Sponsored by Arda Wigs

The 2025 JAFAX Cosplay Craftsmanship Contest is a competition for cosplayers ages 13 and up who have handcrafted a specified percentage of their cosplay and who participate in divisions based on their cosplay competition experience.

Divisions

Novice: A cosplay must be at least 50% handmade and the participant has never before participated in a cosplay contest or has never won 1st place, Best Craftsmanship, or Best in Show.

Journeyman: A cosplay must be at least 70% handmade and the participant has won top crafstmanship awards (1st Place, Best Craftsmanship, or Best in Show) one to four times.

Master: A cosplay must be at least 90% handmade and the participant has won top craftsmanship awards (1st place, Best Craftsmanship, or Best in Show) five or more times.

Pre-Registration and Pre-Judging

Contest participants may register for the 2025 Cosplay Craftsmanship Contest online from March 1, 2025 through June 7, 2025. Spaces are limited, so please register early! Any spaces remaining after pre-registration ends will be available first come, first served at Cosplay Ops.

Cosplay contest participants will be asked to select a pre-judging appointment time, during which they will appear before our panel of cosplay judges to have their cosplays evaluated. Cosplayers are asked to bring a reference photo for their character; build books are welcome. Contestants will receive a badge number and a time to report for line-up. During the contest, each participant will be presented and have the opportunity to post for the judges and audience.

Awards

Awards will be presented to the winner and runner-up in each division as well as to the Best in Show. In addition, three Judge's Choice awards will be presented. Starting in 2025, a Theme Award will be presented to the competitor whose cosplay best embodies JAFAX's annual theme (the 2025 theme is Villains and Anti-Heroes).

Important Guidelines

Cosplay craftsmanship competitors may not compete with a cosplay that has previously won 1st place, Best Craftsmanship, Best in Division, or Best in Show at another cosplay contest.

The JAFAX Cosplay Director and/or the cosplay judges reserve the right to reclassify a competitor if they believe that a different division better fits the competitor or if a division is underrepresented and needs to be combined with another division.

Should a participant mistakenly register for the Cosplay Craftsmanship Contest when they should be in the Cosplay Showcase, they will be transferred to the Cosplay Showcase.

All contestants are expected to behave respectfully and with courtesy towards their fellow competitors, the cosplay judges, the Cosplay Director, and all JAFAX staff and volunteers. Negativity of any kind will not be tolerated.

Any participant not following the JAFAX convention rules, contest guidelines, or any instructions provided by the cosplay judges, the Cosplay Director, or JAFAX staff or volunteers may be disqualified.

JAFAX thanks Arda Wigs for their generous sponsorship of the Cosplay Craftsmanship Contest!