Heads up, Nakama! The contest lineup at Naka-Kon is changing for 2026!
We're excited to present a refreshed AMV Contest, featuring online entries, genre categories, cash prizes, and free badges for all finalists! Plus, audience members at our AMV Showcase events will have the chance to vote for which AMVs will win in each category. It's an AMV Contest you won't want to miss!
Here's a quick summary for the refreshed AMV Contest rules!
- Online entries ONLY; no more at-con entries
- Online entries open December 20, 2025 and run through February 26, 2026
- Entries must be rated PG-13 or below for general categories
- Entries rated R will be placed into an 18+ category
- Six genre categories of AMVs, including action, romance, drama, and more
- Finalists selected by the Naka-Kon Contests team and given free 2026 badges
- Two AMV Showcases: 18+ on Saturday night, and All Ages on Sunday morning
- Live audience voting to select winners in each category to receive cash prizes
- Attendance at Naka-Kon is not required to enter or win
Questions? Message us on Discord or send an email to contests@naka-kon.com.
In addition to the AMV Contest refresh, we're making some big changes to some of our other contests, including the retirement of some contests and the introduction of a new one.
Contests being retired:
- Iron Fic Contest
- Project Cosplay BJD (Check out our Iron Cosplay Con Crunch instead!)
- Karaoke Contest (You can still participate in open karaoke!)
Contests being added:
- Do Your Own Dub (All Ages)
- Do Your Own Dub (18+)
