• Rules: Cosplay Contests

    Here you can read more about our different types of cosplay contests:

    Cosplay Novice

    Cosplay Intermediate

    Cosplay Master

    Cosplay Performance

    Cosplay Walk On

     

    These are the translated rules, originally written in Swedish. In case there should be any inconsistencies, then the Swedish ones have precedence.

  • Cosplay Novice 

    broken image

    About the competition

    Cosplay Novice consists of a catwalk, where you and the other contestants show off and pose for the audience and judges. To participate in Novice, you must not have completed any sewing or similar craft training and you must not have won a prize in a previous major cosplay competition. You don't have to submit photos of your work process, but you can. You must have made your costume yourself, but certain purchased garments and modifying and changing garments are permitted. The character you chose must be a fictional character from a published work. In other words, it is not allowed in this competition to compete with an Original Character . By Original Character is meant a character that you yourself or someone else invented but that has not been published. It is also not allowed to choose a character that only exists in reality.

    broken image

    Judging

    Novice has no prejudgment, instead judging takes place during the show itself. A number of participants are then selected for a post-judgment, which serves as an opportunity to get constructive criticism and tips from experienced cosplayers (for those who want) and as an additional basis for determining the winners.

     

    Prizes can be awarded in the following categories:

    • Grand Prize
    • Judges Choice (each judge chooses one contestant)

  • Rules Cosplay Novice

    In order to compete in Novice, you must not have:

    • completed an education or worked in textiles, patterns or any other cosplay-related craft.
    • won first prize in a cosplay contest judged by judges with 30 or more contestants.
    • competed in international major competitions such as NCC, WCS, ECG or Eurocosplay.

    If you meet any of these criteria, you need to compete in Intermediate instead.

     Rules for the competition

    • Competitors must behave in a sporting manner towards the other competitors, the judges and the officials.
    • Competitors must not be late for rehearsals, the show, post-judging or other announced times.
    • Competitors need to have made their own costume. It is allowed to have modified garments and a few bought garments in the suit.
    • Competitors must carry (wear) their costume on stage during the competition.
    • Competitors must be able to carry the entire costume and all associated props on and off stage.
    • Competitors must have made most of their props themselves in order for them to be judged by the judges. If you bring props on stage that you did not make yourself, this must be announced before the competition.
    • Competitors may not bring an assistant with them during the competition, but must be able to make the final preparations themselves backstage before going on stage.
    • Competitors may not enter more than one category of Novice, Intermediate or Master and may only enter with one outfit. This rule does not apply to Performance (it is perfectly fine to participate in Intermediate and then in Performance, for example)
    • All information about the competitor's costume that he wants the judges to see must be sent together with reference pictures and other media.

    Permitted costumes

    • The character must be portrayed in color on at least one reference image.
    • Competitors may not participate with costumes that have previously won a prize in any cosplay competition at NärCon.
    • Competitors may not participate with "original characters" ( a character without a professionally published version ).
    • Contestants may not enter with a character that exists only in reality.
    • Contestants may participate with "genderbends" (a reinterpretation of the character as a different gender).
    • Contestants may enter with "gjinkas" (a reinterpretation of a non-human character as a human)
    • Contestants may enter with fan art versions of characters.

    Violation of these rules, the rules of the event or other clearly inappropriate behavior may result in disqualification from the competition.

  • Cosplay Intermediate 

    broken image

    About the competition

    Cosplay Intermediate consists of a catwalk, where you and the other contestants show off and pose for the audience and judges. You must be able to report how your entire costume was created and any parts you did not make yourself. You don't have to submit photos of your work process, but you can. It is not allowed in this competition to compete with an Original Character . By Original Character is meant a character that you yourself or someone else invented but that has not been published. It is also not allowed to choose a character that only exists in reality.

    broken image

    Judging

    Intermediate has no pre-judgment, instead judging takes place during the show itself. A number of participants are then selected for a post-judgment, which serves as an opportunity to get constructive criticism and tips from experienced cosplayers (for those who want) and as an additional basis for determining the winners.

     

    Prizes can be awarded in the following categories:

    • Grand Prize
    • Judges Choice (each judge chooses one contestant)

  • Rules Cosplay Intermediate

    • Competitors must behave in a sporting manner towards the other competitors, the judges and the officials.
    • Competitors must not be late for rehearsals, the show, post-judging or other announced times.
    • Competitors need to have made their own costume. It is allowed to have modified garments and a few bought garments in the suit.
    • Competitors must carry (wear) their costume on stage during the competition.
    • Competitors must be able to carry the entire costume and all associated props on and off stage.
    • Competitors must have made most of their props themselves in order for them to be judged by the judges. If you bring props on stage that you did not make yourself, this must be announced before the competition.
    • Competitors may not bring an assistant with them during the competition, but must be able to make the final preparations themselves backstage before going on stage.
    • Competitors may only participate in one category of Novice, Intermediate or Master and may only participate with one outfit. This rule does not apply to Performance (it is perfectly fine to participate in Intermediate and then in Performance, for example)
    • All information about the competitor's costume that he wants the judges to see must be sent together with reference pictures and other media.

    Permitted costumes

    • The character must be portrayed in color on more than one reference image. Alternatively, a reference can be allowed if it is available in high enough resolution that it is possible to enlarge parts of the image in the judges' assessment.
    • Competitors may not participate with costumes that have previously won a prize in any cosplay competition at NärCon.
    • Competitors may not participate with "original characters" ( a character without a professionally published version ).
    • Contestants may not enter with a character that exists only in reality.
    • Contestants may not enter with "genderbends" (a reinterpretation of the character as a different gender).
    • Contestants may not enter with "gjinkas" (a reinterpretation of a non-human character as a human)
    • Contestants may not enter with fan art versions of characters.

    Violation of these rules, the rules of the event or other clearly inappropriate behavior may result in disqualification from the competition.

  • Cosplay Master 

    broken image

    About the competition

    Unlike Novice and Intermediate, Master is not a catwalk competition. It is instead a performance competition with prejudgment. Contestants meet the judges before the competition to present their costume and be judged on craftsmanship which accounts for 50% of the score. The rest of the points are awarded during the show, when the participants present a performance written by themselves and judged in performance. In the Master there are no restrictions in terms of previous experience, but everyone who wants to join has the opportunity to sign up. The competition is suitable for those who aim to make their debut on the international stage and the top 3 qualify directly for the Swedish Cosplay Championships, Cosplay-SM .

    broken image

    Judging

    The assessment follows the same templates as Cosplay-SM with a point distribution of 50% craftsmanship and 50% performance. When you create your performance, you have access to play your own sound and to have an animation/image/video in the background on a large LED screen. We create the graphics/video for your performance for you based on your specifications. Details about graphics, technical specifications, etc. you will be informed about in good time before the competition.

     

    Prizes can be awarded in the following categories:

    • 1st Prize
    • 2nd Prize
    • 3rd Prize

  • Rules Cosplay Master

    Rules for the competition

    • Competitors must behave in a sporting manner towards the other competitors, the judges and the officials.
    • Competitors must not be late for rehearsals, the show, post-judging or other announced times.
    • Contestants must have created their costume from scratch. Shoes and tights are an exception to this rule .
    • Competitors must carry (wear) their costume on stage during the competition.
    • Competitors must be able to carry the entire costume and all associated props on and off stage.
    • Stage props and effects may be purchased. If they are made by competitors, it will be taken into account in the assessment.
    • Contestants are allowed to have costume changes or several different costumes during their performance.​
    • Contestants' performances must be between 90 and 150 seconds long and allude to their character.
    • Competitors may only participate in one category of Novice, Intermediate or Master and may only participate with one outfit. This rule does not apply to Performance (it is perfectly fine to participate in Intermediate and then in Performance, for example).

    Assistants

    • The participant is allowed to have assistants to help during the competition.
    • The assistants may be part of the participant's performance.
    • It must be clear who is competing and who should be in focus.
    • Assistants' costumes may be purchased. If they are made by competitors, it will be taken into account in the assessment.

    Permitted costumes

    • The character must be portrayed in color on more than one reference image. Alternatively, a reference can be allowed if it is available in high enough resolution that it is possible to enlarge parts of the image in the judges' assessment.
    • Competitors may not participate with costumes that have previously won a prize in any cosplay competition at NärCon.
    • Competitors may not participate with "original characters" ( a character without a professionally published version ).
    • Contestants may not enter with a character that exists only in reality.
    • Contestants may not enter with "genderbends" (a reinterpretation of the character as a different gender).
    • Contestants may not enter with "gjinkas" (a reinterpretation of a non-human character as a human)
    • Contestants may not enter with fan art versions of characters.

    Violation of these rules, the rules of the event or other clearly inappropriate behavior may result in disqualification from the competition.

  • Cosplay Performance 

    broken image

    About the competition

    Performance is the competition for those who want to stand on stage and perform, either alone or together with others. You/you have 90-150 seconds to perform some kind of performance to entertain or captivate the audience. It is possible to use both your own sound and to display video/animation/images on a large LED screen.

    broken image

    Judging

    Performance has no pre-judgement, but instead judgment takes place during the show itself. You don't have to have made your costume yourself and no one will take a closer look at the costume or its craftsmanship, instead all the focus is on the appearance.

     

    Prizes can be awarded in the following categories:

    • 1st Prize
    • 2nd Prize
    • 3rd Prize

  • Rules Cosplay Performance

    Rules for the competition

    • Competitors must behave in a sporting manner towards the other competitors, the judges and the officials.
    • Competitors must not be late for rehearsals, the show, post-judging or other announced times.
    • Competitors must be able to carry the entire costume and all associated props on and off stage.
    • The suits do not have to be made by the wearer. It is therefore perfectly okay to participate in a purchased costume. In Performance, the focus is on the appearance and shaping of the character.
    • Contestants are allowed to have costume changes or several different costumes during their performance.​
    • Contestants' performances must be between 90 and 150 seconds long and allude to their character.
    • Competitors may not participate with "original characters" ( a character without a professionally published version ).
    • Contestants may not enter with a character that exists only in reality.
    • Contestants may participate with "genderbends" (a reinterpretation of the character as a different gender).
    • Contestants may enter with "gjinkas" (a reinterpretation of a non-human character as a human)
    • Contestants may enter with fan art versions of characters.

    Violation of these rules, the rules of the event or other clearly inappropriate behavior may result in disqualification from the competition.

  • Cosplay Walk On

    Fancy showing off your costume without competing? Then you must register for Walk On. Here you get the chance to walk on a catwalk in your cosplay in front of a large audience without being judged on either craftsmanship or performance. It doesn't matter if you want to try being on stage for the first time or if you want to revive a costume you previously won an award with - Walk On is all about pure cosplay joy! This is also the best opportunity to be able to go up in pairs or groups on stage and pose together.

    broken image
Cookie Use
We use cookies to ensure a smooth browsing experience. By continuing we assume you accept the use of cookies.
Learn More