Sep 19–20, 2026 · Spilamberto, Italy · ITALY · 📍 Modena
Reps: Haymo Gutweniger, Luca Famigli
Luna Smoke won Grand Champion at the Fo.G & Smoke 2026 on September 19, 2026 in Spilamberto, I-41057 at Modena, scoring 705.1088 in a field of 22 teams. Average Joe BBQ Team took Reserve Grand Champion with 704.5372. Category winners: Pork Ribs — Average Joe BBQ Team (176.5716); Pork — Cooklounge (180.0000); Brisket — Luna Smoke (175.4172). This is the 4th of 4 editions of this contest on record; the 2025 edition was won by Luna Smoke - Italy.
Overall totals, every team on the board — tall stacks are where the pack sat.
Every board on one scale — the bar runs last score to first, the dot is the median.
What it has taken to win here, 2022 to 2026 — this edition picked out.
Everything below is read straight out of the results — the number on each card is the one that made it a story.
Closer than 90% of the 4,722 championships in the data
The Grand Championship was decided by 0.5716 points — closer than 90% of every championship in the data.
705.1088 is the highest overall score this contest has ever produced — past the 697.7372 Cooklounge BBQ set in 2022.
The ratings favoured the top seed the other 71 times in 100
Luna Smoke came in rated below the field's top team, Smoky Cotte, and took the Grand Championship anyway — roughly a 29-in-100 shot on pre-contest ratings.
Luna Smoke - Italy won here last time out too — 2 straight editions of this contest.
2 of 4 tracked editions
Cooklounge BBQ has won this contest 2 times across its 4 tracked editions.
Pork Ribs places 9–10: Smoking Butcher and Virunum Smokers tied on 170.8228 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker. Pork places 2–3: Art Razza Piave and Luna Smoke tied on 178.8572 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker. Pork places 6–7: Smoky Cotte and Smoking Butcher tied on 175.4172 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker.
Luna Smoke took the title on 3 calls from 3 meats, with 1 outright win — their weakest board was pork ribs at 3rd.
1 perfect 180 was scored at this contest — every judge at the table handing back a nine.
| Date | Where | Venue | Teams | High score | Grand Champion | Reserve Champion |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 17, 2022 | Spilamberto, Mo | Spilamberto, Mo | 12 | 697.7372 | Cooklounge BBQ | WESTSIDE BBQ |
| Sep 16, 2023 | Spilamberto, It | Spilamberto, It | 15 | 694.2172 | Cooklounge BBQ | LUNA SMOKE - Italy |
| Sep 20, 2025 | Spilamberto | Modena | 24 | 697.6456 | Luna Smoke - Italy | Woodquarter Smokerheads |
| Sep 19, 2026 ← this one | Spilamberto | Modena | 22 | 705.1088 | Luna Smoke - Italy | Average Joe BBQ Team |
| Category | 1st | 5th | 10th |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pork Ribs | 176.5716 | 173.1316 | 170.8228 |
| Pork | 180 | 176 | 173.1200 |
| Brisket | 175.4172 | 173.1084 | 168.0116 |
22 entries · top 705.1088 · median 675.0628
22 entries · top 176.5716 · median 169.4116
22 entries · top 180 · median 171.9714 · 🔥 perfect 180
22 entries · top 175.4172 · median 164.8228
Run by the organizers alongside the sanctioned contest. These are judged on their own terms and do not count toward the overall score, so they're kept out of the meat stats above.
22 entries · top 180 · median 172.2800 · 🔥 perfect 180
9 entries · top 179.4400 · median 171.9656