Thanks for your interest in the annual Midwest GameFest Cosplay Contest! Needless to say, cosplayers and gamers have a lot in common, and we seek to strengthen those bonds with our annual contest.
JUDGING IS NOW OVER
But you can still check out the winning entries, below.
Sign-Ups
We have a limited number of spots. Registration for the cosplay contest will continue until spots are full or at Saturday at 5pm, whichever comes first.
VR Convention Space
Normally, we call Stoney Creek Hotel and Conference Center in Independence, Missouri our home (we are part of the Greater Kansas City Metropolitan Area). But in the world of COVID-19 we are hosting the event online via Discord (a free text, audio, and video service) and Mozilla Hubs (a free web-based VR platform). You don't need anything more than the cell phone, tablet, or the web browser you're using right now. The two systems work in concert with some things in Discord, and others in Hubs. There's nothing to download or hook up, but a mic and headset would be great. VR headsets are supported but not required.
Prizes
Midwest GameFest is offering cash prizes for the Best in Show, First Place, and Second Place, as decided by our judges, as well as certificates for a number of other categories. Winners must be present to receive their award.
We will he posting the contestants' entries at the Facebook event and in the #cosplay-text Discord channel. At 6pm Saturday, Nov 14 we will announce the winners.
- Best In Show: $60
- First Place: $40
- Second Place: $20
- Judges Choice: $10 Amazon gift card
- Honerable Mention: $5 Amazon gift card
Winners
Photo courtesy Kristie Thrower
Best in Show
Kristie Thrower as Dark Magical Girl
Best In Show and winner of $60 cash goes to Kristie Thrower as Dark Magical Girl. We were very impressed that this is Kristie's first cosplay! The details that she put into this cosplay and her craftsmanship for her first cosplay was very impressive to us! We loved that she cosplayed a character from a card game for our convention!
Photo courtesy Dustin Evans Photography
First Place
Fancy Jen Cosplay and Family as Link, Master Sword Wizard, and Navi
First Place and winner of $40 cash goes to Fancy Jen Cosplay and family as Link, Master Sword Wizard, and Navi. We really enjoyed seeing a family come together to cosplay and the theme was very fitting for our con. We really enjoyed the little anecdotes and details that made us feel we were actually playing the game!
Photo courtesy Mikaela Cash
Second Place
Mikaela Cash as Ariel
Second Place and winner of $20 cash goes to Mikaela Cash as Ariel. Not only did she make her whole dress from scratch she did so while fighting a horrible life-threatening illness that has left her totally disabled and robbed her of many abilities.
Photo courtesy Raisa Alister
Judge’s Choice
Raisa Alister as Evee The D&D Monk
Our Judge's Choice and winner of a $10 Amazon Gift Card goes to Raisa Alister as Evee The D&D Monk. She was our Judge's Choice because we really appreciates the craftsmanship she put into her leather pieces and we loved that she not only did a mashup (we love mashups) but her Pilemon/D&D mashup fit very nicely with our convention.
Photo courtesy Mimoo Universe
Honorable Mention
Chari Vondillarzz as The Plague Doctor
Starting off with Honerable Mention and a $5 Amazon Gift Card to Chari Vondillarzz as The Plague Doctor. Apparently one of the judges knows Chari and she was impressed to see Chari cosplay something different than what she usually cosplays and we thought it was cleaver and made us laugh to see the Plague Doctor in 2020. We also loved the photography and the presentation of her cosplay.
Judges
Heather Anderson will be hosting and judging our cosplay contest for 2020. Heather is a gifted cosplayer (Lothlorien Woods Cosplay) and we would like to thank her for her generosity and help with judging.
Heather Anderson
Photo courtesy Pense Productions
Heather Anderson of Lothlorien Woods Cosplay is originally from Indianapolis but has lived in the KC area for the past few years. She first started cosplaying in 2008 at her first Gencon. She prides herself in creating fun cosplays on a tight budget, usually creating at least one new cosplay a year.
Erica Rainae
Photo courtesy Erica Rainae Cosplay
Erica Rainae is a self-taught designer of cosplays and costumes. She has been working on costumes for over 20 years and loves taking on challenges. She enjoys being pushed to think outside the norms and loves mashups and expressive costumes. Check out her work at Erica Rainae Cosplay.
Contest Rules
There are really very few rules this year... except to have fun! This year's contest is casual and while we encourage people to create their cosplays and display their craftsmanship, we want every type of cosplayer to feel like they have something to offer even if they are not cosplay crafters. Whether you make everything from scratch, piece stuff together from the thrift store, or purchase your costume from the local costume shop, you are all encouraged to enter our cosplay contest. Everyone will have a fair chance to win something.
All cosplay contestants must follow our standard Cosplay Policy in addition to the following:
Requirements
- Contestants must have a weekend or Saturday badge in their name. These can be purchased at the event or online.
- Contestants must be 13 years or older to enter.
- If under 16, contestants must have a legal guardian present.
- If under 18, contestants must have parental permission to enter.
- Cosplays can be from any genre: anime, books, comics, games, movies, etc.
- Cosplays must pass the weapons check.
General
- Our cosplay staff has the right to disqualify anyone for any reason.
- We reserve the right to add modify rules as necessary.
Questions
If you have any questions or concerns about your cosplay, email our Cosplay Coordinator at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..