CALLING ALL COSPLAY PEOPLE — JUDGE APPLICATIONS ARE NOW OPEN!
With some big changes coming to cosplay competition at Anime USA 2026, we’re looking for experienced, enthusiastic people to join our Cosplay Judging Team!
This year, our competitions are splitting into two separate events:
The Anime USA Cosplay Masquerade — focused entirely on performance, creativity, characterization, choreography, staging, and entertainment.
The Anime USA Cosplay Craftsmanship Competition — focused entirely on construction, technique, execution, and the incredible amount of work that goes into actually making a cosplay.
And we need judges for both!
Maybe you’re an experienced cosplayer who can spot a beautifully finished seam from across the room.
Maybe your specialty is armor, props, wigs, sewing, fabrication, electronics, or some bizarre crafting technique involving materials that were definitely never intended to become a costume.
Or maybe performance is your thing — theater, dance, choreography, comedy, stage presence, characterization, or simply understanding what makes a cosplay performance work.
You don’t have to be an expert at everything.
We’re looking to build judging panels with a variety of experiences, specialties, and perspectives.
Interested? Applications Are Now Open!
Our Anime USA 2026 Cosplay Judge Application is now live!
The application gives you a chance to tell us about your experience, specialties, judging or competition background, availability, and whether you’re interested in judging the Masquerade, Craftsmanship Competition, or both.
Submitting an application does not automatically commit you to judging or guarantee a judging position. We’ll use the applications to build balanced panels that can give our competitors the knowledgeable, thoughtful, and fair judging they deserve.
Anime USA’s cosplay competitions are getting a pretty big upgrade this year, and I’m incredibly excited about what we’re building.
Now I just need some awesome people sitting on the other side of the judging table.
Masquerade Judges
Craftsmanship Judges
Applications are NOW OPEN!