Dragon*Con has its signature events: the parade, the Masquerade, the waiting in line to get down the Hyatt escalator, and-of course-the Dawn Look-Alike competition. In case you’ve not run into the character Dawn before, she is the redheaded goddess staring in the comic series by the same name from Joseph Michael Linsner. Women and the occasional man from around the country come to Dragon*Con to present their take on one of the many fashions of Dawn to the judges in hopes of winning cash, prizes, and the title goddess.

Many aspiring Dawns this year were not only competing for the first time but were also attending their first Dragon*Con. A number of these Dragon*Con virgins first learned of the convention through ads for the contest in the pages of the Dawn comic. There were several returning contestants as well who had had such a good time they jumped at the chance to do it again.

The Master of Ceremonies this year was goth musician Voltaire, whose black heart and perhaps other parts seemed quite moved as he set about his task of announcing each of the divine ladies as they took the stage. And of the Star Trek inspired songs he played while we waited for the judge’s results, this reporter can only shake his head in amazement as he catches his breath from having laughed so hard.

While, in the words of contestant Kimberly Money, “Every girl is beautiful, which makes every girl a goddess,” the judges were given the Herculean (or, perhaps, Xenaian) task of picking the winners. This years slate of prize-winning divinities are listed below:

Best Theatrical Production: Melanie Boyd
Best Original Costume: Nadine Dodd and Sarah Pope
Best Adaptive Costume: Melanie McCullough
Third Place Overall: Kimberly Money
Second Place Overall: Alice Pilch
First Place Overall: Valerie Potter