Welcome to the Anime USA 2026 Cosplay Craftsmanship Competition!
New for 2026, craftsmanship has stepped out of the Masquerade and into an event of its own.
This competition is about the making of cosplay: sewing, armor building, prop making, wig styling, embroidery, electronics, painting, patterning, problem solving, tiny details nobody else notices, and the approximately 47 times you decided to remake the same piece because it wasn’t quite right.
There is no performance component. There is no need to put on a skit.
Craftsmanship judging will be offered in two sessions: one on Friday and one on Saturday. Contestants will receive a scheduled judging appointment during one of these sessions.
Craftsmanship awards will be presented during the Anime USA Cosplay Masquerade on Saturday.
You do not need to compete in the Masquerade to compete in Craftsmanship. The competitions are separate—you just get to come celebrate your craftsmanship winners with us at the big show.
This is your opportunity to sit down with experienced judges, show them your work, explain your process, and let the craftsmanship speak for itself.
Eligibility
All Masquerade participants must have a valid Anime USA 2026 convention badge.
Contestants may enter individually or as a group.
Because the two competitions are now judged independently, contestants may enter the same costume in both the Anime USA Craftsmanship Competition and the Anime USA Cosplay Masquerade.
Because craftsmanship is now its own competition, the two events are judged completely independently. Participation or placement in one has no effect on judging in the other.
You do not need to participate in the Masquerade in order to enter the Craftsmanship Competition.
If you made something incredible and want to perform in it, we want you to have the opportunity to do both.
What We’re Judging
This competition is about your craftsmanship.
Judges will evaluate the work personally completed by the contestant. Areas considered may include:
Not every costume needs to demonstrate every skill.
A beautifully executed simple technique can be just as worthy of recognition as an extremely complicated build.
We’re interested in how well you did what you set out to do.
Competition Divisions
Anime USA’s Craftsmanship Competition uses three competitive divisions: Novice, Journeyman, and Master.
Your division is determined by your previous major craftsmanship awards.
There are two ways to advance to the next division:
Whichever happens first determines your advancement.
Novice — 0 to 2 Major Craftsmanship Awards
Novice is for contestants who have received fewer than three (3) major craftsmanship awards.
If you have previously won Best Novice or an equivalent Best in Novice Division award at Anime USA or another cosplay competition, you are no longer eligible to compete as a Novice.
Winning Best Novice automatically advances you to Journeyman.
This applies even if Best Novice was your first major craftsmanship award.
Journeyman — 3 to 5 Major Craftsmanship Awards
Journeyman is for contestants who have received three (3) to five (5) major craftsmanship awards, or contestants who have previously won Best Novice or an equivalent division award.
If you have previously won Best Journeyman or an equivalent Best in Journeyman Division award at Anime USA or another cosplay competition, you are no longer eligible to compete as a Journeyman.
Winning Best Journeyman automatically advances you to Master.
This applies regardless of your total number of previous awards.
Master — 6+ Major Craftsmanship Awards
Master is for contestants who have received six (6) or more major craftsmanship awards, or contestants who have previously won Best Journeyman or an equivalent division award.
Master is Anime USA’s highest craftsmanship division.
There is no advancement beyond Master.
What Counts as a Major Craftsmanship Award?
A major craftsmanship award is an award specifically recognizing a significant achievement in the construction or technical execution of a cosplay.
Examples may include:
Best in Division is handled separately. Best Novice and Best Journeyman automatically advance the contestant regardless of their numerical award count.
What Does NOT Count?
The following do not count toward your major craftsmanship award total:
Judge’s Choice and other Judges’ Awards are not considered major awards for division placement.
Receiving a Judge’s Choice, special recognition, or similar award is absolutely something to be proud of, but it will not move you closer to the next craftsmanship division.
If you’re unsure whether a previous award qualifies as a major craftsmanship award, list it when you register. Anime USA Craftsmanship staff will make the final determination.
Competing Up
You may always choose to compete in a higher division.
You may not compete below the division for which you qualify.
Once you have advanced to a higher division, you cannot return to a lower division in a future competition, even when entering a completely different costume.
Division placement belongs to the craftsperson, not the costume.
Anime USA Craftsmanship staff reserve the right to move a contestant to a higher division when their competition history clearly places them there.
The goal is simple: give craftspeople of similar competitive experience a fair opportunity to compete against one another.
Group Entries
Groups are welcome.
A group competes in the division of the highest-ranked participating craftsperson whose work is being judged.
Each member should be prepared to explain which portions of the entry they personally created.
Judges will consider both the individual craftsmanship and how the group’s work comes together as a finished piece.
What Must You Have Made?
Your costume does not need to be 100% handmade.
Purchased base garments, shoes, wigs, accessories, blanks, found objects, and commercially available components are allowed.
What matters is that you clearly tell the judges:
What did you make? What did you modify? What did you purchase? What did someone else make?
Judges will only evaluate work personally completed by the contestant.
There is absolutely nothing wrong with purchasing a pair of boots instead of learning leatherworking at 3:00 AM three days before the convention.
Just tell us you bought the boots.
Commissioned & Collaborative Work
Commissioned pieces and work completed by another person may be incorporated into your costume but will not be considered when judging your craftsmanship.
If another person substantially assisted with a portion of your costume, disclose that assistance to the judges.
Collaborative builds should be entered as a group when multiple makers want their work considered for judging.
Misrepresenting another person’s work as your own may result in disqualification.
We’re judging craftsmanship—not your ability to convince us you personally forged a sword in your backyard.
Reference & Build Documentation
Reference materials and build documentation are strongly encouraged.
These may include:
You don’t need to create a 70-page thesis.
Bring enough information to help the judges understand what you started with, what you did, and how you got to the finished result.
Original Designs & Interpretations
Original characters, original designs, gijinka, alternate versions, historical interpretations, mashups, and other transformative cosplay designs are welcome.
For an original or heavily modified design, please provide artwork, sketches, mood boards, or other materials that help the judges understand your intended design.
Judges will evaluate the craftsmanship and execution of your design—not whether your interpretation exactly matches an existing reference image.
Judging Sessions & Appointments
Craftsmanship judging will take place across two separate sessions:
Contestants will receive a scheduled judging appointment during one of the two sessions.
Contestants must arrive at their assigned judging time in costume and ready to be judged, unless Craftsmanship staff have approved another arrangement.
You only need to attend your assigned judging session. Contestants judged on Friday do not need to return for Saturday judging.
Judging appointments are limited, so please arrive on time.
Late contestants may receive a shortened judging session or lose their judging slot entirely.
During your appointment, you’ll have an opportunity to explain your costume and highlight the work you’re most proud of.
Tell the judges what you want them to look at.
They don’t know that the lining contains 600 hand-sewn beads unless you tell them.
During Judging
Judges may ask to examine costume elements more closely.
They may ask questions about materials, construction methods, patterns, finishing, alterations, mistakes, repairs, or techniques.
Judges will not intentionally damage or stress-test your costume.
If something is delicate, difficult to access, unsafe to touch, or you’d simply prefer that the judges not handle it, tell them.
You are always allowed to handle or demonstrate the piece yourself.
Previously Entered Costumes
Costumes previously entered in other competitions may be entered at Anime USA.
Contestants must disclose any significant previous craftsmanship awards received by the costume.
Previous awards received by the contestant also count toward determining their appropriate Anime USA competition division when applicable.
Winning elsewhere does not automatically make your costume ineligible at Anime USA.
Awards & Presentation
Anime USA may present awards recognizing exceptional craftsmanship, including:
These are examples, not guaranteed categories.
Judges are encouraged to recognize exceptional craftsmanship wherever they find it rather than forcing every costume into a predetermined award.
Not every category must be awarded. Additional awards may be created when the judges encounter something deserving recognition that doesn’t fit neatly into an existing category.
Craftsmanship Awards Ceremony
All Anime USA 2026 Craftsmanship Competition awards will be presented during the Cosplay Masquerade on Saturday.
Craftsmanship contestants do not need to compete in the Masquerade in order to receive an award.
Contestants should plan to attend the Masquerade if possible so we can recognize your work in front of the Anime USA audience.
Additional instructions regarding where and when Craftsmanship contestants should report for the awards presentation will be provided at the convention.
Judge’s Choice & Special Awards
Judges may give Judge’s Choice, Special Achievement, or similar recognition awards to highlight work they personally feel deserves recognition.
These awards do not count as major craftsmanship awards for future division placement.
They are recognition—not advancement.
All judging decisions are final.
Sportsmanship
Craftsmanship competitions work best when contestants can be excited about each other’s work.
Ask questions. Share techniques. Admire somebody else’s ridiculous solution to an equally ridiculous construction problem.
Harassment, intimidation, dishonesty regarding authorship, deliberately interfering with another contestant, or abusive behavior toward contestants, judges, volunteers, or staff may result in removal from the competition.
Someone else’s incredible work does not make yours less incredible.
There’s room at the workbench for everybody.
Final Authority
Anime USA Craftsmanship staff and judges reserve the right to interpret or modify these rules when necessary for fairness, safety, scheduling, or circumstances not specifically addressed here.
Staff may refuse or remove an entry that violates Anime USA convention policy or competition rules.
This competition isn’t about catching you on technicalities.
It’s about giving the craft of cosplay the attention it deserves.
So bring your progress photos.
Bring your weird material samples.
Tell us why you chose that fabric.
Show us the seam you’re absurdly proud of.
Explain the technique that took six attempts before it finally worked.
You made it. Now come show us how.