Blerdcon celebrates cosplay of all kinds, and the annual Cosplay Contest is your chance to show your stuff! Our show gets bigger and better every year as the premiere cosplay showcase for Black talent and artistry. And one talented cosplayer will be chosen as Blerdcon’s “Black Cosplayer of the Year!” We even have a Kids Cosplay Contest for all cosplayers age 17 and under. Read below for all the details!
Craftsmanship Contest
Have you spent untold hours planning, sewing, gluing, 3D printing, crafting and embellishing your cosplay? Want to show off your hard work (but maybe not your hot glue burns)? Blerdcon’s Craftsmanship Contest is for you! Sign up to present your costume in front of a panel of judges who will flip your seams, check your EVA foam armor build, ask questions about how you made your cosplay and give you a chance to explain what cool techniques you used. And this is your chance to dazzle the audience with your cosplay in the Saturday evening show.
- All costumes must adhere to Blerdcon’s cosplay policy.
- Reference pictures are required for direct character reproductions, and sketches are required for original designs. A physical build book containing photographs of your cosplay process is not required, but will help your score.
- A cosplay that you have already won a major award with (i.e., Best of Saturday, Second Place Journeyman, Best of Weekend) is not permitted to enter the Craftsmanship Contest, but instead may enter the Cosplay Runway. Costumes that previously won minor awards (i.e., Judge’s Choice, Best Prop, Best Wig) are permitted.
- We have the following divisions of competition:
- Novice: Are you a newbie to costume crafting and/or competition? Then the Novice division is for you. This division is for those who have won less than 2 Novice craftsmanship awards at any other anime/comic convention.
- Journeyman: You’re a bit more seasoned, and you’ve proven yourself by winning a few awards. Select the Journeyman division if you’ve won at least 2 major prizes as a Novice, but less than 4 as a Journeyman.
- Master: The best of the best. Select this division if you’ve won at least 5 major craftsmanship prizes, or if you have extensive costuming experience. This category is also for professional cosplayers who earn at least half of their income through commissions.
- To be eligible to enter, your costume should be at least 75% crafted by you. If you have any questions about what that means for your costume, please reach out to [email protected].
- Do you represent the black cosplay community in a positive and empowering way? Apply to be selected as Blerdcon’s next Black Cosplayer of the Year! Please write a brief summary on your application form explaining why we should consider you for this prestigious title. The Black Cosplayer of the Year will be chosen among eligible craftsmanship competitors to be a cosplay guest for next year’s Blerdcon.
- All qualified competitors are eligible to win the following prizes, including a selection of goodies from our generous sponsors:
- Best Novice: $100 cash prize | Trophy
- Best Journeyman: $200 cash prize | Trophy
- Best Master: $300 cash prize | Trophy
- Black Cosplayer of the Year: Guest cosplay slot for Blerdcon 2026 | $500 cash prize | Trophy
Online applications will be accepted until March 3rd, 2025 at 11:59 p.m., or whenever slots fill up. A waitlist will be available.
Cosplay Hall Award
You’re wandering the con in your cool new cosplay, and a staff member approaches you with a medal. Congratulations, you’ve won a Blerdcon Cosplay Hall Award! This award is given to a select few cosplayers of Blerdcon who we think are extra awesome and deserving of special recognition. Whether bought or handmade, you might just catch our eye! There is no prior or at-con sign up to win this award. You just be your sweet self, and a staff member may approach you with a special medal. Costumes may be hand-made or purchased. It’s all about how awesome you look! If you’ve been selected, you are invited to walk on stage in our Saturday evening cosplay contest and show off your shiny medal and amazing costume.
Kids Cosplay Contest
Hey, kids! We have a cosplay contest just for you, hosted by Violette Verse. This contest is for cosplayers aged 17 and under and is open to all kids and teens in cosplay.
We have two categories: ages 0-12 and ages 13-17, with prizes sponsored by NovaLabs, Ultimate Wireless and Head Nerds in Charge (HNIC) for 3rd, 2nd and Best in Show! Please note that only entries that have been at least 75% hand crafted by contestants will be eligible for Best in Show awards.