AnchorCon Cosplay Contest Rules
All contestants must be ticket-holding attendees of AnchorCon.
Pre-registration for both days at the Cosplay Judges booth from 10:00am - 12:00 pm. Adults Cosplay Contest will be SATURDAY ONLY. Kids Cosplay Contest is SUNDAY ONLY.
Participants will receive a number upon registration in the order they are received, which will determine their placement in the contest presentation.
Master Builder and Novice Builder category participants must submit progress pictures of their registered cosplays in person during pre-judging. You may show them on your phone, tablet or bring prints. Please sign up for the contest FIRST at the judges booth, and then come to the Main Stage for pre-judging between 11am and 12pm.
​WALK ON CATEGORY: IF YOU WISH TO BE JUDGED AS A PAIR OR GROUP, PLEASE INDICATE IT ON THE SIGNUP SHEET. If a group or pair is awarded a prize, it will only be one prize for the entire group or pair.
Groups and pairs WILL NOT be allowed in the Master and Novice categories.
All contestants in the Walk-On, Novice Builder and Master Builder Cosplay contest category must be at least 13 years of age to compete. Exceptions will be made for families cosplaying together and being judged as a group.
Kids’ Cosplay Contest is SUNDAY ONLY.
Kids must be aged newborn to 12 years old to compete. Age 13 as of the day of AC cannot compete in kids' category. There are no Master, Novice or Judge's Choice categories in the Kids contest.
No live animals may be used on stage unless it is a service animal. The contest organizers must be notified beforehand during pre-registration if this is the case.
No power will be provided (power sockets, extension cords, batteries, etc. – no external power sources will be provided to contestants).
All contestants must be able to move onto and across the stage on their own in the cosplays, and operate them independently. No handlers are allowed on stage to help operate a cosplay. Accommodations will be made for any person with a disability who requires the use of wheelchairs, crutches or other supports, or an aide.
Cosplays must be worn for the duration of the cosplay contest.
For the safety of all participants, Cosplays and props MAY NOT contain active projectiles such as pop guns, air guns, fireworks, projectiles of glitter, confetti, water, flash paper, actual fire, bubbles, ribbons or smoke (real or artificial). Laser pointer sights on prop weapons are not permitted and must be turned off. Strobe lights are not permitted. Vapor emissions may be allowed if they are contained within the cosplay and not projected onto others. LED lights are allowed.
For the safety of all participants and entrants, no acrobatics, sexually suggestive dances or gestures, aggressively violent choreography or martial arts routines will be allowed.
AnchorCon reserves the right to remove contestants from the Cosplay Contest if necessary. Removal can occur under the following circumstances:
Unsportsmanlike/inappropriate conduct/behavior of the contestant is witnessed (i.e. bullying, sexual harassment, intimidation, etc.)
Violation of any other AnchorCon rules and policies. (See AnchorCon’s complete Harassment Policy for more information).
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All decisions are final.
For the safety of all participants No flash photography will be allowed during the contest, both in the audience and backstage. Please take all pictures either before, or after the contest. An on stage photo op time will be made available for the contest winners and participants AFTER the cosplay contest.
If you are a Special Guest or a Cosplay Guest, you cannot compete in the Cosplay Contest
If you win a major award (i.e Master Craftsmanship 1st place), you cannot also win another major award (i.e Judges Choice) in the same contest.
Only registered contest participants are allowed backstage during the Novice Builder, Master Builder and Walk-on competition. ONE parent/guardian will be allowed backstage per registered child in the Kids’ category competition.
No food or drink will be allowed backstage.
Winners must be present at the awards presentation in order to receive any prizes won.
Finally, HAVE FUN and follow “Wheaton’s Law.”