So many great ideas! See our "GBWC 2015 World Championship Awards Ceremony" event report!

The world championship round of the Gunpla Builders World Cup 2015, Bandai's official Gunpla-building contest, was held Sunday, December 20th, at Gundam Front Tokyo in Odaiba, Tokyo.

A total of 24 entries representing 13 countries, 11 in the Junior Course and 13 in the Open Course, were in the running for this year's laurels.

At 1:30 in the afternoon, the awards ceremony for this fifth GBWC began.

Familiar faces Master Kawaguchi and voice actress Haruna Ikezawa hosted the ceremony, and Bandai's President and Representative Director Masaru Kawaguchi gave an opening statement. "GBWC began in 2011, and the number of entries has increased each year. Gunpla sales, likewise, are healthy, with an estimated over four million fans worldwide—and the most talented of those are gathered here today. GBWC entries are always quite creative, and I'm especially pleased to note the increased number of junior entries and the growing diversity of enthusiasts. We will continue to support the GBWC, and I hope you continue to develop the tradition of Gunpla-building."

Next, the junior course and open course champions were announced. Without further ado, let's bring you the winners in each category, along with the recipients of the "Char's AURIS II" and "Gundam VISA Card" awards from our partners!

■ Junior Course (ages 14 and under)

[Third Place] OPERATION DESERT STORM
Builder: Natcha Waiphimai / Thailand
Builder's comment: "I'm grateful for the honor."

[Second Place] THE LAST SHOOTING
Builder: May Hata / Japan
Builder's comment: "I'm surprised and overjoyed to stand here on the winner's platform for a second year in a row as runner-up."

[Champion] Build Fighters Season 3
Builder: Cornelius Caesar Widjaja / Indonesia
Builder's comment: "I'm so happy!"

"The creativity shown this year was astounding. The champion shows excellent craftsmanship and painting. Second place makes wonderful use of empty space. And third place's inspired use of the Beargguy earns it high marks. With two young ladies among the top three builders in the junior course, it shows that Gunpla can be enjoyed by girls and boys alike." (Akihiko Yasunaga, Bandai Hobby)

■ Open Course (ages 15 and up)

[Third Place] The Angel
Builder: Ho Yick Yin / Malaysia
Builder's comment: "I'm so happy!"

[Second Place] NIGHTINGALE (Long Distance Support Type)
Builder: Ng Siu Wai / Hong Kong
Builder's comment: "I'm so happy. Thank you very much."

[Champion] ANOTHER LATE NIGHT
Builder: Vichayuth Eiam-Ong / Thailand
Builder's comment: "I'm extremely happy to receive this award. I can barely contain myself. Thank you very much."

"The champion, put quite simply, turns Gunpla into a work of art. From every angle and aspect, it's astonishingly well-made. Second place combines a popular kit with added details, and earns its place through their precision, design sense, and quality. Third place has a wonderful sense of place. The scratch-built face parts do an excellent job at communicating its spirit." (Hobby Japan chief editor Manabu Kimura)

"This year's entries were all so good that it was difficult to choose between them. At times, we had to decide based on what entries lacked, rather than what they achieved. But the champion—from construction to painting, concept to composition—lacked nothing. Even the smallest details are packed with creativity, and there's something new to be seen each time you take a look at them.
The second and third-place winners each take on more fantastic concepts, each with excellent quality and a wonderful vision. I feel like absolutely anyone, seeing any of these three builds, would understand." (Model Graphix chief editor Tomoyasu Furuya)

■ Partner Awards

[Char's AURIS II Award] NIGHTINGALE (Long Distance Support Type)
Builder: Ng Siu Wai / Hong Kong
Zeonic Toyota comment: The finely-detailed verniers and the high sense of texture show excellence in both technique and design. (* Also the Second Place winner in the Open Course.)

[Gundam VISA Card Prize] RX 93 Gesshoku ‐Lunar Eclipse
Builder: Riccardo Forni / Italy
Sumitomo Mitsui Card Co. comment: The balance between the weight of the mobile suit and its sense of motions creates a strong visual impact.

The entries for GBWC 2015, which marks the 35th year of Gunpla, reached new peaks of technical mastery and unique creativity.

Last but not least, the 2016 Gunpla Builders World Cup was announced. Take a good look at this year's entries, and start brewing up your own ideas for a build that could take you all the way to the championship in 2016!

▲ From left: Haruna Ikezawa, Masaru Kawaguchi, Cornelius Caesar Widjaja, Vichayuth Eiam-Ong, special guest Saya Ichikawa, Master Kawaguchi.

Each country's representative entries will be on display in the Gunpla Tokyo section of Gundam Front Tokyo through January 6th.