8th Annual KCBS World Invitational: World Rib Finals (Friday, May 22, 2026)
2026-05-22 · Lebanon, TN · 📍 James E. Ward Agricultural Center (Wilson County Fairgrounds)
Grand Champion: K & E's Little Smokers (178.8572) · 79 teams
Reserve Champion: 🥈 OLD VIRGINIA SMOKE
Entries
79
1 judged meat
Top score
178.8572
Winning margin
Tie
identical totals — KCBS tiebreaker
Field average
172.25
median 173.12
Perfect 180s
0
Tightest race
Pork Ribs
1.1428 pts across the top 5
Top-10 cutoff
176.5716
10th place overall
Field spread
28.6516
winner to last place
How hot was the win?
Top 36%
beats 64% of 2987 Pork Ribs wins in the data
Storylines
🧳 Out-of-towners took the title
K & E's Little Smokers took the Grand Championship home to FL.
📸 Photo finishes
Pork Ribs places 1–2: K & E's Little Smokers and OLD VIRGINIA SMOKE tied on 178.8572 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker. Pork Ribs places 4–5: MUDVILLE BBQ and Rollin Smoke BBQ tied on 177.7144 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker. Pork Ribs places 6–7: Fire Pig and Bentley Que tied on 177.7028 — 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pork Ribs | 178.8572 | 177.7144 | 176.5716 |
Official results on kcbs.us ↗
Masters Series Single Meat
Pork Ribs
79 entries · top 178.8572 · median 173.1200