Yama-Con Cosplay Contest
Interested in entering our annual Cosplay Contest?
Then you’ve come to the right page! Make sure you review the guidelines and rules for the contest before you enter.
The contest is held on the Saturday of the convention, December 7, 2024. Exact times TBA.
Previous winners list at the bottom of this page.
Contest Preregistration
WHAT IS PRE-REGISTRATION?
We offer a chance for contestants to register for our contest in advance of the convention. This allows our contestants adequate time to plan and prepare their entries without the last minute hassle of entering at the con as well as freeing up your time to enjoy the convention more.
WHY PRE-REGISTER FOR THE CONTEST?
We almost always fill up all craftmanship division spots BEFORE the convention starts. Preregistration is the best way to ensure you are entered in the contest, especially if you are interested in entering in a craftsmanship division. We usually have Exhibition division spots available to register for on site at the convention.
***Pre-registration opens on September 15, 2024 7AM CST.***
NEW FOR 2024:
SUBMITTING AN ENTRY DOES NOT GUARANTEE PLACEMENT IN THE CONTEST. Due to the high volume of entries, all contestants will receive an email notification regarding their status of “accepted” or “waitlisted”. This will generally be first-come, first-served.
Please ensure jessi.gaston@mcaentertainment.org is in your email address book or whitelisted so it is not sent to a spam folder. If you do not see an email within 1 week of your entry submission, check your spam folder. Exceptions will not be made for failure to respond to communications due to spam filters or misspelled emails.
We understand that last minute issues arise but due to the high volume of entries, please be aware that cancellations during the week of the convention, depending on the reason, may mean placement on the waitlist automatically for future entries. No-call/no-shows may mean automatic disqualification of any future entries. If you need to cancel an entry, please email as far in advance as possible so that we can fill your open spot.
Skill Categories
Yama-Con maintains skill and experience-based divisions in order to ensure that both novice and experienced cosplayers have a reasonably equal chance to win one of the big competitive awards given in the contest.
Award Categories
Yama-Con has developed the following guidelines to adhere to the International Costuming Guild’s guidelines for ensuring fair competition. By aligning with these established standards, we hope to make cosplayers of all skill levels feel more comfortable and welcome in our annual contest!
Previous Winners
2023
Judges: BewitchedRaven, Catnip Cosplays, Krazy Kat Studios
Host: DJ Aazera
Best In Show
SAPHIRIA COSPLAY – LORD CELESTANT FREYA SKYHELM / WARHAMMER: AGE OF SIGMAR
Master 1st Place
ALICIA THE BARD – MUSHRAMBO/ SHINZO
Journeyman 1st Place
THE GEEKY SAIYAN COUPLE COSPLAY – Y’SHTOLA/ FINAL FANTASY XIV
Novice 1st Place
PORT 53 COSPLAY – YOUR BEST PALICO/ MONSTER HUNTER RISE
Best Up & Coming Cosplayer
ARIEL – RAINBOW FOX/ ORIGINAL CHARACTER DESIGN
Master Runner-Up
PRAYING MANIS CREATIVE – FLAREON/POKEMON
Journeyman Runner-Up
IRON WORKS COSPLAY – STEINER & WARKY THE CHOCOBO/ FINAL FANTASY 9
Novice Runner-Up
EMMA OF THE VAST – RANNI THE WITCH/ELDEN RING
Judge’s Choice
THE DANCING JEDI – AHSOKA TANO/STAR WARS REBELS
WEEBYBABY – KURANOSUKE KOIBUCHI/PRINCESS JELLYFISH
ROME – XIE LIAN/HEAVEN’S OFFICIAL BLESSING
Host’s Choice
DEEDEE THE CHARACTER CREATOR – VEX’HALIA/CRITICAL ROLE
Big Bite Award
JEDI VARIANT COSPLAY – JINX/ARCANE
Flower Power Award
THE COSPLAY SISTERHOOD – LILLY & FLORA / ORIGINAL CHARACTER DESIGN
Rhinestone Cowboy Award
WINN-CHAN – SAILOR COSMOS/SAILOR MOON
Winter Wonderland Award
FAITH – SNOW HATSUNE MIKU/VOCALOID
World’s Best Mom Award
AMBER – HAWK’S MOM/THE SEVEN DEADLY SINS
Drama King Award
JAYSON – NERO/DEVIL MAY CRY
Fly Away Award
LILY & PEYTON – PANTY & STOCKING/PANTY & STOCKING WITH GARTERBELT
Hold Me Closer Ribbon Dancer Award
SEALYNX COSPLAY – BARBADOS/GENSHIN IMPACT
Drink the Kool-Aid Award
HERO_GRAVITY – LAMB/CULT OF THE LAMB
Nightmare Childcare Award
KAYLA & KYLIE – SUN & MOON/FIVE NIGHTS AT FREDDY’S: SECURITY BREACH
2022
Judges: NomNomGabbity, BewitchedRaven, Catnip Cosplays
Host: DJ Aazera
Best In Show
THE DANCING JEDI – MOON KNIGHT/MARVEL CINEMATIC UNIVERSE
Master 1st Place
COSPLAYTHEFAMILYWAY – EDWARD AND ALPHONSE ELRIC/FULL METAL ALCHEMIST
Journeyman 1st Place
ALICIA THE BARD – MIKAZUKI MUNECHIKA/TOUKEN RANBU
Novice 1st Place
WINN-CHAN – BELL/BELLE
Best Up & Coming Cosplayer
KAYLA – THE OVERLORD/BAD END THEATER
Master Runner-Up
VIVEBLEU COSPLAY – NINETAILS GIJINKA/POKEMON
Journeyman Runner-Up
KAYLA – SAKURA KINOMOTO/CARDCAPTOR SAKURA
Novice Runner-Up
HACKERCAT – KIRIN HUNTER/MONSTER HUNTER WORLD
Judge’s Choice
BUNNY – OOGIE BOOGIE/THE NIGHTMARE BEFORE CHRISTMAS
RAY – GUTS/BERSERK
ELISE – DRAGOON/FINAL FANTASY 14
Host’s Choice
STARCL COSPLAY – KIRIKO/OVERWATCH 2
Best Prop Award
CRAZYJACK28 – ALEX MERCER/PROTOTYPE
Santa’s Slay Award
BUNNY – MARIN MITAGAWA/MY DRESS UP DARLING
Rising Star Award
SKYLOW COSPLAY – SNOW MIKU 2017/VOCALOID
Screen Accurate Award
ISABELLE – USO GIRL/CAPTAIN AMERICA
Nuts For You Award
CLAIRE – DR. STEIN/SOUL EATER
(Not) Sponsored by Pepsi Award
THE PEPSILORIANS – THE PEPSILORIAN, THE MAXILORIAN, THE PEPLING/THE PEPSILORIANS
Best Stage Presence Award
SHIBBY – BELLE/BELLE (2021)
Best Couple Award
ALEXIS & ABBY – HUA CHENG & XIE LIAN/HEAVEN’S OFFICIAL BLESSING
Best Wig Award
MOON-TEA – PRINCESS SERENITY/SAILOR MOON
Happy Helper Award
IRONWORKS COSPLAY – CID HIGHWIND/FINAL FANTASY 7
2021
Judges: Ms. Pepper Potts, BewitchedRaven, Catnip Cosplays
Hosts: Venus Ann Serena, DJ Aazera
Best In Show
MADE IN CHINA COSPLAY – JINX/LEAGUE OF LEGENDS
Master 1st Place
TALIA DE NEKO – LADY LOKI/MARVEL CINEMATIC UNIVERSE
Journeyman 1st Place
MELISSA – INOSUKE HASHIBIRA/DEMON SLAYER
Novice 1st Place
VIVEBLEU COSPLAY – HIGH ELF ARCHER/GOBLIN SLAYER
Master Runner-Up
LOCHLAN – ALOLAN NINETAILS/POKEMON
Journeyman Runner-Up
PHANTXSIE COSPLAY – NINETAILS/POKEMON
Novice Runner-Up
IRONWORKS COSPLAY – BARIOTH HUNTER/MONSTER HUNTER WORLD
*Best Up & Coming Cosplayer was not awarded in 2021 because there were no Junior entries.
Judge’s Choice
SARAH NORMAL – BARONESS ZEMO/THE FALCON AND THE WINTER SOLDIER
THE DORKY DEMON – AL-AN/SUBNAUTICA BELOW ZERO
KAY – FUMIKAGE TOKOYAMI/MY HERO ACADEMIA
Host’s Choice
LUCA – LADY BELLA/IDENTITY V
Most Wholesome Award
HENNIE – BARBIE AS ODETTE/BARBIE PRESENTS SWAN LAKE
Most Thorough Award
PRAYING MANIS CREATIVE & AMES TO COSPLAY – BEL CRANEL & AIS WALLENSTEIN/IS IT WRONG TO TRY TO PICK UP GIRLS IN A DUNGEON?
Best Details Award
WINN-CHAN – SPIRIT BLOSSOM AHRI/LEAGUE OF LEGENDS
Best Prop Award
BRITNEY R. – KRAMPUS
Best Horror Award
RAY – DENJI/CHAINSAW MAN
Tallest Award
CHRISTOPHER – WITCH KING OF ANGMAR/LORD OF THE RINGS
Best Makeup Award
THE DANCING JEDI – AHSOKA TANO/STAR WARS: THE CLONE WARS
Best Holiday Spirit Award
JESSICA – CHRISTMAS LOLITA/ORIGINAL DESIGN
Most in Character Award
THE THOT PATROL
The Show Must Go On When the Shoe Comes Off Award
CLAIRE – DR. STEIN/SOUL EATER
2019
Judges: Ms. Pepper Potts, BewitchedRaven, SoraKohaku
Host: Venus Ann Serena
Best In Show
EVA – GIORNO GIOVANNA/JOJO’S BIZARRE ADVENTURE
Master 1st Place
ARTEMIS THE BATTLE FAUN – ORIGINAL DESIGN COSTUME
Journeyman 1st Place
PRAYING MANIS CREATIVE – DOVAHKIIN/THE ELDER SCROLLS 5: SKYRIM
Novice 1st Place
CLAIRE – LLENN/SWORD ART ONLINE: GUN GALE ONLINE
Best Up & Coming Cosplayer
SYDNEY – SAILOR CHIBI MOON/SAILOR MOON
Master Runner-Up
SARAH – JING WEI/SMITE
Journeyman Runner-Up
ZOE – MEI/OVERWATCH
Novice Runner-Up
IRONWORKS COSPLAY – GOBLIN KNIGHT/GOBLIN SLAYER
Judge’s Choice
PURPLEBIRD STUDIOS – MAMI TOMOE/MAHOU SHOUJO MADOKA MAGICA
ASHLEY – ROSE QUARTZ/STEVEN UNIVERSE
SINS COSPLAY – YIP YIPS/SESAME STREET
Host’s Choice
AJAH – HOLIDAY BARBIE/BARBIE
Best Body Paint Award
CRISPIN BLACKCAT – V/DEVIL MAY CRY
Best Wig Award
MELISSA – AMICIA DE RUNE/A PLAGUES TALE: INNOCENCE
Best Wings Award
VIVEBLEU COSPLAY – PIT/SUPER SMASH BROS.
Mr. Congeniality Award
ARMATA_X – MINORU MINETA/MY HERO ACADEMIA
Most Forward-Thinking Award
ADRIANNA – RUBY ROSE/RWBY
Dynamic Duo Award
ONE FOR ALL COSPLAY – PERIDOT & LAPIS/STEVEN UNIVERSE
Best Stage Presence Award
STEVEN – SKULL KID/LEGEND OF ZELDA: MAJORA’S MASK
Most in Character Award
HANNAH – JIRAIYA/NARUTO
Don’t Miss out!
Yama- Con
Tier 1 Registration: March 1st 7 PM EST – March 31st 11:55 PM EST
Tier 2 Registration: April 1st 12:00 AM EST– August 31st 11:55 PM EST
Tier 3 Registration: September 1st 12:00 AM EST– December 8th