A razor-thin finish
0.0116
points between champion and reserve
Closer than 98% of the 4,722 championships in the data
The Grand Championship was decided by 0.0116 points — closer than 98% of every championship in the data.
- B's Que
- MUNNY'S STOVE
American Royal World Series of Barbecue - Invitational Contest 2026
Sep 30 – Oct 3, 2026 · Kansas City, KS · 📍 1899 American Royal Way
Reps: Dave Rogers, David Dyche, Eugene Wickham, Forrest Bruce, Jo Dyche, John Scharffbillig, Larry Hadley, Larry Voth, Lynda Voth, Peg Rogers, Sarah Wickham · Prize money: $37,965
B's Que won Grand Champion at the American Royal World Series of Barbecue - Invitational Contest on September 30, 2026 in Kansas City, KS at 1899 American Royal Way, scoring 709.6916 in a field of 158 teams. MUNNY'S STOVE took Reserve Grand Champion with 709.6800. Category winners: Chicken — Meat Candy Q (180.0000); Pork Ribs — Dr. Squealgood BBQ (180.0000); Pork — MUNNY'S STOVE (180.0000); Brisket — Bayou BBQ (180.0000). This is the 6th of 6 editions of this contest on record; the 2025 edition was won by Rooters-N-Tooters TN.
The contest at a glance (read off the scored boards)
How the field scored
Overall totals, every team on the board — tall stacks are where the pack sat.
476.99
median 686.76
709.69 🏆
How the meats cooked
Every board on one scale — the bar runs last score to first, the dot is the median.
- Chicken 180 🔥
- Pork Ribs 180 🔥
- Pork 180 🔥
- Brisket 180 🔥
20
180
Winning score by edition
What it has taken to win here, 2021 to 2026 — this edition picked out.
Entries
158
4 judged meats
Top score
709.6916
Winning margin
0.0116
GC over RC
Field average
681.80
476.99709.69
median 686.76 · last place to winner
Perfect 180s
19 🔥
Tightest race
Pork Ribs
0 pts across the top 5
Top-10 cutoff
703.3828
476.99709.69
10th place overall
Field spread
232.6972
winner to last place
Prize money
$37,965
on the line
Double threats
1
teams with 2+ top-5 calls
How hot was the win?
Top 4%
beats 96% of 4723 Master Series wins in the data
Came back for more
53%
84 of 158 teams from the previous edition returned
Storylines (7 found in this contest's numbers)
Everything below is read straight out of the results — the number on each card is the one that made it a story.
Won without a category win
3 of 4
meats called to the stage
B's Que won the Grand Championship without winning a single meat — 3 calls from 4 boards, best of them 5th. Consistency beat fireworks.
- Chicken 9th
- Pork Ribs 6th
- Pork 5th
- Brisket 70th
A day of perfect scores
19
perfect 180s
19 perfect 180s were scored at this contest — every judge at the table handing back a nine.
- Bayou BBQ · Brisket
- BURNT TREES BBQ · Brisket
- EFFIN' EH GRAY'S · Brisket
A knife fight at the top
4.5944
points across the top five
First to fifth in the overall standings covered just 4.5944 points — 3 teams sat within a single point of the lead.
- 1st B's Que
- 2nd MUNNY'S STOVE
- 3rd PORKY BUTTS BBQ
- 4th SLAPS BBQ
- 5th WAG'S BACKWOODS BBQ
Photo finishes
Tie
closest of 29 calls decided inside half a point
Chicken places 1–2: Meat Candy Q and RIO VALLEY MEAT BBQ tied on 180.0000 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker. Chicken places 2–3: RIO VALLEY MEAT BBQ and MAD MUTT'S BBQ tied on 180.0000 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker. Chicken places 4–5: Kings BBQ Team and GOOD GOOGLY GOO BBQ tied on 178.8572 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker.
- Chicken 1–2 · tie
- Chicken 2–3 · tie
- Chicken 4–5 · tie
- Chicken 5–6 · tie
Back to defend
4
past champions back in the field
Past winners of this contest cooked this edition: TRIPLE H BBQ (won 2021), FIRE AT THE END OF THE DAY (won 2023), Hot Daddy's BBQ (won 2024), Rooters-N-Tooters TN (won 2025).
- TRIPLE H BBQ · 2021
- FIRE AT THE END OF THE DAY · 2023
- Hot Daddy's BBQ · 2024
- Rooters-N-Tooters TN · 2025
One of the big ones
158
teams on the grounds
Bigger than 99% of the 5,482 contests in the data
158 teams — bigger than 99% of the 5,482 contests in the data.
In the record book (2 in the KCBS record book)
What happened at this contest that stands in the all-time KCBS record book. A gold line is a record nobody has beaten.
This contest's own records (1 in the KCBS record book)
Records held by every edition of this contest put together, not just this one afternoon.
Score curves (score by finishing position — steep cliffs mean a spread field, flat lines a knife fight)
Category showdown (top / average / median score per meat)
Score distribution
This contest over the years full contest page →
| Date | Where | Venue | Teams | High score | Grand Champion | Reserve Champion |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 16, 2021 | Kansas City, KS | Kansas Speedway | 185 | 708.5372 | TRIPLE H BBQ | SIN CIRCLE BBQ |
| Sep 29, 2022 | Kansas City, KS | Kansas City, KS 66111 | 249 | 711.9656 | QUE U | Bushmaster BBQ |
| Sep 27, 2023 | Kansas City, KS | Kansas City, KS 66111 | 211 | 706.8572 | FIRE AT THE END OF THE DAY | Damn Fine Beef & Swine |
| Oct 30, 2024 | Kansas City, KS | Kansas Speedway | 169 | 709.7028 | Hot Daddy's BBQ | Smoke Central BBQ |
| Nov 5, 2025 | Kansas City, KS | Kansas Speedway | 158 | 710.8344 | Rooters-N-Tooters TN | TRIPLE H BBQ |
| Sep 30, 2026 ← this one | Kansas City, KS | 1899 American Royal Way | 158 | 709.6916 | B's Que | MUNNY'S STOVE |
What a call cost (the score it took to finish 1st, 5th and 10th)
| Category | 1st | 5th | 10th |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chicken | 180 | 178.8572 | 177.7144 |
| Pork Ribs | 180 | 180 | 178.8572 |
| Pork | 180 | 180 | 177.7144 |
| Brisket | 180 | 180 | 177.7144 |
Official results on kcbs.us ↗
Master Series
Overall
158 entries · top 709.6916 · median 686.7600
Chicken
158 entries · top 180 · median 171.9714 · 🔥 perfect 180
Pork Ribs
158 entries · top 180 · median 171.6914 · 🔥 perfect 180
Pork
157 entries · top 180 · median 172.5600 · 🔥 perfect 180
Brisket
158 entries · top 180 · median 171.4056 · 🔥 perfect 180