All cosplayers and cosplays participating in either event must abide by all rules and regulations stated on the Rules page. Violating any of these rules and/or any of the following rules can result in disqualification from the contest.

PRIZES: First Place Beginner & First Place Advanced for the Craftsmanship Contest will be awarded with:

1st Place: $75 Amazon Gift Card

2nd Place: $50 Amazon Gift Card

3rd Place: $25 Amazon Gift Card

In addition to those rules, entrants to either the Runway or Craftsmanship Contest are expected to:

• Have a visible Mini-Con 2025 badge and have paid for admission

• Be respectful and courteous to all other competitors and convention-goers. No foul play or bullying will be tolerated.

Any accessibility/mobility aids, disabilities, etc., will not be counted against entrants. 

If the number of entrants exceeds expectations, contestants may be limited.

• BEGINNERS: Your costume must be at least 30-50% handmade or significantly altered by you. No store-bought costumes.

• ADVANCED: Your costume must be at least 60-70% handmade or significantly altered by you. No store-bought costumes.

• If a costume was commissioned or made for someone else, the maker of the costume is the entrant and needs to be present. Please contact us on Discord or Instagram if this is the case.

• Inform the judges if you received any major assistance in making the cosplay.

• Please have references for your character for pre-judging.

  • Physical references are preferred, but not required.

• If you need any assistance or accommodation for your mobility or visibility, please let us know ahead of time.

• Arrive on time for pre-judging & the line-up before the contest.

• No Show/No Contact will result in disqualification from the contest.

• Respect the judges and their decisions.

Any major contest questions or concerns can be directed to ialbino@ncsu.edu!

• Is there a prize?

  • There will be prizes for all awards.

• How does judging work?

  • Cosplay contest prejudging is similar to art critique. 

  • Pre-judging windows are approximately 2 - 3 minutes.

  • Highlight the most important aspects of your cosplay.

  • Build Books are recommended. They showcase:

    • Reference images of your character

    • Progress photos of your cosplay

    • Further details on certain aspects of your craft

• I've never competed before. Should I enter?

  • We're doing our best to make sure this contest is as accessible as humanly possible. First-time contests can be intimidating, especially at larger cons - so we're making sure that this is a fun and fair experience for all levels of cosplay! So yes, you should if you want to.