: Saturday from 10:30 AM – 2:00 PM in Mini Events (Room 102) (5 minutes per contestant)
EVENT DAY & TIME: Saturday at 5:30 PM; Contestants should arrive at 4:30 PM.
EVENT LOCATION: Main Events (Ballroom North/South)
Competition Rules
- You must have purchased an entry into the convention in order to enter/present on stage for the Cosplay Competition.
- The Cosplay Competition is a family-oriented event. Please keep all costumes to a “PG-13″ rating i.e. no nudity or overly revealing attire.
- The competition is open to all ages, however if under the age of 18 contestants are required to have a parent or guardian with them at all times during the competition process.
- Your cosplay must be at least 80% made by you. You may purchase parts of a cosplay, but this must be disclosed during the judging process. If you are not the maker of your cosplay and modeling a cosplay on stage, the creator of the cosplay must be present with you upon entry. If the cosplay wins an award, the award will go to the creator of the costume.
- Your cosplay must be at least 70% complete at the time of submission.
- Only one cosplay may be entered per cosplayer.
- Cosplays are judged as solo artists, no groups.
- All weapons and props must conform with convention policies, hotel/conference center rules and local laws concerning carrying a weapon. If there is a question of doubt, don’t bring it. You can read our event rules, including our Props Policy, online at https://jax.wasabicon.com/policies/
- Cosplay handlers are not allowed in prejudging or backstage areas (Does not apply to parents or guardians of underaged contestants).
- Green Mustard Entertainment, Inc. reserves the right to modify, update, or amend these rules at any time.
What to Expect
- The application process is easy and will be open on this page on September 6th to enter this year’s cosplay competition!
- Once your application is submitted, it will be sent over to our panel of judges for review. They will be looking over all of the amazing submissions and choosing the top 25 to walk the show.
- The 25 finalists will be notified via email on October 1st with plenty of time to put the finishing touches on before the competition. This email will also contain a link for the finalists to signup for their prejudging spot at the show.
- Prejudging will be held from 10:30 AM – 2:00 PM on Saturday in Mini Events (Room 102) and will allow for five minutes per contestant. This is your chance to show the judges all your amazing work and tell them about your build.
- At 4:30 PM on Saturday, finalists will be asked to gather in Main Events (Ballroom North/South) for a cosplay contestant photoshoot before the competition begins.
- At 5:30 PM on Saturday the Cosplay Competition begins. Contestants will be asked to walk across the stage, making three poses as they go. (We are unable to accept lighting or music requests. No skits please)
Categories
With so many amazing cosplays, it’s always hard to choose a winner! Awards will be given to the individuals that the judges select as first place in the following categories and, from those winners, they will select a grand champion. Additionally, three judge’s choice awards will be given.
- Armor
- Threadwork
- SFX
We think that a cosplay competition should have clear rules and expectations, including what the judges are looking for and the categories you may be competing in. The judges will place our top 25 contestants into categories based on the build and submission. Below you will find the rubric that the judges will be using to score all of your amazing submissions.
Meet this year’s Cosplay Competition Judges!
Kolackitty
Kolackitty Cosplay is an award winning craftsman located in Tampa, FL. she has been part of the cosplay community for over 7 years. Her builds include everything from anime and superheroes to cartoons and horror. She recently was even awarded a Masters Craftsmanship trophy for her Pyramid Head Cosplay! Kolackitty makes all of her cosplays by hand and spares no expense on time with the details. She love, love, LOVES details. Her goal in her cosplay journey is to consistently better her craft while also inspiring others around her to be their true, creative and authentic selves!
Layla Ali 21 Cosplay
Layla Ali 21 Cosplay has been cosplaying since 2021 and is no stranger to the cosplay competition scene. With 12 consecutive wins in multiple categories ranging from best in show to best anime cosplay, she brings a wide range of skills and experiences to the judges panel. Layla brings her unique talents in hand sewing, alteration/modification, stoning, makeup, propwork, and lighting to help judge the competition. When not competing, Layla likes to focus on building community and showcasing diversity with panels and events for the everyone to experience and enjoy. As a proud Mexican-American, this mother of two works hard to make a fun and safe multilingual community for everyone.
Zoe Volf
Zoe Volf is an international cosplayer based in Fort Lauderdale, Florida whose career began over 15 years ago. Since then, she has been a guest at events in several countries showcasing her cosplay work. This cosplayer specializes in corsetry and has run an Etsy store for 8 years doing commission work, averaging about 200 outfits a year! With ample knowledge of her craft, Zoe is a wealth of tips on productive work and easy sewing for those who can’t seem to find the time or effort for their builds. She always strives for the highest artistic integrity in her works and hopes to bring this same expectation to this year’s panel of judges.
