MomoCon
Rules and Guidelines
MomoCon 2026 Craftsmanship Costume Contest
What percentage of my costume must be self-made
Contestants must have made over 60% of their costume and props to be eligible to compete. Youth entries age 12 or under may be exempt from the 60% rule at the discretion of the Judges. Another party may model a costume, but the maker must be physically present during pre-judging.
How do I sign up for the contest
The contest only guarantees pre-Convention pre-judging slots to the first 100 entrants that are signed-up by April 15 via online submission. If online submissions exceed 100 entries, contestants will be vetted by Official Costume Contest Staff. We fully expect over 100 entries so the jury vetting will very likely be necessary and is planned for.
All entry forms must be submitted via online submission via this form before 11:59 PM Eastern Daylight Time on Apr 15, 2026. You will be notified of your application status by May 1st at the latest.
When will judging take place at show
Judging will be held in room A303 starting at 10:00 AM Friday of Convention (first 30 time slots) and continue at 10:00 AM Saturday of Convention (remaining 70 time slots). Contestants should report to room A304 to sign in and be seated in a private waiting area. After the May 1st sign-up deadline, contestants will receive an online form to sign up for specific judging time slots.
Friday judging slots will be assigned to participants who need extra time to get to the judging room or a quieter experience.
What time do I need to show up for the contest
For the Saturday Contest:
*only for those that went through Judging
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Catwalk line-up begins in the Omni Grand Ballroom 7:00 PM Saturday of Convention. A sign-up receipt will be required for entry.
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Check-in for the Catwalk will close at 8:00 PM to allow time for techops run through. Contestants will be expected to sign in between 7:00 PM and 8:00 PM to line up and prepare for the show. Seating will be available backstage.
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The Catwalk will begin at 8:30 PM.
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What categories are there to enter
Contests can enter in one of the following categories:
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Individual Sewing (the bulk of the costume being sewn together)
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Masters Level (3 or more craftsmanship awards of any type in the contestant’s career)
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Journeyman Level (1 or more craftsmanship awards of any type in the contestant’s career)
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Novice Level (0 craftsmanship awards of any type in the contestant’s career)
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Individual Fabrication (the bulk of the costume assembled by non-sewing methods such as foam-smithing, 3D printing, pepakura, sculpting, vacuum forming, etc).
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Masters Level (3 or more craftsmanship awards of any type in the contestant’s career)
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Journeyman Level (1 or more craftsmanship awards of any type in the contestant’s career)
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Novice Level (0 craftsmanship awards of any type in the contestant’s career)
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Youth (age 12 or under)
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These entrants may be exempt from the 60% rule at the discretion of the Judges and Directors.
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Age 12 – 15 can enter in this category or choose to enter in the other categories.
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Best Duo (must be from the same series).
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Best Group (must be from the same series). Due to the unpredictable size of groups; a prize cannot be guaranteed for each member, but all reasonable efforts to provide prizes for members will be made.
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Best Prop – This award celebrates the most creative, detailed, and well-executed prop that enhances a costume. Whether it’s a weapon, accessory, or unique item, the prop should complement the overall look and add to the character’s story. It should be visually striking, functional, and demonstrate excellent craftsmanship.
*Note: Contestants may be assigned a higher skill division or different build category at the discretion of the Judges and Directors.
Will there be a contestant mixer
A contestant mixer will be hosted Thursday night for those who wish to attend. The time will be communicated to entrants via email.
How can I give feedback at show
There will be a feedback panel for the running of contests to be hosted on the Sunday of the convention for contestants and attendees to come and speak with the Directors. This will take place in A406 at 11:30 AM on Sunday.
Contest Rules
- Entrants may be disqualified for improperly, illegibly, or dishonestly filling out the contest entry form.
- Contestants may arrive early for judging with the knowledge that judging may be running late. The waiting room will have water and power strips for charging devices. Once you arrive for judging, if you leave, unless there is an emergency, you may forfeit your judging slot if you are absent when your number is called. If you do need to leave, please inform a member of Cosplay Contest staff when you leave and when you return.
- Costumes that have won craftsmanship-based awards (including as part of a group award) at other conventions or past MomoCons are prohibited from entering the Craftsmanship Competition. Entrants that have won performance or skit-based awards elsewhere can still enter with those costumes.
- All judging will be done before the Catwalk, off-stage, and focus solely on craftsmanship. The detailed criteria and weighting of scores are completely up to the Judges and Directors. There is no skit/performance portion to judging or the catwalk. There is no stage judging.
- Participation in the Catwalk is not required to be eligible for awards. Winners of awards who are not present will be notified via email; all prizes will be shipped at no cost to the recipient.
- Upon registration, contestants will be required to submit reference photos of their characters. A single, high quality image is preferred. Contestants will also be required to submit pronunciation guidelines for their character. These may be in the form of a phonetic spelling, a YouTube video where someone says the character’s name, or a self-made video where the contestant says the character’s name.
- Bringing electronic media or video devices to judging will not be accepted. As this is a pre-judged contest, we highly encourage the submission of build books or logs! Any material helps the pre-judges with their assessments. If you would like to provide a physical copy of your build book or log for the on-site judges, it will not be returned to you upon completion of the contest.
- All costumes and props must conform to MomoCon’s behavior, safety, dress, and prop weapon policies. Modifications made to costumes to conform to policy will not count against the entrant during judging.
- Costumes must be self-contained to the individual entrant(s). Props and items not held or worn by the contestant(s) will not count towards the costume.
- No nudity. This is an all-ages event. No costume is no costume.
- No profane, political, disruptive, or religious statements during the catwalk. This includes messages on signs or clothes.
- Nothing may leave your person while you are on the catwalk, including but not limited to: projectiles, confetti, trinkets, clothing items, or accessories.
- An exception may be made for a quick-change at the discretion of the Directors, but the contestant must still ensure that all items brought onto the stage leave the stage with the contestant.
- No flash pots, explosive devices, smoke generators, or similar special effects are to be used.
- Entrants with large elaborate costumes may bring a handler to assist them onto, across, and off the stage. Momocon will make reasonable efforts to assist entrants, but it cannot guarantee it will have enough staff to assist everyone.
- Contestants will have time to walk across the stage and strike three poses for the audience at the Catwalk.
- Violation of the rules may result in disqualification. Safety violations may result in removal from the Convention.
- MomoCon cannot secure or hold any personal items for contestants who take part in the Catwalk. The staff recommends you leave your bags, merchandise, ID’s, keys, and wallets with a trusted friend or family before lining up. MomoCon is not responsible for any lost, damaged, or missing items if left stage-side in the line-up area.
- Any discovered use of generative AI in your entry will result in immediate disqualification with no appeals process.