Contest rules 2026
Information as of: 8th of February 2026
Note on name changes:
Note on name changes: We have decided to shorten the name of the category Expression / Storytelling to Expression, as the term Storytelling placed undue emphasis on the need for a narrative (telling a story). The category itself, what is evaluated in it, and what kind of entries we want to see there have not changed as a result. Everything that was suitable before is still suitable now.
We have divided the category Painting / Sculpting / Technical into Technique: Realism and Technique: Illustration. You can also read this as Technique: Realism (Painting / Sculpting) and Technique: Illustration (Painting / Sculpting) – it was simply too long to write out every time.
The Bembel Miniature Cup competition is a so-called “open” competition with different categories and levels. “Open” means that more than one bronze, silver and gold medal can be awarded in each category and level. The judges evaluate all contributions in a category and level and decide which entries meet the requirements for gold, silver and bronze and which may not receive a medal but are given special praise (also known as “highly commended”).
Terms and conditions of participation
By registering for the competition, each participant agrees to the following terms and conditions:
Submission of own contributions
By submitting contributions under their own name, participants declare that these are their own works.
Submission of third-party contributions
After consultation with the event management (e.g., by email to hansrainer.peitz@gmail.com), it is permissible to submit contributions on behalf of other participants, e.g., those who are absent, under their names.
Resubmission of previously awarded entries
Resubmitting entries (especially those that have won medals in previous Bembel Miniature Cup competitions) without making any changes is considered unsportsmanlike. If the judges discover this, they will ignore the entry when evaluating the display.
Participants are welcome to submit such entries in the “Out of competition” category.
Note on loose exhibits
Submitted works must be assembled and securely attached to stands / bases so that they can be transported safely and visually evaluated without being damaged. If this is not possible for technical reasons, this must be clearly indicated on the exhibit.
Note on oversized exhibits
Exhibits and displays exceeding a floor space of 25 x 40 cm must be registered separately via hansrainer.peitz@gmail.com.
Participation fee
The participation fee is due upon registration and cannot be refunded even if you do not attend, as it is used to pay for prizes, exhibition materials, and software, and these costs are directly dependent on the number of contributions.
Disclaimer for damage to exhibits
The organizers of the Bembel Miniature Cup accept no liability for damage to entries or theft during the exhibition. We make every effort to prevent damage by employing stewards, enforcing social distancing rules, and handling entries with care, but we cannot guarantee this.
Registration
All entries are registered electronically via the “Emperor” cloud software, either during pre-registration or on-site registration during the show. Emperor generates a list of entries and the category / level in which they are submitted.
- Each participant must select a level for each category in which they are exhibiting. It is not possible to exhibit in both “Standard” and “Masters” at the same time within a category.
- Each participant may exhibit any number of entries in all categories.
- All entries by a participant within a category together constitute one display.
The participation fee must be paid on site at the latest upon registration.
Personal data of registered participants (first and last name, name of the registered entry) will be used for the award ceremony (on site and online). The data, as well as the instance of the cloud software “Emperor,” will be deleted a few days after the end of the event.
Submission of entries to the competition
In order for the judges to identify and evaluate the submitted entries, each registered entry must be labeled with a sticker bearing a unique code. Participants will receive these stickers during registration hours on the Saturday morning of the event.
Check-in / Registration
Contributions to the competition can be submitted on Saturday morning (see schedule for exact times) of the event. In order to submit contributions to the competition, each participant must be present at the registration desk, regardless of whether the contributions have already been registered via Emperor and / or the participation fee has been paid.
Participants will receive a list of their registered entries and a list of stickers with codes only at the registration desk, which are essential for the judges to identify and evaluate the works.
Last-minute changes
In the event that contributions are to be submitted that have not been registered yet, the organizer will provide terminals with a connection to the “Emperor” cloud software. Here, participants who have not yet registered can enter their contributions, and participants who have already registered can adjust their contributions.
After creating / adjusting entries, a new list of stickers must be created at the registration desk.
Attaching the stickers
Before submitting entries to the exhibition area, entries must be labeled with the corresponding stickers from the registration desk.
Entries without stickers cannot be identified and evaluated by the judges.
The stickers must be affixed to the entries so that they are clearly visible from the front.
If this is not possible, slips of paper will be provided at the registration desk on which the stickers can be affixed.
Due to the stickers, submissions are anonymous, so that the judges do not receive any information about the creators of the works. This guarantees, as far as possible, a fair and unbiased evaluation. Each participant is free to sign their works themselves or make them identifiable in some other way.
Placement of entries in the exhibition area
On Saturday morning (see schedule for exact times), entries can be submitted in the exhibition area. Specific placement areas are marked for each combination of category and level.
All entries of a display must be set up together and separated from other displays by “dividers” (available at the registration desk). All displays must be set up completely within the designated area for the category and level. Each participant sets up their own entries.
Touching or moving other participants’ entries is not permitted. Violation of this rule will result in immediate exclusion from the competition If other participants’ entries need to be moved, please ask the designated stewards or organizers to do so.
Once setup is complete, participants’ own entries may not be touched until the end of the event. Only stewards designated by the organizer, as well as the organizers themselves and the judges, may touch entries during the duration of the exhibition.
Exhibits and displays exceeding a floor space of 25 x 40 cm must be registered separately via hansrainer.peitz@gmail.com.
(Competition) Levels
Youngbloods
- If you are younger than 17 (i.e., up to the end of your 16th year) and want to compete with other participants your age.
- If you have already participated in other competitions but have not yet placed.
Standard
- If you’re not sure where to start or just paint for fun.
- The judges are a little less strict, the exhibits are mainly judged against the standards of the category, and the competition is less intense than in the “Masters” level.
Masters
- If you just feel ready for it.
- If you are a professional painter.
- If you have won prizes and awards on several occasions.
- If you regularly place highly in “Standard”, it’s time to move up to “Masters”.
- The competition is certainly tougher, but only here will you find the best of the best and be able to compete against them!
Judges have the right to move submitted works from “Standard” to “Masters” if the display clearly belongs to a higher level and has the chance to compete in this higher level.
The decision as to which level and category participants submit their entries is entirely up to them and depends solely on their assessment of the level and quality of their own work.
(Competition) Categories
Youngbloods
If you are young (< 17 years old) and want to compete with others your age.
- Entries here will be judged primarily on basic techniques.
- Any type of entry can be submitted (figures, busts, dioramas, etc.).
Technique (Painting / Sculpting)
Show off your best craftsmanship.
This category has two aspects: Realism and Illustration. Both parts are explained below.
Realism (Standard / Masters)
Show how realistically you can depict a subject to scale.
- All entries will be judged primarily on the basis of painting technique.
- If you want to show how well you can paint, this is the right category for you.
- Any type of entry can be submitted (figures, busts, dioramas, etc.).
Illustration (Standard / Masters)
Show that you can make consistent and coherent stylistic decisions and use simplifications to enhance the visual impact of your work.
- All entries will be judged primarily on the basis of painting technique.
- If you want to show how well you can paint, this is the right category for you.
- Any type of entry can be submitted (figures, busts, dioramas, etc.).
Expression (Standard / Masters)
Show how your work allows you to connect with your audience emotionally and / or intellectually.
- All entries will be judged primarily on expression criteria: Do they tell a story, evoke an emotion, create a mood in the viewer, etc.?
- If you want to communicate through your entries, this is the category of choice.
- Any type of entry can be submitted (figures, busts, dioramas, etc.).
Gaming (Standard / Masters)
Entries that are painted for gaming: individual game pieces, troops from your army, a faction from a board game, a group of heroes. This category is not intended for special individual figures; it is for game models. All entries must be mounted on game bases (an additional group base / plinth is permitted).
- Technical quality and visual coherence will be judged. An entry usually contains several models, and a display can contain several entries, which ideally should already be visually recognizable as a group. It is the sum of an entry that counts, not the individual parts.
- Smaller and larger groups of models can be submitted, accompanied by large models.
- Exhibits and displays exceeding a floor space of 25 x 40 cm must be registered separately via hansrainer.peitz@gmail.com, otherwise there may be space problems.
Out of Competition (OOC) / Judges
If you only want to exhibit without participating in the competition awards ceremony.
- Entries that are excluded from judging by the judges, and entries by participants that are not in competition.
- Out of Competition has no levels.
Judges
The group of judges consists of renowned figure painters with many years of experience who have won prizes for their works in national and international competitions. We try to put together a diverse group so that different styles, approaches, and perspectives are represented in order to enable a more objective evaluation of the works.
The work of the judges is supported, supervised, and guided by a senior chief judge.
The judges’ evaluation is final and cannot be contested.
Judging criteria
If a participant submits more than one piece of work in the same category, these pieces of work will be considered and evaluated as a “display” (all of the submitted pieces of work). This means that a participant can only receive one prize in this category, either for the best model or for the entire “display” (if all works are of a uniformly high standard).
What do the judges evaluate?
If the entry is painted:
- Only the painting of the model and the context.
If an entry contains context:
- The context is also evaluated by the judges. An entry with context is not rated higher than an entry without context. Context can include images, additional textual explanations, etc.
Only if the entry is blank or has been primed at most:
- The modeling of the entry (technique, composition, context, legibility, expression, etc.) will be evaluated. In this case, either all modeling or at least all essential components of the entry must be your own (bits or individual components may be used).
The lists of criteria for the individual categories neither claim to be exhaustive nor will they be always used in their entirety or with equal weighting. A very good entry may well neglect individual aspects in order to focus strongly on others and still be stronger than an entry that devotes equal attention to all aspects.
The organizers have decided to remove the point “Jury Guidelines” from the rules, as its percentage weightings for various criteria can lead to an excessive focus on these figures when deciding on the submitted category / level. In general, the following guidelines apply:
- Levels
- Masters is a higher level than Standard, and judges will look much more closely at whether the entries in the respective category should receive a placement.
- Categories
- In Technique (Realism / Illustration), the focus is more on the technical implementation than on the overall impression or expression of the entry.
- In Expression, the focus is more on the expression / communication of the entry, with technique being of secondary importance.
- In Gaming, the focus is on the overall impression of the entry, with technique being of secondary importance.
Awards & Special Prizes
Due to the “open” medal classification, there may be more than just one bronze, silver, and gold medal in each category / level.
Best of Standard
From all gold medal winners in the “Standard” categories, the judges select one entry for the special “Best of Standard” award. This special award is presented in addition to the gold medal.
Too good for Standard
If the judges decide that a display is “too good for standard”, the special prize “Too Good for Standard” will be awarded. The display is excluded from the “Best of Standard” award and is eligible for “Best of Show“, as it actually belongs in a corresponding “Masters” category.
Best of Show
From all winners of a gold medal in the “Masters” categories, the judges will select one entry for the special “Best of Show” award. This special prize will be awarded in addition to the gold medal.
Special prizes from external parties
Possible non-cash prizes and sponsor prizes will be raffled off among all participants in the competition.
Associations and clubs with special prizes can inform the organizers of the winners in advance so that additional time can be scheduled for the award ceremony after the official prize giving.
It is also possible to place prizes with the entries during the event. The placement of prizes in the exhibition area with the entries is only permitted by stewards designated by the organizer, as well as the organizers themselves.
The organizers reserve the right to make changes to the rules at any time.