2020 Season

← 2019 2021 →

Every number below is read straight out of the 2020 results: 177 contests, 2,195 teams and 5,348 team entries.

📰 Read it as The Smoke Ring 📊 The season in charts 📋 The boards 🔢 More numbers 🗓 All 2020 contests

Contests

177

134 scored · 43 still out · 39 cancelled

Teams competing

2,195

570 new · 1,625 back from before

Team entries

5,348

2.4 contests per team

Different champions

101

129 contests won · 75 won just once

It took this to win

696.27

average winning Master overall · won by 4.54 on average

Top score

712.5832

SMOKING BUTT HEADS

Perfect 180s

141 🔥

7.2 per 1,000 meat entries

States & provinces

busiest MO (22)

Typical field

teams · biggest was 117

Came back

20%

1,379 of 6,888 teams from 2019

Purse on the line

$741,860

listed across 92 contests

State championships

115

contests carrying a state title

Team of the Year

👑 Master Series — GETTIN' BASTED (2670 pts) full board ↗
🥇 Chicken (Backyard) — REDBONES BBQ (1222 pts)
🥇 Pork Ribs (Backyard) — LEE LA Q (1361 pts)
🥇 Brisket (Master) — ROOTERS-N-TOOTERS TN (2307 pts)
🥇 Chicken (Master) — 4 LEGS UP BBQ (2381 pts)
🥇 Pork (Master) — B-S BBQ OUTLAWS (2593 pts)
🥇 Pork Ribs (Master) — GETTIN' BASTED (2425 pts)

Storylines (11 found in the 2020 numbers)

Everything here is read out of the results — the number on each card is the one that made it a story.

Team of the Year

2,670 Master Series points

GETTIN' BASTED finished 2020 as KCBS Master Series Team of the Year on 2,670 points.

The season’s big winner

6× grand championships in 2020

6 of the 129 contests won this season

SLAPS BBQ took 6 grand championships in 2020, more than anyone else — out of 129 won by 101 different teams.

BOOMERANG BBQ ×5
GETTIN' BASTED ×5
Heavy Smoke BBQ ×4

The score of the year

712.5832 highest Master overall of 2020

SMOKING BUTT HEADS put up 712.5832 at Papa Joe's Banjo-B-Que & Music Festival — 16.31 points clear of what a 2020 win averaged.

Papa Joe's Banjo-B-Que & Music Festival
Sep 5, 2020

The closest finish

0.0572 points between first and second

KEVLAR BBQ beat BooyaQ by 0.0572 at Rumble on the River Presented by TheBBQSuperStore.com — the narrowest Master win of 2020, and 2 more finished dead level and went to the KCBS tiebreaker.

Rumble on the River Presented by TheBBQSuperStore.com
Sep 25, 2020

Rookie champion

1× GC in their first season

KenzielouQ cooked their first tracked KCBS contest in 2020 and won 1 grand championship — one of 6 rookies to take a title.

5 contests cooked
class of 2020: 570 new teams

The biggest upset

6% their odds against the top seed

6% — what the rating gave them going in

CHUNKY BBQ (rated 1474) won New Jersey KnoQ-out: DAY 2-CAMPGROUND BBQ SERIES out of a field headed by WOLF'S REVENGE BBQ at 1953.

28 teams
Jul 31, 2020

The season’s biggest climb

+168.4 power rating gained in 2020

PIGGIN' WHISKEY O.G added 168.4 rating points across 23 rated contests in 2020 — they sit at #358 today.

23 rated contests
now #358 at 1710

Perfect boxes

141 perfect 180s in 2020

Judges handed out 141 perfect 180s in 2020 — 7.2 for every 1,000 meat entries. 4 LEGS UP BBQ collected 5 of them.

4 LEGS UP BBQ ×5
MEAT RUSHMORE BBQ ×5
Bald Hawg BBQ ×4

Most miles cooked

32 contests entered in 2020

4 LEGS UP BBQ entered 32 contests in 2020 — the busiest season anyone cooked.

0 GCs
13 top-ten overalls
12 states/provinces

The biggest room

117 teams at one contest

The 2020 average field was 37 teams

Humble BBQ Cook off drew 117 teams, against a 2020 average of 37 — B-S BBQ Outlaw won it.

Jan 31, 2020
TX

A shorter calendar

-61% contests against 2019

KCBS ran 177 contests in 2020, down 273 on the 450 of 2019.

177 in 2020
450 in 2019

The season in charts

When they cooked (contests per month)

Where they cooked (busiest states and provinces)

How the season scored (every Master overall, in 10-point bins)

How big the fields were (contests by number of teams)

How the meats scored (average of every entry, /180)

2020 in the run of seasons (2020 picked out in both)

Contests held, season by season

What it took to win (average winning Master overall, /720)

The boards

Master Series Team of the Year (top 10)

#	Team	Points
1	GETTIN' BASTED	2670
2	SLAPS BBQ	2668
3	Heavy Smoke BBQ	2603
4	ROOTERS-N-TOOTERS TN	2578
5	WHO CARES BBQ	2515
6	MAN MEAT BBQ	2320
7	B-S BBQ OUTLAWS	2306
8	Smoke Me Silly	2297
9	One2BBQ	2213
10	MUTTLEY CREW BBQ	2200

Most Grand Championships

#	Team	GCs
1	SLAPS BBQ	6
2	BOOMERANG BBQ	5
3	GETTIN' BASTED	5
4	Heavy Smoke BBQ	4
5	LEE LA Q	4
6	Organizer Portal	4
7	ROOTERS-N-TOOTERS TN	4
8	WHO CARES BBQ	4
9	Angry Jack BBQ	3
10	B-S BBQ OUTLAWS	3

Highest overall scores (Master · /720)

#	Team	Score
1	SMOKING BUTT HEADS Papa Joe's Banjo-B-Que & Music Festival · Sep 5, 2020	712.5832
2	SMOKING BUTT HEADS Second Annual KCBS World Invitational Barbeque Competition · Nov 13, 2020	708.5600
3	MAN MEAT BBQ Cameron Elks BBQ Cook Off (Day 1) · Jul 17, 2020	708.5372
4	GETTIN' BASTED Roast-N-Boast · Oct 9, 2020	708.0116
5	THE REAL SMOKIN ACES Big Blue Barbecue · Aug 14, 2020	707.4400
6	BACKYARD BRO'S BBQ Swine At the Shrine · Sep 11, 2020	707.4060
7	YES, DEAR BBQ Georgia BBQ Championship Throwdown · Nov 20, 2020	707.4060
8	HIGH i QUE Farm Stock Smoke Off · Jul 24, 2020	706.8572
9	SWEET SMOKE Q Papa Joe's Banjo-B-Que & Music Festival · Sep 5, 2020	706.8344
10	Pits and Grills Smokin on the Osage (Day 2) · Jul 18, 2020	706.3088

Highest overall scores (Backyard · /360)

#	Team	Score
1	Bowmans Butt & BBQ Second Annual KCBS World Invitational Barbeque Competition · Nov 13, 2020	356
2	Hickory Hangover Corums Building Center BBQ (BACKYARD ONLY) · Mar 6, 2020	353.1200
3	Ham Squad Bonifay All American Smoker Competition · Oct 2, 2020	352.5828
4	The Real Squeal BBQ Capital City Cook Off · Feb 21, 2020	352.5716
5	LEE LA Q Smoke on the Falls · Sep 18, 2020	352.5600
6	LEE LA Q Kick It In The Sticks (BACKYARD ONLY) · Jun 5, 2020	352.0116
7	The Real Squeal BBQ Mission Q (Backyard Only) · Nov 20, 2020	349.7372
8	MURPHY'S BACKYARD BBQ Mission Q (Backyard Only) · Nov 20, 2020	349.7260
9	Magnolia BBQ Mission Q (Backyard Only) · Nov 20, 2020	349.7028
10	PUCKDADDY'S KILLER Q Second Annual KCBS World Invitational Barbeque Competition · Nov 13, 2020	348.5372

Best cook of the season, meat by meat (/180)

Meat	Team	Score
Chicken	7-8-9 BBQ Slab-O-Rama Barbeque Challenge	180 🔥
Pork Ribs	BOOMERANG BBQ 2nd Annual Qlathe BBQ Championship	180 🔥
Pork	White Squirrel BBQ W.E.S.T. Winter Extreme South Tyrol BBQ Contest	180 🔥
Brisket	Bushmaster BBQ Lakeland Pig Festival	180 🔥

How hard each meat was (2020 only)

Meat	Entries	Avg	Avg win	180s per 1,000
Chicken	5,207	166.97	177.44	9.4
Pork Ribs	5,305	165.24	176.85	2.8
Pork	4,433	166.24	177.89	7
Brisket	4,602	165	177.89	10

Busiest teams (contests entered)

Team	Contests	GCs	Top 10
4 LEGS UP BBQ 12 states	32	0	13
ROOTERS-N-TOOTERS TN 12 states	31	4	19
BOOMERANG BBQ 9 states	30	5	14
B-S BBQ OUTLAWS 12 states	29	3	16
MAN MEAT BBQ 7 states	29	1	19
Heavy Smoke BBQ 8 states	28	4	17
SLAPS BBQ 8 states	27	6	19
GETTIN' BASTED 13 states	26	5	18
PIGGIN' WHISKEY O.G 8 states	24	2	11
MEAT RUSHMORE BBQ 6 states	23	1	8

Biggest climbers (power rating gained in 2020)

Team	Gained	Contests
PIGGIN' WHISKEY O.G #358 today	+168.4	23
CHICKEN FRIED BBQ #180 today	+143.5	13
Poppa Pig #125 today	+122.4	12
Happy Grillmore #249 today	+121.9	11
DOUBLE BARREL BBQ - OK #783 today	+118.6	17
Shiggin aint easy #166 today	+105.8	16
LEM'S MEAT VARNISH #438 today	+104.7	15
Chingon BBQ #482 today	+97.5	10
D’Qued Barbeque #177 today	+95.3	7
Boom Chicka Cow Cow #118 today	+94.3	14

Biggest contests

Contest	Teams	Grand Champion
Humble BBQ Cook off Humble, TX	117	B-S BBQ Outlaw
Socially Distanced Smoking - Brisket presented by The BBQ League washington, MO	109	Bone Yard BBQ
Second Annual KCBS World Invitational Barbeque Competition Mayetta, KS	94	Smoking Butt Heads
Smoke in the Spring Osage City, KS	93	Tebo Creek BBQ
Covid-Que Relief (Day 1) Franklin, IN	69	Rooters-n-Tooters
2nd Annual Qlathe BBQ Championship Olathe, KS	68	Heavy Smoke BBQ
Rockin BBQ Warsaw, IN	66	Shiggin' Aint Easy
Ottumwa Smoketoberfest Ottumwa, IA	66	Iowa Smokey D's BBQ
Firelake BBQ Cook Off-Day 1 Shawnee, OK	64	Boomerang BBQ
Covid-Que Relief (Day 2) Franklin, IN	63	One2BBQ

Closest finishes (Master, first over second)

Margin	Contest
0.0572	Rumble on the River Presented by TheBBQSuperStore.com KEVLAR BBQ over BooyaQ
0.0576	The Oklahoma Grand BBQ Championship Day 2 RUB MY RACK over Petie's Smokin Pits BBQ
0.0684	The Tyson Guinea Pig, Matt Dalton Memorial SLAUGHTERHOUSE FIVE over HICKORY AND SPICE BBQ
0.0688	TN River BBQ Battle & Music Fest GETTIN' BASTED over THUNDER HOG BBQ
0.5256	Desoto Shrine Club 12th Annual BBQ Cook-Off FIRE DANCER BBQ over Poppa Pig
0.5368	"Last Chance" KnoQ-out - CAMPGROUND BBQ SERIES Piggin' Whiskey over SMOKIN' TEX BBQ
0.5600	BBQ & Fly in on the River SHAKE 'N BAKE BBQ over GETTIN' SAUCED
0.5712	Nevada Chamber Low and Slow Barbecue cook off SLAPS BBQ over HIGH i QUE
0.5716	Smokin on the Osage (Day 2) Pits and Grills over BYO GRILL
0.5828	Bring'n Home the Bacon Day 2 ROOTERS-N-TOOTERS TN over BOOMERANG BBQ

2 more finished dead level and were settled by the KCBS tiebreaker.

Widest winning margins (Master)

Margin	Contest
25.7372	Vienna BBQ Days 2020 Day 1 SOUTHERN DUTCH BBQ over SCHLUCHTENGRILLER BBQ
20.5368	Real Squeal BBQ Smoke Off Iowa Smokey D's over LUCKY'S Q
15.4172	Covid-Que Relief (Day 2) One2BBQ over BLUE ISLAND BBQ CO.
15.3944	Zero 2 Hero BBQ Challenge Ribs n Pigs BBQ over Smokin Genius
15.3940	Red Rock BBQ GETTIN' BASTED over Downing Street BBQ

Biggest upsets (winner's odds against the top-rated team)

Odds	Contest
6%	New Jersey KnoQ-out: DAY 2-CAMPGROUND BBQ SERIES CHUNKY BBQ (1474) over a field led by WOLF'S REVENGE BBQ (1953)
6%	Smokin on the Osage (Day 1) DOUBLE BARREL BBQ - OK (1503) over a field led by BOOMERANG BBQ (1976)
6%	Rockin BBQ Shiggin aint easy (1510) over a field led by GETTIN' BASTED (1979)
7%	Real Squeal BBQ Smoke Off Iowa Smokey D's (1500) over a field led by LUCKY'S Q (1953)
7%	Swine At the Shrine BACKYARD BRO'S BBQ (1513) over a field led by Organizer Portal (1958)
8%	Bring'n Home the Bacon Day 1 PIGTAILERS BBQ (1565) over a field led by IOWA'S SMOKEY D'S BBQ (1994)
8%	Smoke in the Grove DIG'N N PIG'N (1539) over a field led by WOLF'S REVENGE BBQ (1967)
8%	Smokin on the Osage (Day 2) Pits and Grills (1557) over a field led by BOOMERANG BBQ (1978)
8%	4th Annual E'burg BBQ Contest WAG'S BACKWOODS BBQ (1558) over a field led by GETTIN' BASTED (1975)
9%	Kickin It Route 66 Barbeque Challenge PIGGIN' WHISKEY O.G (1615) over a field led by SHAKE 'N BAKE BBQ (2025)

Read off the nightly power-rating replay. Invitationals and non-points contests are not rated, so they never appear here.

Most perfect 180s (in 2020)

Team	180s	Contests
4 LEGS UP BBQ	5	5
MEAT RUSHMORE BBQ	5	5
Bald Hawg BBQ	4	4
Under the Radar	4	4
WHO CARES BBQ	4	4
B-S BBQ OUTLAWS	3	3
GETTIN' BASTED	3	3
LA PASADITA	3	3
PALMETTO PITMASTERS	3	3
ROOTERS-N-TOOTERS TN	3	3

Class of 2020 (570 teams debuted · how the class did →)

Team	Contests	GCs
KenzielouQ	5	1
Weber's Backyard BBQ	4	1
BACKYARD BRO'S BBQ	2	1
Goorjus BBQ	2	1
.Smokin' Mokers	1	1
Iowa Smokey D's	1	1
T-N-T Que Crew-Barrett	1	1
Tallulah Falls School Pit Vipers	1	1
Wicked Oak Bareque	1	1
CHICKEN FRIED BBQ	13	0
Poppa Pig	13	0
Ambition Que	10	0

State by state

State/Prov.	Contests	Scored	Avg field
MO 15 titles	22	17	37
GA 9 titles	17	9	43
KS 9 titles	17	7	61
AL 4 titles	11	8	25
IN 4 titles	9	8	48
OK 6 titles	8	6	57
NJ 4 titles	7	7	26
VA 6 titles	6	5	25
IA 5 titles	5	5	46
SC 4 titles	5	5	29
MD	4	0	—
TX 4 titles	4	4	53
WI 3 titles	4	4	38
AZ 3 titles	3	2	44
CA 3 titles	3	2	48
CO 3 titles	3	1	19
FL 3 titles	3	3	34
IL 3 titles	3	3	36
MI 3 titles	3	3	34
MN 3 titles	3	3	34
MS 3 titles	3	3	38
NC 3 titles	3	3	25
UT 3 titles	3	3	30
OR 2 titles	2	1	16
PA 2 titles	2	2	56
SD 2 titles	2	2	36
WY 2 titles	2	2	41
AB	1	1	21
BZ	1	1	28
KY 1 title	1	1	30
LA	1	0	—
NE	1	0	—
NY 1 title	1	0	—
OH 1 title	1	1	41
TN 1 title	1	1	47

State championships (115 in 2020)

Contest	Grand Champion
Red Rock BBQ UT · Jan 3, 2020	GETTIN' BASTED BARBEQUE
Slab-O-Rama Barbeque Challenge AZ · Jan 17, 2020	BIG POPPA SMOKERS
Lakeland Pig Festival FL · Jan 24, 2020	Smoke Central BBQ
The Golden State Battle II CA · Jan 24, 2020	Smokeshow
Humble BBQ Cook off TX · Jan 31, 2020	B-S BBQ Outlaw
Brasstown Valley Winter BBQ Throwdown (TEAMS AND JUDGES FULL) GA · Feb 7, 2020	SMOKE ME SILLY
Shotgun Fred BBQ Showdown TX · Feb 14, 2020	The American Dream BBQ
Albany Bacon Championship OR · Feb 15, 2020	Booties BBQ
Capital City Cook Off AL · Feb 21, 2020	B-S BBQ Outlaws
The Tyson Guinea Pig, Matt Dalton Memorial CA · Feb 21, 2020	Slaughterhouse Five
Best in the Desert Southwest KCBS BBQ Competition AZ · Feb 28, 2020	Big Poppa Smokers
Fire it up Frostproof! FL · Mar 6, 2020	Pig-Chicka-Cow-Cow
Sip & Swine BBQ Festival GA · Mar 6, 2020	ANGRY JACK BBQ
2nd Annual Qlathe BBQ Championship KS · Mar 13, 2020	Heavy Smoke BBQ
Speed & Feed BBQ Cook-Off & Car Show SC · Mar 13, 2020	Palmetto Pitmasters
Rockahock Pickin N Pullin BBQ Competition- (Postponed) VA · Apr 24, 2020	—
Lodi Beerfest & BBQ 2020- (Postpone) CA · Apr 24, 2020	—
Gettin Basted Open (Postponed) MO · May 23, 2020	—
Rockin BBQ IN · May 29, 2020	Shiggin' Aint Easy
Honeybee BBQ Competition (POSTPONED) GA · Jun 12, 2020	—

Busiest reps (contests worked in 2020)

Rep	Contests
Doug Reid	16
Alan Rothrock	14
Ralph Williams	11
Karen Jane Williams	10
Louise Weidner	10
Alex Jr Brown	9
Bob McKinnon	8
Bunny Tuttle	8
Phil Morrow Phb	8
Rich Tuttle	8

More from 2020

Season ran Jan 3 → Dec 26 first and last contest on the 2020 calendar

Average winning margin 4.54 across 121 Master contests · 2 settled by tiebreaker

Walks to the stage 5,497 top-ten calls handed out in the four meats

New teams 570 first tracked contest anywhere was in 2020

Contest series 166 distinct recurring contests on the calendar

Busiest weekend 8 contests all on Sep 11, 2020

Reps working 83 KCBS reps on the season’s contests

Toughest table Brisket lowest average of the four meats at 165

Outside the rating 8 invitationals and non-points contests that do not move a power rating

Cancelled 39 contests that came off the calendar

Results still out 43 of 177 contests on the 2020 calendar

Contest counts exclude cancelled events. Overall scores are split by series because they are on different scales — Master is out of 720, Backyard out of 360 — and only the four judged meats count toward perfect 180s. Browse every 2020 contest →