Cosplay Contest | thepenti-con

Cosplay Contest for Construction

The Penti-con 2026 Cosplay Contest Rules

Please read the rules carefully as there are changes from prior years

You must attend pre judging to be eligible for construction based awards. Pre judging times will be announced closer to the convention and entrants will be emailed.

We will do our best to confirm your entry into the contest within 14 days of your submission. If you have not heard back 14 days, please email cosplay@thepenti-con.org for a follow up.

Sign ups will close on October 21st, 2026 at 11pm. You should hear from us by the 27th with your judging time/location. If we have reached our contestant capacity, we will notify you by email if you did not make it, and see if you wish to be on a waitlist.

If we have not reached our capacity, we will be allowing sign ups at the convention on the day of. We however encourage you to sign up beforehand to secure your spot, as well as ensure your custom audio track will be played.

You can enter as either an individual or as a group for construction. The group will be judged as a whole if you wish to enter as a group, and only one award/ trophy will be given. Judges reserve the right to separate a group if they see fit. All group members MUST meet the 60% made requirement separately, or they may not be considered for awards. This is also applicable to individual entries.

If you wish to enter individually for construction and also do a group walk-on you may. Please note this in all members' entries in this case. Each participant being judged individually must submit their own application. If you choose to do a performance (anything longer than 45 seconds) you MUST submit a form through the Masquerade application. Performance is a completely separate category and will be evaluated without Construction in mind. Entrants who have done Construction judging separately MUST do walk-on’s, but may ALSO do a group performance. You will be appearing on stage twice in this case so the audience knows which contestants are eligible for construction awards, so be prepared for that. Please visit the Masquerade page for more information on Performance entries.

The maker of the costume must be present at judging time. Paid commissions are not allowed. If the maker is not wearing the costume they made, it will be treated as though the cosplayer is the model of the costume and the maker is the contestant. Both must appear on stage during the walk on portion of the show. Please advise in your application if this will be the case.

You must bring at least one (1) reference image of the costume from the source media (Anime, Game, Comic, etc) to judging. This may be printed or digital. It must be full body, or as close as you can get. If it's not, please explain why during judging. This image must accurately represent the costume you are entering into the contest. Reference images may NOT be AI generated.

New for 2026:

You MUST provide at least one (1) reference image in your Google Drive folder at the time of entry (more info on this under Application Requirements). This does not replace the need to present a reference image during judging at the convention.

Photos of the construction process or a build book to be presented at judging time are encouraged, but not required (unless otherwise stated). Build books generally show the process of the build and inside finishing that cannot be shown during judging. Build Books greatly help judges during deliberations. Build books help most when they are primarily photos with some explanations that directly relate to the photos on the same page. Tables of contents are also helpful as a quick look of what was made on a costume and the techniques. Build books MUST be brought in physically. Digital build books are not able to be used during deliberations.

Here is a few of examples of build books for your reference:

https://canva.link/yctium15zfzxf87

https://canva.link/3gbnz0vgwe82nso

https://canva.link/len1bc1w3sfa0yt

Construction Requirements

You must have made at least 60% of your costume to be able to enter.

Costumes made using primarily already made items will not be permitted unless heavily altered. The judges can only judge you on what you made and parts you modified.

Examples of items you did not fully make and how they will be evaluated:

A shirt or a pair of pants found at the thrift store and you dyed it. That would partially count as you altered the item. However the judges can only judge you on the dye job.
If you bought a piece of clothing and completely ripped it apart, and made it into something different than it was before, that would also partially count as you used the fabric. If there are any embellishments like patches or embroidery, those cannot be judged as they are not made by you.
- If you merely used the fabric to make something else completely, it will be judged as if you used a piece of material.
If you bought a jacket and painted part of it, the judges can only judge you on the paint on that jacket.
If you bought a prop 3D modelled by someone else, you will only be judged on how you finished it.

Please note that while accuracy is a scoring metric, it is in relation to what has been crafted. A “Screen Accurate” purchased item will not be added to the Construction %, and in a craftsmanship competition, only pieces made by the entrant(s) will be evaluated.

If you are reusing items from previous cosplays you have entered in The Penti-con Cosplay Contest in the past, you must be transparent about what has already been judged. Judges reserve the right to not judge those items, as they will have already been judged at the convention prior. If your costume meets the % made requirements without those items, you are perfectly fine to enter. If your costume does not, it is at the discretion of the Cosplay Contest Coordinator and Judges on whether you will be allowed to compete or eligible for awards.

Shapewear for example, such as corsets, binders, and compression shorts, is generally not taken into account for judging as it is an undergarment. If a participant has made these items and has not had them judged previously at the Penti-con, they are eligible for judging. Participants are not required to make these items however.

If you are unsure about anything regarding your costume, please email our cosplay contest coordinator at cosplay@thepenti-con.org

Entrants will be evaluated on the following criteria in all categories:

Accuracy/Fidelity: How well the entrant made the design both fit their body and be true to their reference.
Techniques or Complexity: The range of techniques and skills used to make the costume.
Execution: How well the techniques used were applied and finished.
Cleanliness: How clean the costume is finished, inside and out.

Judges reserve the right to evaluate your costume for a different category than requested if they feel you are better suited there. They also reserve the right to award as many or as few awards as they wish, meaning not all awards may be given out. In all categories judges will be using your reference images to see how well you replicated the design and techniques used to do so. This is NOT a look-alike contest, and costume accuracy refers to how well you made the items and how close they look to your reference image and how you made these pieces work and fit you. This is NOT judging how similar your physique is to the reference. Please be aware that the judges reserve the right to not consider entrants for awards if they feel the entry requirements have not been met or they cannot judge on all criteria.

Awards available:

Best Wig
Best Special FX
Best Armoury Craft
Best Needlework
Best Fibercraft
Best In Show

Explanation of Awards and Categories

Best Wig:
- The best styled wig displayed by contestants. This cannot be a pre styled wig and all styling work must be done by the entrant. Wig does not need to be made by the contestant, only styled

Best Special FX:
- The best Special FX displayed by contestants, This can include but is not limited to makeup, silicone work, and paint techniques

Best Armoury Craft:
- The best constructed armour, non-needlework based costume, or prop displayed by contestants. If the item can be found in an armoury, it fits into this category

Best Needlework:
- The best needlework displayed by contestants. This can include, but is not limited to sewing, embroidery, and applique

Best Fibercraft:
- The best fibercraft displayed by contestants. Anything not commonly referred to as needlework would fit into this category. This includes but is not limited to felting, macrame, knitting, and crocheting.

Best In Show:
- This is the top award that a contestant can win if they have shown excellence in multiple of the above categories. Award may be given to an individual or group who already won in one of the other categories, but is not required to

Please note: because of close proximity of judging, we encourage masks to be worn if you are experiencing any cold or flu-like symptoms. Please watch our social media for covid policies and event requirements as they may change based on health information available.

The judges may wish to look closer at your costume and flip seams or see the inside of your armour, so please be aware of the close proximity and possible touching of your costume.

Please be aware that judges may choose to not consider you for awards if your crafting techniques or materials used are harmful to your health.

Walk-on Requirements

In addition to pre judging, you will be required to be on stage to show off your costume on stage. Please submit your custom walk on music in MP3 or WAV format, to be played while you take the stage.

Walk ons will be limited to 45 seconds or less.

Custom music must not exceed 45 seconds
Audio MUST be in your Google Drive (more information under Application Requirements) by October 21st, 2026 at 11pm
- Your audio MUST be cut to the time limit or below in MP3 or WAV format, or it will not be played, no exceptions. Audacity is a great free software you can use to mix and cut audio.
- If no audio is provided, the audio exceeds the time limit, or the file name does not match the information you submitted, generic audio will be played during your walk on.
The audio file MUST have your cosplay name (as submitted on the sign up form) and character name (as submitted on the sign up form) as the file name. Please use the following format: CosplayName-CharacterName-Penti26.
Audio may not be AI generated.
- This includes both music and voices.

Your walk on will also be judged and taken into account with the construction judging to factor into awards. Be sure to embody your character and show off your costume when you take to the stage.

Please include in your application a small description to be read out at the event before your walk on or performance. This can be about your character or about your costume, whichever you see fit.

Application Requirements

A Google Drive link must be linked in the form (with public access set) at the time of submission.

Your Drive folder MUST have your cosplay name in the title.

You must include at least one (1) reference image that is as close to full body you can find of your character in your Google Drive at the time of submission.

If you have any questions please feel free to email our cosplay contest coordinator at cosplay@thepenti-con.org and we'll get back to you as soon as we can.

If your entry does not adhere to the above rules of submission and application requirements, you will be asked to re-submit.

If after the convention you are found to be in violation of any of the rules and you received an award, you will be contacted and informed of the issue, and either asked to provide information or informed of the outcome. The Penti-Con reserves the right to revoke awards if allegations can be proven and are in direct violation of the rules. Violations that can invoke award revocation can include but are not limited to costumes found out to be commissioned or otherwise purchased, audio or images presented found to be AI generated.

If you have any questions please feel free to email our cosplay contest coordinator at cosplay@thepenti-con.org and we'll get back to you as soon as we can.

If your entry does not adhere to the above rules of submission, you will be asked to re-submit.

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