2024 Season

← 2023 2025 →

Every number below is read straight out of the 2024 results: 418 contests, 4,370 teams and 10,672 team entries.

📊 The season in charts 📋 The boards 🔢 Every number 🗓 All 2024 contests

Contests

418

343 scored · 75 still out · 58 cancelled

Teams competing

4,370

1,211 new · 3,159 back from before

Team entries

10,672

2.4 contests per team

Different champions

219

287 contests won · 145 won just once

It took this to win

700.83

average winning Master overall · won by 3.89 on average

Top score

714.8572

Poppa Pig

Perfect 180s

587 🔥

15 per 1,000 meat entries

States & provinces

busiest MO (31)

Typical field

teams · biggest was 444

Came back

49.8%

2,289 of 4,599 teams from 2023

Purse on the line

$2,176,790

listed across 266 contests

State championships

203

contests carrying a state title

Team of the Year

👑 Backyard Series — WEEZ'S GROOVIN' BBQ (1404 pts) full board ↗
👑 Master Series — CHUNKY BBQ (2734 pts) full board ↗
🥇 Chicken (Backyard) — Mad Hatter BBQ (1337 pts)
🥇 Pork Ribs (Backyard) — WEEZ'S GROOVIN' BBQ (1386 pts)
🥇 Brisket (Master) — JANKY LEG BBQ (2672 pts)
🥇 Chicken (Master) — ROOTERS-N-TOOTERS TN (2702 pts)
🥇 Pork (Master) — CHUNKY BBQ (2706 pts)
🥇 Pork Ribs (Master) — Meat Candy Q (2672 pts)

Storylines (11 found in the 2024 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

2,734 Master Series points

CHUNKY BBQ finished 2024 as KCBS Master Series Team of the Year on 2,734 points.

Backyard: WEEZ'S GROOVIN' BBQ

The season’s big winner

8× grand championships in 2024

8 of the 287 contests won this season

CHUNKY BBQ was one of 2 teams to take 8 grand championships in 2024 — out of 287 won by 219 different teams.

ROOTERS-N-TOOTERS TN ×8
JANKY LEG BBQ ×7
Curly Bird BBQ ×6

The score of the year

714.8572 highest Master overall of 2024

Poppa Pig put up 714.8572 at 8th Annual Jimmy Jam BBQ Slam & Car Show — 14.03 points clear of what a 2024 win averaged.

8th Annual Jimmy Jam BBQ Slam & Car Show
2024-01-04

The closest finish

0.0004 points between first and second

3BBQ beat Dreamfire BBQ Team by 0.0004 at BBQ Festival Vanamoisa, Estonia — the narrowest Master win of 2024, and 5 more finished dead level and went to the KCBS tiebreaker.

BBQ Festival Vanamoisa, Estonia
2024-08-16

Rookie champion

3× GC in their first season

Electro-Que-ted cooked their first tracked KCBS contest in 2024 and won 3 grand championships — one of 6 rookies to take a title.

19 contests cooked
class of 2024: 1,211 new teams

The biggest upset

10% their odds against the top seed

10% — what the rating gave them going in

Just wing it BBQ team (rated 1492) won Riverland Smokers BBQ Contest out of a field headed by IQ - NETHERLANDS at 1877.

23 teams
2024-06-22

The season’s biggest climb

+178.6 power rating gained in 2024

Mad Hatter BBQ added 178.6 rating points across 18 rated contests in 2024 — they sit at #384 today.

18 rated contests
now #384 at 1703

Perfect boxes

587 perfect 180s in 2024

Judges handed out 587 perfect 180s in 2024 — 15 for every 1,000 meat entries. JANKY LEG BBQ collected 12 of them.

JANKY LEG BBQ ×12
ROOTERS-N-TOOTERS TN ×11
CHUNKY BBQ ×10

Most miles cooked

43 contests entered in 2024

ROOTERS-N-TOOTERS TN entered 43 contests in 2024, winning 8 of them.

8 GCs
32 top-ten overalls
19 states/provinces

The biggest room

444 teams at one contest

The 2024 average field was 30 teams

American Royal World Series of Barbecue - Open Contest drew 444 teams, against a 2024 average of 30 — Chunky BBQ won it.

2024-10-30
KS

A shorter calendar

-8% contests against 2023

KCBS ran 418 contests in 2024, down 34 on the 452 of 2023.

418 in 2024
452 in 2023

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)

2024 in the run of seasons (2024 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	CHUNKY BBQ	2734
2	JANKY LEG BBQ	2733
3	ROOTERS-N-TOOTERS TN	2682
4	Poppa Pig	2604
5	WOLF'S REVENGE BBQ	2599
6	Colorado Bulldawg BBQ	2567
7	Piggin' Whiskey	2556
8	Uncle Pig's Barbeque Pit	2555
9	HOT DADDY'S BBQ	2551
10	Heavy Smoke BBQ	2486

Backyard Series Team of the Year (top 10)

#	Team	Points
1	WEEZ'S GROOVIN' BBQ	1404
2	Smokey Bees BBQ - MS	1387
3	Electro-Que-ted	1308
4	Leaning Jowler BBQ	1294
5	Curly Bird BBQ	1293
6	Mad Hatter BBQ	1278
7	Rough Cut Q	1276
8	Swine-O-licious BBQ	1273
8	Rollin Smoke BBQ	1273
10	Too Sauced BBQ	1266

Most Grand Championships

#	Team	GCs
1	CHUNKY BBQ	8
2	ROOTERS-N-TOOTERS TN	8
3	JANKY LEG BBQ	7
4	Curly Bird BBQ	6
5	WEEZ'S GROOVIN' BBQ	6
6	WOLF'S REVENGE BBQ	6
7	GETTIN' BASTED	5
8	HOT DADDY'S BBQ	5
9	Poppa Pig	5
10	Smokey Bees BBQ - MS	5

Highest overall scores (Master · /720)

#	Team	Score
1	Poppa Pig 8th Annual Jimmy Jam BBQ Slam & Car Show · 2024-01-04	714.8572
2	JANKY LEG BBQ East Central Kansas State BBQ Championship · 2024-08-23	714.2744
3	IOWA'S SMOKEY D'S BBQ Torry Island BBQ Showdown · 2024-03-01	714.2744
4	Cherry Anchor BBQ Roaring Camp BBQ Cook Off · 2024-05-24	713.7028
5	Piggin' Whiskey Montana Pitmaster Classic · 2024-08-23	713.1544
6	JANKY LEG BBQ Smokin on the Osage (Day 2) · 2024-07-20	713.1316
7	MUNNY'S STOVE Smoke on the Plains BBQ & Music Fest · 2024-06-07	712.5944
8	SWIG-N-PIG Chillin & Grillin in the Glades · 2024-07-19	712.5600
9	TRIPLE H BBQ Smokin on the Osage (Day 2) · 2024-07-20	712.0116
10	MUNNY'S STOVE Smokin' Saddles Double Header (Day 1) · 2024-07-26	711.9888

Highest overall scores (Backyard · /360)

#	Team	Score
1	Swine-O-licious BBQ RTrowbridge Memorial Cook Flyin (BACKYARD) · 2024-05-17	360.0000
2	NORALA BBQ TEAM Christmas on the River State Bar B Q Championship · 2024-12-06	358.8572
3	Deviant Smoke WhistleStop BBQ Festival (BACKYARD ONLY) · 2024-10-18	358.2972
4	Bushwood BBQ 6th Annual KCBS World Invitational - BACKYARD SERIES INVITATIONAL · 2024-05-25	357.7144
5	Electro-Que-ted Boo-B-Que BBQ Championship (Day 1) (MASTERS and BACKYARD) · 2024-10-25	357.7028
6	Rollin Smoke BBQ Scottsboro BBQ Festival (BACKYARD & KIDS QUE) · 2024-10-11	357.7028
7	Bad Influence BBQ - MO American Royal World Series of Barbecue Backyard Contest · 2024-03-22	357.7028
8	WEEZ'S GROOVIN' BBQ Smoke on the Shores BBQ Championship · 2024-03-15	357.1428
9	Steak Princess BBQ Poosa Q · 2024-10-04	356.5716
10	Smoke This Drink That BBQ 6th Annual KCBS World Invitational - BACKYARD SERIES INVITATIONAL · 2024-05-25	356.5716

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

Meat	Team	Score
Chicken	ELITE BBQ SMOKERS 8th Annual Jimmy Jam BBQ Slam & Car Show	180.0000 🔥
Pork Ribs	Cold Beer BBQ Grills Gone Wild	180.0000 🔥
Pork	Smoke Central BBQ 8th Annual Jimmy Jam BBQ Slam & Car Show	180.0000 🔥
Brisket	Kings BBQ Team 8th Annual Jimmy Jam BBQ Slam & Car Show	180.0000 🔥

How hard each meat was (2024 only)

Meat	Entries	Avg	Avg win	180s per 1,000
Chicken	10,704	168.05	178.21	19.7
Pork Ribs	11,334	166.68	177.54	9.4
Pork	8,792	167.71	178.21	18
Brisket	8,348	165.71	177.94	13.4

Busiest teams (contests entered)

Team	Contests	GCs	Top 10
ROOTERS-N-TOOTERS TN 19 states	43	8	32
CHUNKY BBQ 16 states	41	8	28
Colorado Bulldawg BBQ 19 states	39	4	24
Piggin' Whiskey 17 states	38	4	22
MAN MEAT BBQ 10 states	35	3	21
Uncle Pig's Barbeque Pit 11 states	35	3	28
Poppa Pig 17 states	33	5	21
WOLF'S REVENGE BBQ 10 states	32	6	23
Off The Rack BBQ 11 states	31	2	18
Bourbon & Blues BBQ 19 states	31	0	4

Biggest climbers (power rating gained in 2024)

Team	Gained	Contests
Mad Hatter BBQ #384 today	+178.6	18
Electro-Que-ted #142 today	+174.1	15
Rollin Smoke BBQ #144 today	+139.6	19
Too Sauced BBQ #230 today	+119.9	14
Curly Bird BBQ #440 today	+117.1	23
MUNNY'S STOVE #236 today	+115.7	15
T-Dawg BBQ #565 today	+108.7	10
Oink N' Doink BBQ #358 today	+106.5	16
Yardogs BBQ #476 today	+105.3	13
BBQ Pit Bros #445 today	+105.2	11

Biggest contests

Contest	Teams	Grand Champion
American Royal World Series of Barbecue - Open Contest Kansas City, KS	444	Chunky BBQ
The Great Lenexa BBQ Battle - Kansas State Championship Lenexa, KS	172	Mulkey's BBQ
American Royal World Series of Barbecue - Invitational Contest Kansas City, KS	169	Hot Daddy's BBQ
6th Annual KCBS World Invitational - OPEN Lebanon, TN	118	Local Yokels BBQ
Permian Basin Barbeque Cook-off by Daniel Energy Partners (COMPETITOR SERIES) Midland, TX	102	Cudd Energy Services
Smoke in the Spring Osage City, KS	97	Burnt Trees
Smoke on the Shores BBQ Championship Lebanon, TN	93	Continental Barbecue Co.
Jack Daniel's World Championship Invitational Barbecue (Competitor's Series) (JUDGES BY INVITATION ONLY) Lynchburg, TN	87	Scuffletown Smokers
6th Annual KCBS World Invitational - MASTER SERIES INVITATIONAL Lebanon, TN	81	Razorracks
South Carolina Festival of Discovery Greenwood, SC	76	Hot Cole's BBQ

Closest finishes (Master, first over second)

Margin	Contest
0.0004	BBQ Festival Vanamoisa, Estonia 3BBQ over Dreamfire BBQ Team
0.0004	BBCubed - Brighton Barbeque Bash THE BBQ BUS over SHIGGIN & GRINNIN
0.0004	Miles City Cowtown Cookoff WYO SMOKE SHOW over SMOKIN' BOXERS BBQ
0.0004	Southern New England Barbecue Throwdown - CAMPGROUND BBQ SERIES (DAY 1) ELJEFE SMOKE over SMOKIN HOGGZ BBQ - MA
0.0116	York County BBQ Festival (Day 1) Piggin' Whiskey over WOLF'S REVENGE BBQ
0.0116	Atlanta BBQ Store Classic ROOTERS-N-TOOTERS TN over Glamping Grillers
0.0116	Pigs & Peaches BBQ Festival BAD ROOSTER BBQ over YES, DEAR BBQ
0.0116	6th Annual KCBS World Invitational - MASTER SERIES INVITATIONAL RAZORRACKS over Glamping Grillers
0.0116	18th Annual Boss Hog State Championship Cook-Off Stewbabys BBQ over FRED VEGAS SMOKERS
0.0228	Farm Meat "De Vaartse Hoeve" Barbeque Contest (Day 1) The BBQ Ranch over COOKLOUNGE BBQ

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

Widest winning margins (Master)

Margin	Contest
20.0920	Back Porch Jam at the Hillsborough County Fairgrounds Kings BBQ Team over Accutech BBQ
18.8916	Jack 9 Memorial PARROTHEAD SMOKERS over Shiggin aint easy
17.7484	La Classique BBQ Labonte SweetMax BBQ over CycloneBBQ
17.7484	Panama BBQ Fest Justice BBQ over WEBEA ES LO Q HAY
15.4972	W.E.S.T. Winter Extreme South Tyrol BBQ+ over COOKLOUNGE BBQ

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

Odds	Contest
10%	Riverland Smokers BBQ Contest Just wing it BBQ team (1492) over a field led by IQ - NETHERLANDS (1877)
10%	De Vliegende Hollander BBQ Contest 2024 The good, the bad & the pitbitches (1500) over a field led by IQ - NETHERLANDS (1875)
11%	Lodi BeerFest & State BBQ Championship Small Axe BBQ (1580) over a field led by BIG POPPA SMOKERS (1941)
11%	9th Annual Slab-O-Rama Barbeque Challenge Cherry Anchor BBQ (1573) over a field led by BIG POPPA SMOKERS (1933)
11%	Hill City Wine, Brew & BBQ Q Cartel (1514) over a field led by LAST CALL HEROES BBQ (1872)
12%	Giant National Capital Barbecue Battle GOOD GOOGLY GOO BBQ (1679) over a field led by SHAKE 'N BAKE BBQ (2031)
12%	Smoke on the Water Kith n' Kin (1685) over a field led by SHAKE 'N BAKE BBQ (2025)
13%	The Great Lenexa BBQ Battle - Kansas State Championship Mulkey's BBQ (1634) over a field led by GETTIN' BASTED (1968)
13%	Smokin on the Route Bears Backyard Q (1610) over a field led by JANKY LEG BBQ (1939)
13%	Red White & Que - CAMPGROUND BBQ SERIES (Day 2) DIG'N N PIG'N (1621) over a field led by JANKY LEG BBQ (1945)

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

Most perfect 180s (in 2024)

Team	180s	Contests
JANKY LEG BBQ	12	11
ROOTERS-N-TOOTERS TN	11	8
CHUNKY BBQ	10	10
Smoke Central BBQ	9	6
Dr. Squealgood BBQ	7	7
GETTIN' BASTED	7	5
MAN MEAT BBQ	7	7
Poppa Pig	7	6
RAZORRACKS	7	6
Glamping Grillers	6	6

Class of 2024 (1,211 teams debuted · how the class did →)

Team	Contests	GCs
Electro-Que-ted	19	3
Rough Cut Q	15	2
Yardogs BBQ	13	2
1Bite Stand	8	1
Bucking Knockout	4	1
East Bow Que	3	1
Blue Falcon	2	1
Two Pigs And A Smoker	2	1
Braddah's BBQ	1	1
Jordyn Hayes	1	1
Pompano Pit Kings	1	1
Smith N' Sunshine BBQ	1	1

State by state

State/Prov.	Contests	Scored	Avg field
MO 14 titles	31	25	28
KS 20 titles	26	25	64
AL 3 titles	22	19	28
TN 6 titles	19	17	47
GA 7 titles	17	7	40
IN 5 titles	17	7	32
VA 12 titles	16	16	24
IL 4 titles	15	11	30
CA 9 titles	14	12	26
OK 6 titles	14	11	15
PA 12 titles	13	12	26
IA 7 titles	11	9	28
NC 10 titles	11	10	28
MN 4 titles	10	8	31
FL 8 titles	9	8	31
MA 5 titles	9	9	22
NJ 5 titles	9	9	24
MT 5 titles	7	5	22
TX 3 titles	7	5	52
WI 4 titles	7	7	31
AB	6	5	31
CO 4 titles	6	4	30
CT 3 titles	6	6	24
MI 4 titles	6	6	33
OR 3 titles	6	3	31
AR 3 titles	5	3	34
MD 2 titles	4	2	23
OH 3 titles	4	4	21
SD 2 titles	4	3	27
VT 2 titles	4	4	18
AZ 2 titles	3	2	42
ME 1 title	3	2	37
MS 3 titles	3	3	28
NY 1 title	3	2	15
WV 2 titles	3	2	22
WY 3 titles	3	3	24
AK 1 title	2	2	8
KY 1 title	2	2	26
NH 2 titles	2	2	28
NV 2 titles	2	2	54
ON	2	1	20
SK	2	1	21
UT 2 titles	2	2	23
WA 1 title	2	1	27
BC	1	1	9
BZ	1	1	26
DC 1 title	1	1	36
DE 1 title	1	1	26
ID 1 title	1	1	28
LA 1 title	1	1	31
LT	1	1	18
ND 1 title	1	1	47
NE 1 title	1	1	26
QC	1	1	26
SC 1 title	1	1	76

State championships (203 in 2024)

Contest	Grand Champion
8th Annual Jimmy Jam BBQ Slam & Car Show FL · 2024-01-04	Poppa Pig?
9th Annual Slab-O-Rama Barbeque Challenge AZ · 2024-01-12	CHERRY ANCHOR BBQ
SJV Winter Rub NE · 2024-01-26	Man Meat BBQ
Lakeland Pig Festival FL · 2024-01-26	Rooters-N-Tooters
Grills Gone Wild FL · 2024-02-09	Poppa Pig?
Ribs on the Ridge Brews & BBQ FL · 2024-02-16	Heavy Smoke BBQ
Best in the Southwest AZ · 2024-02-23	Meat Candy Q
Mission Farms King of the Farm NC · 2024-02-23	Casual Smokers
Sip & Swine BBQ Festival GA · 2024-03-01	YES DEAR BBQ
The Golden State Battle VI CA · 2024-03-01	Colorado Bull Dawg BBQ
Torry Island BBQ Showdown FL · 2024-03-01	Iowa's Smokey D's BBQ
Smoke on the Shores BBQ Championship TN · 2024-03-15	Continental Barbecue Co.
6th Annual Qlathe BBQ Championship KS · 2024-03-15	Pirates of Bar-B-Que Bay
Dinuba's BBQ & Brew Fest CA · 2024-03-15	Old Town Franklin BBQ
Back Porch Jam at the Hillsborough County Fairgrounds FL · 2024-03-16	Kings BBQ
Kickin' It Route 66 BBQ (Day 1) MO · 2024-03-22	Gettin' Basted
BBQ Gives Back (Day 1) (Masters and Backyard) VA · 2024-03-22	Smokecraft - MD
BBQ Gives Back (One Meat Chicken) VA · 2024-03-22	Glamping Grillers
BBQ Gives Back (One Meat Ribs) VA · 2024-03-22	Smokecraft - MD
Kickin' It Route 66 BBQ (Day 2) MO · 2024-03-23	Rooters-N-Tooters

Busiest reps (contests worked in 2024)

Rep	Contests
JEANNE TITUS	32
CHARLIE BRINZA	29
DAVE ROGERS	28
PEG ROGERS	27
LARRY VOTH	23
BILL JONES	22
CAROL BIGLER	22
RANDY G BIGLER	22
LYNDA VOTH	21
ALAN ROTHROCK	19

Every number from 2024 (20 of them)

Season ran 01-04 → 12-13 first and last contest on the 2024 calendar

Team entries 10,672 4,370 different teams · 2.4 contests each on average

Typical field 30 teams biggest was 444 at American Royal World Series of Barbecue - Open Contest

It took this to win 700.83 average winning Master overall · lowest was 660.49

Average winning margin 3.89 across 236 Master contests · 5 settled by tiebreaker

Walks to the stage 12,650 top-ten calls handed out in the four meats

Perfect 180s 587 15 per 1,000 meat entries · 39,178 entries judged

Different champions 219 287 contests won · 145 teams won exactly once

Came back 49.8% 2,289 of 4,599 teams from 2023 cooked again

New teams 1,211 first tracked contest anywhere was in 2024

Purse on the line $2,176,790 listed across 266 contests

State championships 203 contests carrying a state title

States and provinces 55 busiest was MO with 31

Contest series 341 distinct recurring contests on the calendar

Busiest weekend 16 contests all on 2024-09-13

Reps working 96 KCBS reps on the season’s contests

Toughest table Brisket lowest average of the four meats at 165.71

Outside the rating 14 invitationals and non-points contests that do not move a power rating

Cancelled 58 contests that came off the calendar

Results still out 75 of 418 contests on the 2024 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 2024 contest →