ANIME NYC MASQUERADE 2026

Last updated: April 28, 2026

The Anime NYC Masquerade will take place during the weekend of Anime NYC. The Masquerade is on Saturday – with prejudging happening earlier in the day. ALL MASQUERADE ENTRANTS MUST APPLY IN ADVANCE TO COMPETE.

Costumes spanning the worlds of anime, manga, video games, musicals, books, and even comics and movies are all eligible for entry (original characters, too), but please note that costumes must comply with Anime NYC’s Cosplay and Weapons Policies.

Applications are considered in a jury process after the application period ends, NOT first-come, first-served. We won’t review any applications until after the deadline and there’s no advantage to applying early. Likewise, there’s no disadvantage to applying on the day of the deadline. Take your time to submit as complete an application as possible, with as many pictures/videos and details as you can share. Applications considered incomplete will not be selected.

You will apply with an entry type and a competition level. The entry type is how you will be judged and the competition level determines who you’ll be judged against. This ensures that you’ll be competing against other cosplayers at a similar experience level.

Entry type determines how you will compete and what you will be judged on. There are three ways to compete. Please review the rules below this section for your desired entry type.

• Craftsmanship Only: You make 75%+ of your cosplay and do ~3 poses on the stage to our pre-selected music. You attend required Craftsmanship judging and are eligible for judges awards, craftsmanship awards, and Best in Show. You must have 50% of your cosplay completed at the time of application.

• Performance Only: You make 0%+ of your cosplay and do a performance to your own music and/or video. You do not attend Craftsmanship judging and are eligible for judges awards, performance awards, and Best in Show.

• Craftsmanship & Performance: You make 75%+ of your cosplay and do a performance to your own music and/or video. You attend required Craftsmanship judging and are eligible for judges awards, craftsmanship awards, performance awards, and Best in Show. You must have 50% of your cosplay completed at the time of application.

For even more information, please see our Cosplay Contest FAQ.

For even more information, please see our Cosplay Contest FAQ.

• General:
  • Applicants must be 11 years of age or older to compete.
  • All Cosplay Competition competitors must be AnimeNYC attendees, and badges will be checked when entering the convention center. Competitors accepted into the Masquerade will receive a complimentary weekend badge to AnimeNYC. More info on this at the bottom of the page.
  • You are responsible for all expenses incurred in order to compete in AnimeNYC’s Masquerade.

• Application & Entry:
  • You must read our Contest Competitor Guidelines to compete. If you don’t read the guidelines and accidentally break a rule, you will still be held accountable. You also agree that you’ve read the rules in your application.
  • You must apply by the deadline and  be accepted in order to compete and applications are not accepted after the deadline under any circumstances.
  • Groups only need to fill out ONE entry form for the entire group.
  • If the cosplay you are entering has previously won in competition at AnimeNYC’s Masquerade or a major award in another cosplay or costume contest, it cannot be re-entered. Please see our Cosplay Contest FAQ for more information about this topic.
  • You can apply as many times as you would like with as many costumes as you would like, but please note that only one costume can be accepted into the competition per person. If you submit multiple costumes, we will select the one we believe is the most competitive, and you cannot bring a different costume than the one selected.
  • We will review your most recent application if you submit multiple times for the same costume.
  • If selected to participate in the Anime NYC’s Masquerade, you agree to allow us to share photos you provide for marketing purposes and promotion as well as future events.
  • Winning a major award at Anime NYC or any of our other competitions/masquerades does not guarantee you entry into the Masquerade in future years. We consider every single application on the merit of its contents alone in our decision making process and will accept the ones we believe are the most competitive with this year’s pool of competitors.
  • We reserve the right to edit stage description material for time and content.
  • Any applications without any photos of the cosplay in its most complete state as of the time of application will not be considered.
  • A full color reference photo will be required as part of the application.
    

• Safety:
  • Competitors must review and adhere to the Cosplay Contest Competitor Guidelines.
  • Cosplays and performers must also comply with AnimeNYC’s Policies, including the Anti Harassment Policy. This means no profanity, hate speech, religious, political, or otherwise inflammatory messages are allowed.
  • Don’t jump off the stage. The audience is also not allowed to approach the stage.
  • No projectiles are to be thrown on to the stage and don’t throw anything from the stage.
  • There is no adult-related content allowed on stage. Keep all performances respectful and appropriate for general audiences.
  • You must be able to walk on/off stage and maneuver freely in your costume without assistance unless you require medical accommodations.
  • All props, setups, and scenery must be taken down after your performance. Do not leave any items behind that can hinder the competitors after you. Don’t make a mess. Leaving a mess will disqualify you from receiving any awards and may result in a future ban from competing.

• Rehearsal Requirements:
  • Attending the rehearsal is required for all competitors unless otherwise stated.
  • Rehearsal typically takes place right before the stage show, though this is dependent on the convention room’s needs for other panels.
  • Generally, full costumes are not needed for the rehearsal, but if you have a very large costume that restricts mobility, please wear it to ensure you can enter and exit the stage.
  • There may also not be time between rehearsal and the stage show to change, so keep this in mind when planning your day.

The prizes below will be awarded at the end of the stage portion of the Masquerade. Awards are based on both entry type and competition level, but Best in Show can be awarded from any entry type and any competition level.

Anime NYC provides (1) complimentary badge to each cosplayer participating in our Masquerade! If you are accepted into the Anime NYC Masquerade, you will be issued a Pro badge as a thank you for your time and effort on stage. (You must be accepted into the Masquerade in order to qualify for a complimentary Pro Badge, not just having applied.)  Previously purchased fan badges are not eligible for a refund. All Masquerade participants must have badges for Anime NYC. 

Sign-ups will open on May 27, 2026. The deadline to apply to be in Anime NYC’s Cosplay Competition is July 23, 2026. Applicants will be notified of the status of their application by July 31, 2026. After the deadline, new applications will not be accepted, even if the form is still live.

Please note that previously purchased fan badges are not eligible for a refund, should you be selected to participate in the Cosplay Competition.