8th Annual KCBS World Invitational: World Chicken Finals (Friday, May 22, 2026)
2026-05-22 · Lebanon, TN · 📍 James E. Ward Agricultural Center (Wilson County Fairgrounds)
Reps: CAROLYN WELLS, CHARLIE BRINZA, DAVE ROGERS, DAVID BURSTEIN, EUGENE WICKHAM, JEANNE TITUS, PEG ROGERS, SARAH WICKHAM
Grand Champion: HOOS SMOKIN (180.0000) · 74 teams
Reserve Champion: 🥈 B&R SMOKE
Entries
Top score
Winning margin
Field average
Tightest race
Top-10 cutoff
Field spread
How hot was the win?
Storylines
🧳 Out-of-towners took the title
HOOS SMOKIN took the Grand Championship home to VA.
🔥 A day of perfect scores
3 perfect 180s were scored at this contest.
📸 Photo finishes
Chicken places 1–2: HOOS SMOKIN and B&R SMOKE tied on 180.0000 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker. Chicken places 2–3: B&R SMOKE and Rudes BBQ tied on 180.0000 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker. Chicken places 4–5: Bourbon & Blues BBQ and LOCAL YOKELS BBQ tied on 178.8572 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker.
Score curves (score by finishing position — steep cliffs mean a spread field, flat lines a knife fight)
Score distribution
What a call cost (the score it took to finish 1st, 5th and 10th)
| Category | 1st | 5th | 10th |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chicken | 180.0000 | 178.8572 | 177.7028 |
Official results on kcbs.us ↗
Masters Series Single Meat
Chicken
74 entries · top 180.0000 · median 172.2744 · 🔥 perfect 180