join the 24 hours animation contest for Students

Registration Status:

OPEN August 31st 2026

Registration Deadline:

Friday September 25th at 23:59 PDT

Contest Date:

October 2-3rd 2026

New Registration Requirements

The 24 HOURS Contest for Students is made possible by a small but dedicated team and the generous support of our sponsors. For the past 23 years, we’ve been proud to offer this contest completely free of charge, ensuring access for all students. As the contest grows, so do the costs of bringing it to life. To help sustain this experience for thousands of students, we’re introducing a small, optional suggested donation this year. These donations are tax deductible, thanks to our 501c3 nonprofit fiscal sponsor, Legends Animated. 

Your contribution directly supports:

Event logistics and resources, Prizes and awards and Accessibility for all participants, including financial assistance for those in need. 

We believe cost should never be a barrier.

If your team would benefit from financial assistance, please complete the registration donation waiver form. We’ll review your request with care and ensure everyone who wants to participate has the opportunity to be part of this incredible experience. Please complete the form or donation before registration. 

$5 per student/$25 per team. After you donate be sure add your team and school in the comments so we can track your registration donation!!

Donate and enter to win a Wacom Intuous Pro!

*all donations are tax deductible (fiscally sponsored by Legends Animated, a 501c3 nonprofit). All donations above $25 will be given a chance to win our 2026 prize giveaway for a Wacom Intuos Pro Small! Every $25 donation provides one entry (ex. your name will be submitted four times with a $100 donation). Ask your employer or school to match your donation and mention your team name to help increase your entries!  The winner will be announced on January 15, 2027 
Donate on Donorbox
Registration Donation Waiver

Ready to Register?

Registration takes about 5 minutes. Have all your team information ready before you start. 

Please complete the Registration Donation Waiver Form or make a donation before registration. 

Register now

What You Need

  • Team name (choose wisely – this becomes permanent!)
  • 5 team member names and emails
    • A few notes on emails:
      • We CANNOT send emails to any QQmail accounts. Please use a different email server.
      • If you are using a school email account, be aware we may have trouble sending or recieving email from you. You can test an email to us at do_not_reply@24hourscontest.com  If you recieve a autoreply, your email will work.
  • School name & level of education (high school, college, etc)
  • Faculty advisor information and approval
  • Registration Donation suggestion of $5 per student/$25 per team

Requirements

  • Exactly 5 current students enrolled this term
  • Any major welcome (not just animation students)
  • All available for the full 24-hour contest period
  • Current faculty member at your school
  • Must approve your participation
  • Available for contest kickoff
  • Can supervise multiple teams
  • Official permission required through faculty advisor
  • All team members from same school preferred
  • Different school members allowed with permission from faculty advisor

Important Notes

  • Registration deadline is firm – no extensions granted.
  • If you are donating, be sure add your team and school in the comments so we can track your registration donation!!
  • Team names are permanent once submitted and approved.
  • If your name is too similar to one already submitted, you will be asked to change it.
  • If your team name is in another language, please provide a translation in English after the name in parentheses.
  • Team appears on official list within 3-5 days
  • Team changes allowed until Wednesday Septemberr 30th.
  • Please email admin@24hourscontest.com for any changes to your registration (i.e., team name, team member, contact emails).
Register now

Form Details

Form includes sections for:

Team information

All 5 team member details

Faculty advisor contact

School approval confirmation

Agreement to contest rules

Registration Donation or Waiver

after registration

After registration expect:

Immediate confirmation email

Team review (within 5 days)

Official team list updated

Access to resources and community

need help?

Common Issues

  • Can’t find teammates? Post in our Discord and Facebook group
  • Faculty won’t approve? Share educational benefits and past outcomes
  • Technical problems? Try different browser or contact support

Contact Support

Technical Support:
techsupport@24hourscontest.com

Rules Questions:
admin@24hourscontest.com

Last-Minute:
admin@24hourscontest.com

Response time: Within 24-48 hours during registration period

Quick Tips

Recruit early

Don’t wait until deadline

Get faculty approval first

This takes time so start now!

Mix different skills

Variety makes stronger teams

Choose a memorable team name

have fun with it!