Defending champion
1×
title here
Wag's Backwoods BBQ won the most recent scored edition (2025-11-05).
- Nov 5, 2025
American Royal World Series of Barbecue - Open Contest 2026
Sep 30 – Oct 4, 2026 · Kansas City, KS
🔥 Happening now — Sep 30 – Oct 4, 2026 in Kansas City, KS. KCBS usually posts results within a few days; this page picks them up the night they appear.
Add contests to your calendarWhat’s on this weekendEvery edition
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: $68,425
The American Royal World Series of Barbecue - Open Contest 2026 is a Kansas City Barbeque Society (KCBS) sanctioned barbecue contest held on September 30, 2026 in Kansas City, KS. This is the 6th of 6 editions of this contest on record; the 2025 edition was won by Wag's Backwoods BBQ.
Contest preview (from past editions of this contest)
No scores yet — here is what the record book says about the contest they are walking into.
Contest record
710.8228
the score to beat here
The highest overall score here is 710.8228, set by Chunky BBQ in 2024.
- 2024
- Chunky BBQ
Typical draw
461
teams on an average year
This contest has averaged 461 teams across 5 scored editions.
- biggest 505
- 5 scored editions
The regulars
5×
visits by the most frequent entrant
CHUNKY BBQ has cooked this contest 5 times — more than any other team in the data.
- CHUNKY BBQ ×5 · 1 GC
- HUNKA HUNKA BURNIN' RUB ×5 · 1 GC
- JANKY LEG BBQ ×5 · 1 GC
- WAG'S BACKWOODS BBQ ×5 · 1 GC
- 3 BRATS AND A COCKTAIL WEENIE ×5
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.
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 | 467 | 709.1428 | LAST CALL HEROES BBQ | HOGLINE |
| Sep 29, 2022 | Kansas City, KS | Kansas City, KS 66111 | 505 | 707.4056 | QUE U | LOOT N' BOOTY BBQ |
| Sep 27, 2023 | Kansas City, KS | Kansas City, KS 66111 | 487 | 705.1200 | JANKY LEG BBQ | MACHETE BOYS BBQ |
| Oct 30, 2024 | Kansas City, KS | Kansas Speedway | 444 | 710.8228 | Chunky BBQ | Bushmaster BBQ |
| Nov 5, 2025 | Kansas City, KS | Kansas Speedway | 401 | 708.5488 | Wag's Backwoods BBQ | OLD VIRGINIA SMOKE |
| Sep 30, 2026 ← this one | Kansas City, KS | — | — | — | — | — |