Anime Music Video Contest

• This is an exclusivity contest, meaning your video may not have premiered in a public setting before the convention. You may publish your video publicly on May 15th, 2026, as that will be the day your video debuts at the con.
• You are allowed to submit one (1) video to the exclusivity contest. You are allowed an extra video if it is a short video. A short video is any video under 1 minute and 15 seconds. Multi editor projects (MEPs) and collaborations are allowed but will count toward your video count.
• Entries may not contain any self-identifiers, self-promotions, references to other events, or credits unless they are stylized to the video. The goal of the event is to anonymize entries until after the voting period ends.
• Videos that are not short videos must be over 1 minute and 15 seconds and under 6 minutes in length.
• We accept footage from anime, western animation, video games, live action, etc. If there is any question about your video’s source footage, do not hesitate to ask.
• Our fixed categories for the contest are Intensity, Drama, Sentimental, Fun/Upbeat, Comedy, and Freestyle. Best Theme, Non-Finalist, Audience Favorite, and Best in Show are also included as awards. Extra categories will be decided by ACen’s AMV Team. A list of videos identified as fitting the extra categories will be released to help explain the reasoning behind each category. The extra categories will be presented within a week of the videos being readily viewable. If no extra categories are determined, the finalist nomination period will be extended.
• Categories for AMV Shorts will be determined by the videos received.
• All videos are eligible for the theme award, ACen The Musical. The theme is open to interpretation; however, the coordinator reserves the right to deny a video entry into the category if it blatantly does not fall within the theme.
• Nomination for finalists will be determined by a fifty-fifty split between the AMV editors and ACen’s AMV Team. Judges will be blinded to the entries alongside the editors.
• Once finalists are determined, editors will be able to vote for their favorite videos per category. Finalists will be shown at the con on Friday at a designated time, and winners will be presented at a separate awards ceremony. Attendees at the con may vote for their favorite video from the showing to help determine Audience Favorite.
• The deadline for the contest is March 30th, 2026.

• You may submit any videos made within the most recent past year. You may not resubmit a video if it has already been submitted. Your video must be published after April 10th, 2025.
• You are limited to 20 minutes of total runtime for all your entries. This includes MEPs and collaborations.
• All videos will be judged by ACEN’s AMV Team. Winners and award titles will be determined by the AMV Team. These titles will showcase a video’s merit or reflect a judge feeling strongly about a video and wishing to award it recognition.
• A select number of videos will be shown at the con alongside videos that have received awards. Videos selected for showcasing will be notified via a list once selection is completed.
• Due to the flexibility of submissions, the deadline for this contest is March 15th, 2026.

• Entries may not contain bumpers, title screens, self-promotions, references to other events, or credits unless stylized to the video. ACen staff will add uniform credits to all entries.
• No corporate studio trademark logos.
• No irrelevant subtitles from the source material unless added with a creative purpose.
• If you are caught submitting an AMV that is not your own, you will be banned from participating in all future ACen AMV contests. You will also be reported to other AMV coordinators as a precaution.
• Any form of harassment toward another participant during the AMV Masquerade contest will result in either a warning or, in more extreme cases or repeated offenses, removal from the main contest.
• Videos containing extreme language or content exceeding a standard PG-13 rating will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis. If you have concerns, please contact the coordinator via email.
• We reserve the right to disqualify any video deemed inappropriate for viewing standards. If you are unsure whether your entry may be disqualified, please email Reyd.Nguyen@ACen.org to discuss the content. We also reserve the right to move videos between categories as needed.

• Entries must be submitted in .mp4 or .mov format. We strongly recommend .mp4.
• H.264/AVC 8-bit codecs are recommended. Newer codecs such as H.265 or 10-bit may cause playback issues.
• Files should be under 400 MB. If your entry is too large, please consult the AMV 101 Encoding Guide. The coordinator will attempt to fix oversized files; if unsuccessful, a smaller file will be requested.
• The following technical issues may result in disqualification:
  • Interlacing
  • Squashed or stretched aspect ratios
  • Chunky or blocky video
  • Color banding (color gradients caused by video recompression)
  • Blurry video
  • Line aliasing
  • Audio distortion, clipping, or unintended pitch shifting

• If a video is too difficult to work with, it may be considered a technical issue. We will do our best to accept videos that do not strictly meet the above requirements.
• Editors will be given one day to make corrections if any issues are identified before videos are released to other editors.

• Editors caught attempting to circumvent the one-video limit plus one short-video limit will have all submissions removed once the contest begins.
• Staff members may submit works as long as they are not part of the judging or video programming teams.
• By submitting to Anime Central, you grant the Midwest Animation Promotion Society permission to use your media as convention content for future purposes.
• Contestants do not need to attend Anime Central 2026 to enter but are encouraged to attend. Additional prize distribution is reserved for attendees.
• If a video is found to be public prior to its convention debut, it will be removed from the AMV Masquerade contest.
• Rules are subject to change at the discretion of Anime Central staff. The coordinator reserves the right to reject any video for any reason deemed necessary.

Videos will be organized based on the following categories. All submitted videos are eligible for the Theme Award.

• Intensity: Fast-paced editing, suspenseful, action-packed, intense emotional impact.
• Drama: Heavy, theatrical, heart-wrenching.
• Sentimental: Positive, nostalgic, heartwarming.
• Upbeat/Fun: Playful, dance-heavy, lighthearted.
• Comedy: Be funny. Please?
• Freestyle: Does not fit the above categories.
• Shorts: Under 1 minute and 15 seconds.

Note: Category selection is a suggestion only and not a final determination.

When submitting your video, there will be an option to designate your video under certain categories. The extra categories that the judges believe has the strongest competition will be created for the contest. The extra categories will be listed on the Google Form. This is not a guaranteed list of the extra categories that will be used. The list is a general idea of what could become a main category.

Note: Extra categories may also not be added if the team believes all categories are well suited and would occupy all of the time needed for the AMV Contest showing. Please submit your video with the main 6 categories in mind.

All winners will be showcased during the award showing on Sunday. Runner Ups may or may not be shown based on time restraints. You are not required to attend to win an award, but there are extra prize tickets awarded to attendees of the contest that are only redeemable at the convention.To view previous awards handed out, please check out the official award site. 

Disclaimer: The total number of winners may be reduced or increased based on the number of entries received. 

We will showcase as many non disqualified entries as possible during the con.

• Audience Choice
• Best in Show
• Best in Category
• Best in Category (Shorts)
• Best Nonfinalist
• Best Theme (ACEN The Musical)
• Hallmark Awards
• Coordinator’s Choice
• Best in the Midwest (You must be local and attend the convention. This includes videos sent to the Hallmark Awards.)
• Last Year’s Best in Show Choice (Picked by last year’s Best in Show winner. If the Best in Show winner is unavailable, it will go to the 2nd Place and so forth.)

Note: Extra awards may be given at the judges’ discretion.