Dates

November 13 – 15, 2026

Venue

Hilton Hasbrouck Heights

Location

Hasbrouck Heights, New Jersey

Register Today!

Masquerade

Information

Thank you for your interest in participating in the Masquerade at AnimeNJ++! Please take a moment to review the rules and policies before submitting your application. If you have any questions, feel free to reach out to hailiumworkshop@gmail.com.

Masquerade online applications will be open from September 10th, 2026 until October 9th, 2026. Applications will NOT be available at the convention and will only be accepted pre-convention. Masquerade entrants must be registered for the convention before participating in the Masquerade. The Masquerade will be held on Saturday, November 14th, 2026.

Apply Here

Applications to be a Masquerade Entrant for AnimeNJ++ are now open.
If you have any questions, please reach out to hailiumworkshop@gmail.com.

Rules & Guidelines

Guidelines

  • Applications will be accepted from September 10th, 2026 through October 9th, 2026. Late applications will be automatically denied.
  • Entrants may compete in both Craftsmanship and/or Performance Categories (so long as they meet the criteria below).
  • Best-In-Show prizes are given separately in Craftsmanship and Performance. There is no overall Best-In-Show. There are Novice, Intermediate, Masters, and Best-In-Show prizes in both categories. An entrant who competes in both categories can win prizes in both categories.
  • Professional costumers and/or performers are not permitted to compete.
  • Craftsmanship entrants are, by default, individuals; groups will not be permitted to compete in Craftsmanship together. If you are participating as a group in Performance and would also like to compete in Craftsmanship, each member of the group shall apply to compete separately in Craftsmanship.
  • AnimeNJ++ is a family-friendly convention and as an entrant, your cosplays and performancs at AnimeNJ++ shall be family-friendly (think PG-13).
  • All cosplays and performances will be considered, but preference will be given to those influences by Japanese media and culture.
  • Entrants shall be registered for the convention prior to competing. AnimeNJ++ staff, volunteers, guests, exhibitors, and featured cosplayers are prohibited from competing in the Masquerade. The registered badge must provide access to at least Saturday (such as a Saturday or Weekend badge).
  • Masquerade entrants will receive a confirmation email after submission of the application; if no confirmation email has been received, please reach out to hailiumworkshop@gmail.com.
  • Entrants will hear back regarding the status of their application by October 23rd, 2026.
  • Entry into the Masquerade is at the discretion of AnimeNJ++ staff. AnimeNJ++ reserves the right to reject any entrant who does not adhere to these rules or whose cosplay/performance is in violation of them.
  • Entrants shall be respectful to AnimeNJ++ staff, Hilton Hasbrouck Heights/Meadowlands staff, and fellow attendees.

Expectations | Craftsmanship

  • If you are selected, you will be assigned a time slot for pre-judging.
  • All judging will take place on Saturday before the Masquerade.
  • Please do not be late. If you miss your time slot, you will be disqualified.
  • Entrants consent to have their cosplays examined closely by the judges during judging.
  • Store-bought or commissioned cosplays are NOT PERMITTED! Your cosplay needs to be made or modified by you. Our judges will know.
  • 80% of the cosplay must have been made or modified by you.
  • Original character designs and concepts are accepted as well! We are also allowing mashups and different takes on existing characters. Please be prepared to show the judges your reference for all characters not canon to their original intellectual property.
  • You must have a build book or build sheet to share with the judges during pre-judging.
  • A build book or build sheet should include:
    – Reference images of the character(s)
    – Work-in-progress pictures
    – A list of any purchased items
    – Swatches of fabrics used
    – A list of any third parties who helped with the costume
  • We recommend that you keep your build book to 10 or fewer pages (that includes front and back).
  • Builds do not need to be complete at the time of application.
  • Craftsmanship entries will be scored on:
    – 20% Design Accuracy
    – 20% Technical Proficiency
    – 20% Creativity/Problem-Solving
    – 20% Attention to Detail
    – 20% Level of Difficulty

Expectations | Performance

  • Cosplays do not need to be homemade to compete in the Performance category.
  • If the cosplay(s) is/are homemade and meet the Craftsmanship criteria above, then you can also compete in Craftsmanship.
  • If you are competing as a Group in Performance and would also like to compete in Craftsmanship, each entrant will need to compete in Craftsmanship separately.
  • All performances will be considered, but preference will be given to original performances.
  • Entrants should not perform skits that have been entered into other competitions and won an award.
  • Skit lengths are limited to:
    – Novice – 1 minute, 30 seconds
    – Intermediate – 2 minutes, 30 seconds
    – Master – 3 minutes, 30 seconds
  • Skit duration does not factor into judging. You do not need to fully use your allowed time.
  • Items that cannot be picked up and removed quickly are not permitted, including glitter, confetti, fake blood, bubbles, and rose petals.
  • Smoke, fog, vapor, flash powder, lasers, explosives, open flame, electronic flashes or strobe lights are not permitted.
  • Performances must be confined to the stage area. Throwing objects off the stage or jumping off the stage is not permitted.
  • We reserve the right to cancel a performance at any time for any reason.
  • Performances must be PG-13.
  • Live microphones will not be available.
  • Electrical sockets will not be available.
  • Video will not be available.
  • Special lighting will not be available.
  • Audio is expected to be clean, clear, and well-balanced.
  • Recommended audio format is MP3.
  • We may ask contestants to correct or re-record audio.
  • Performance entries will be scored on:
    – 20% Originality
    – 20% Execution of Concept
    – 20% Choreography/Blocking
    – 20% Portrayal and Use of Costumes
    – 20% Props and Set Pieces

Competition Levels

  • Novice – A cosplayer who has never won an award in an adult Cosplay Contest or Masquerade.
  • Intermediate – A cosplayer who has never won a ‘Best Intermediate’, ‘Best Journeyman’, ‘Best in Show’ or ‘Best in Class’ or comparable award or higher in an adult Cosplay Contest or Masquerade.
  • Master – A cosplayer who has won a ‘Best Intermediate’, ‘Best Journeyman’, ‘Best in Show’ or ‘Best in Class’ or comparable award in an adult Cosplay Contest or Masquerade.
  • Contestants can always compete in a level higher than their level.
  • If you compete as a group, the competition level will be the level of the highest cosplayer in the group.
  • The Cosplay Coordinators and Cosplay Guest Judges reserve the right to move contestants to a higher level should they deem it appropriate.
  • If you have any questions as to what level you should compete at, please reach out to hailiumworkshop@gmail.com.

Prizes

  • Performance
    • Best-In-Show: $250
    • Masters: $125
    • Intermediate: $75
    • Novice: $50
  • Craftsmanship
    • Best-In-Show: $250
    • Masters: $125
    • Intermediate: $75
    • Novice: $50
  • Additional Prizes TBD