← Every region
KCBS in Tennessee TN
295 tracked contests over 13.5 years,
2,918 teams on the scoresheets — the 5th busiest of 94 regions on file.
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At a glance
Contests 295
245 scored · 7 upcoming
This season 19
contests in 2026 · 398 teams competing
Teams competed 2,918
distinct teams on record
Typical field 41
teams · biggest 125
Avg winning score 702.05
Master · of 720 · best 714.26
Avg category score 167.27
across 33,500 meat entries
Perfect 180s 513 🔥
15.3 per 1,000 entries
Grand champions 212
titles handed out here
State championships 54 🏅
on the calendar
Towns 45
136 venues · 176 recurring contests
Seasons on record 14
2013 – 2026
Published purses $722,580
across 70 contests that listed one
Cancelled 20
not counted as contests held
How Tennessee stacks up (against all 94 regions on file)
The bar is Tennessee's standing on that measure: a full bar is the region that leads it, an empty one is the region that trails it. Rate-based measures need a minimum body of results before a region is ranked at all, so a single hot weekend can't buy a place. The median is the middle region, not the average — one huge region would drag an average somewhere no region actually is.
Contests held
295
#5 of 94
▲ median 37
Teams competing
2,918
#3 of 88
▲ median 249.5
Contests this season
19
#4 of 75
▲ median 2.5
Field depth
41 teams
#4 of 61
▲ median 31 teams
Winning score
702.05
#1 of 52
▲ median 694.24
Judging severity (lowest average category score = toughest room)
167.27
#45 of 45
▲ median 163.95
Perfect-180 rate
15.3 /1k
#1 of 45
▲ median 5.7 /1k
Growth (last three completed seasons against the three before)
115%
#2 of 30
▲ median 9.5%
State championships
54
#10 of 51
▲ median 5
In the record book (3 in the KCBS record book)
Where this state or province stands in the all-time KCBS record book, against every other one on file.
Regions like this one
Matched on the shape of the scene — how many contests it runs, how deep the fields get, how the room scores and how often it hands out a 180 — not on the map. Counts are compared on a log scale, because 5 contests to 15 is a different scene while 300 to 310 is the same one.
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Season by season
Click a column heading to re-sort. Winning score is the Master overall (of 720); a season with no scored Master contest leaves it blank.
Contests per season (up to 2026)
When they cook (month of year)
Field depth over time (average teams per contest, and teams competing that season)
What it took to win (average Master winning score, and 180s scored)
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How the room scores (every judged meat, against the sport as a whole)
A lower average means a harder room. “vs sport” is this region's average minus the same meat's average everywhere KCBS is scored.
Meat Avg here vs sport Entries 180s 180s /1k
Chicken
168.15
+2.99
8,863
180
20.3
Pork Ribs
166.93
+3.31
9,133
84
9.2
Pork
167.49
+3.2
8,118
131
16.1
Brisket
166.38
+4.16
7,386
118
16
Top teams who cook here (by power rating)
The regulars (most contests cooked in Tennessee)
Team Contests GCs Last
ROOTERS-N-TOOTERS TN 94 11 May 24, 2026
Organizer Portal 87 13 Mar 20, 2026
HIGH ON THE HAWG 73 4 May 24, 2026
Under the Radar 63 9 Aug 25, 2023
SMOKE ON THIS 62 3 Jul 12, 2019
HOT COLE'S BBQ 61 7 May 24, 2026
BIG G BBQ 58 — Jun 12, 2026
SWIGGIN PIG 56 8 Mar 19, 2021
THE ALGOOD BAR-B-Q PIT CREW 53 1 Mar 14, 2025
DIRTY OL' BUTT SLAPPERS 51 — Jun 21, 2019
RIVER ROAD GRILLBILLIES 49 1 Jun 23, 2023
CONTAGIOUS Q 45 2 May 17, 2024
Highest scores in Tennessee (Master · /720)
Score Team Where
714.2628 SWIG-N-PIG
Big BBQ Bash Jun 23, 2023
713.7372 JANKY LEG BBQ
3rd Annual Obion County Fair BBQ Cook Off - Day 1 May 19, 2023
713.7144 HOT COLE'S BBQ
Brew B Q Nov 10, 2017
713.7028 CHECKERED FLAG 500 BBQ
Cumberland Plateau BBQ Cook-off & Cruise In (Day 2) Jul 9, 2017
713.7028 WOLF'S REVENGE BBQ
Cumberland Plateau BBQ Cook-Off & Cruise In Day 2 Jul 14, 2018
713.1200 RAZORRACKS
Smoke on the Shores BBQ Championship Mar 20, 2026
712.5716 WARREN COUNTY PORK CHOPPERS
The Rotary Club of Bearden - Que Fest May 29, 2015
711.4172 Kings BBQ Team
8th Annual KCBS World Invitational: Wells Cup, Cocktail Ancillary, Dessert Ancillary (Saturday, May 23, 2026) May 23, 2026
710.9144 Organizer Portal
BBQ-Fest Cooking Contest Jul 20, 2018
710.8688 2 WORTHLESS NUTS, NATURAL BORN GRILLERS
The Rotary Club of Bearden - Que Fest May 29, 2015
Contests that come back (recurring)
Contest Editions Biggest Last held
Smoke on the Shores BBQ Championship 13 125 Mar 19, 2027
High on the Hog Festival (BACKYARD ONLY) 9 62 May 15, 2026
Jack Daniel's World Championship Invitational Barbecue (Competitor's Series) (JUDGES BY INVITATION ONLY) 6 97 Oct 9, 2026
Bloomin' BBQ Music & Food Festival 5 33 May 14, 2027
Big BBQ Bash 5 36 Jun 20, 2025
Jack Daniel's World Championship Shade Tree Contest (BACKYARD) (JUDGES FULL) 5 42 Oct 25, 2019
Jack Daniel's World Championship Invitation Barbecue (JUDGES FULL) 5 102 Oct 26, 2018
Smoke in the Valley 5 26 Sep 21, 2018
Certified Barbeque Judging Class - Lynchburg, TN 4 — Oct 9, 2026
Robertson County Fair Assoc. Barbeque Throwdown (COMPETITOR SERIES) 4 36 Jun 12, 2026
Covington World's Oldest Barbeque Festival 4 28 May 30, 2025
Blount County BBQ Bash 4 38 Jun 21, 2019
Where it happens (towns in Tennessee)
Town Contests Seasons Avg field Last
Lebanon 32 8 77 Mar 19, 2027
Lynchburg 31 13 74 Oct 9, 2026
Memphis 26 12 26 Apr 18, 2026
Nashville 16 8 49 Sep 3, 2021
Sevierville 13 13 41 May 14, 2027
Millington 13 9 29 Sep 8, 2023
Murfreesboro 12 10 33 Apr 30, 2027
Winchester 12 12 44 May 15, 2026
Maryville 12 12 33 Jun 20, 2025
Knoxville 10 6 38 Jun 16, 2018
Springfield 9 7 28 Jun 12, 2026
Somerville 8 8 29 Apr 12, 2024
Reps who work Tennessee
Rep Contests Last
Carolyn Wells 28 Mar 19, 2027
Wayne Lohman 28 Sep 25, 2026
Charlie Brinza 25 Mar 19, 2027
Maria Lohman 24 Sep 25, 2026
Connie Amidei 19 May 14, 2027
Jonathan Amidei 18 May 14, 2027
David Burstein 17 Mar 19, 2027
Jeanne Titus 17 Mar 19, 2027
Carol Bigler 17 Oct 9, 2026
Randy G Bigler 15 Oct 9, 2026
State championships 🏅
Contest Teams Grand champion
Bloomin' BBQ Music & Food Festival May 14, 2027
—
—
Smoke on the Shores BBQ Championship Mar 19, 2027
—
—
Big BBQ Bash Sep 25, 2026
30
Alpine Smoke Works
BBQ for Bravery Jun 19, 2026
19
Electro-Que-ted
Covington World's Oldest Barbeque Contest May 29, 2026
25
Dang Good BBQ
Bloomin' BBQ Music & Food Festival May 15, 2026
33
Glamping Grillers
Smoke on the Shores BBQ Championship Mar 20, 2026
125
Razorracks
Hub City BBQ Fest (formerly TN River BBQ Fest) Oct 3, 2025
25
Mudville BBQ
Big BBQ Bash Jun 20, 2025
26
Alpine Smoke Works
Covington World's Oldest Barbeque Festival May 30, 2025
25
Mudville BBQ
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Where else these teams cook
Of the 2,412 teams with a recorded finish in Tennessee, this is where else they turn up — the honest picture of which scenes share a travelling field. Follow one to open it up.
On the map (every mapped contest in Tennessee — tap a pin)
⚔ Compare TN with another region
🗺 Browse every region
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☕
Hey, I’m Ross
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