Cosplay

2D Con Cosplay Show

As part of the cosplay show, participants who choose to compete will be judged by an experienced panel of judges. Awards will be given out in the following categories. 2D Con does not allow skits during the cosplay show.

• Best Novice: the best novice-level craftsmanship participating in the masquerade.
• Best Journeyman: the best journeyman-level craftsmanship participating in the cosplay show.
• Best Master: the best master-level craftsmanship participating in the cosplay show.
• Best in Show: the best stage presence.
• Judge’s Choice (3): the judge’s favorite entrants.
• People's Choice: Decided by the audience!

2D Con Hall Cosplay Contest

How to enter:

1. Visit Cosplay HQ during Open hours and have Cosplay HQ Staff take a photo of your costume, take down your Discord username, and post it to our 2D Con Discord.
2. Photos will be posted by Cosplay HQ Staff in our "2026 Hall Cosplay Contest" thread on Discord. Whoever gets the most ⭐ reactions by Sunday 5pm CST will be the winner.
3.  Winner will receive (1) ticket to 2D Con 2027 and be notified via Discord by the following Monday.

There are no skill level restrictions or % of handmade vs store-bought requirements. This contest is purely photo-based and anyone in costume is welcome to enter. Contestants must be a member of our Discord to be eligible to win.

How to vote:

1. Visit the "2026 Hall Cosplay Contest" thread on our 2D Con Discord
2. Vote for any and all of your favorite costumes using the ⭐ reaction
3. Voting ends Sunday, August 23, 2026 at 5pm CST 

Meet Your 2026 Cosplay Judges

Jellifyshi

Jellifyshi is a cosplayer from the Midwest who has been creating their own cosplays and props for over a decade. They started with closet cosplays, they have progressed to now making their cosplays entirely from scratch.

He enjoys sharing his cosplays with others through competitions. Through this winning awards for Judge's Choice for Craftmanship as well as Best Performance. While also helping others in the community by posting tutorials and patterns to others who share similar interests and the desire to improve skills together.

Additionally, one of his favorite passions of cosplay is producing CMVs (cosplay music videos) with friends. As well as taking pride in the collaboration and creation of going beyond in this art form.

His current specialty is adding a historical and fantasy twist to RPG characters. He mainly uses thrifted and vintage fabrics and supplies while learning old techniques in sewing along the way.

JustGodlyEnough

JustGodlyEnough is a veteran Minnesotan cosplayer with over 21 years of experience crafting cosplay costumes and fabricating props. He has a long legacy of attending Minnesotan conventions and conventions all over the country accumulating in a total attendance of over 200 conventions in his lifetime! He enjoys sharing his joy in creating cosplay and pride in nerd culture by helping build and sustain the thriving convention community that we enjoy today. He prides himself in using his artistic success to make charitable donations to the community.
He actively practices as a licensed professional engineer and applies his engineering knowledge to costuming to bring complex creations to life. As one of the early adopters of EVA craft foam armor building, thermoplastic construction, and 3D printing, he enjoys learning state-of-the-art innovative methods and technologies to expand his capabilities and sharing his knowledge and ideas with less experienced cosplayers to educate and inspire others to create.
His most recent artistic side-project, Moleculamp, explores designing and producing RGB LED lamps with designs ranging from stylized models of molecular structures to various gaming and other nerdy designs. This has led to most of his recent creations incorporating lighting and programmable LEDs to bring his costumes and props to life.

Dewfeathers

Dewfeathers is an award winning cosplayer, accomplished dancer, and lifelong environmentalist. She often crafts her cosplays and original designs using recycled, thrifted, and up-cycled materials. Through her Reduce, Reuse, ReCosplay Blog  (found on dewfeathers.com), Dewfeathers hopes to encourage fellow cosplayers and crafters to give eco-friendly crafting a try, and see how fun and rewarding being sustainable can be.

Cosplay Policies

Props

We encourage cosplayers to carry props, sometimes they complete the costume. We do have a few general guidelines.

• All props are subject to “peace bonding” 
• If it has a functioning trigger it is not allowed, this includes airsoft, water guns, nerf guns, toy guns and of course real guns. If you would like to have a prop in which a trigger activates a sound and/or lights, this is okay if there is no barrel to the prop. (For example most Star Trek phasers do not have an open barrel just an end that lights up, in this case you may have a trigger that activates the light)
• No live steel or metal. If it is sharp or hard it will not be allowed.
• Bows are allowed if they have been rendered incapable of firing by removing the string. Compound bows, or hunting bows are not allowed.
• Large props are allowed as long as you are aware of your surroundings. If at any point you need to store your prop please speak with registration.