2025 Season

← 2024 2026 →

Every number below is read straight out of the 2025 results: 440 contests, 4,253 teams and 10,642 team entries.

📰 Read it as The Smoke Ring 📊 The season in charts 📋 The boards 🔢 More numbers 🗓 All 2025 contests

Contests

440

386 scored · 54 still out · 38 cancelled

Teams competing

4,253

1,043 new · 3,210 back from before

Team entries

10,642

2.5 contests per team

Different champions

229

306 contests won · 147 won just once

It took this to win

701.68

average winning Master overall · won by 3.97 on average

Top score

718.8572

B' Mackin BBQ

Perfect 180s

648 🔥

16.5 per 1,000 meat entries

States & provinces

busiest MO (34)

Typical field

teams · biggest was 401

Came back

52.2%

2,279 of 4,370 teams from 2024

Purse on the line

$2,172,325

listed across 295 contests

State championships

201

contests carrying a state title

Team of the Year

👑 Backyard Series — Electro-Que-ted (1414 pts) full board ↗
👑 Master Series — GETTIN' BASTED (2826 pts) full board ↗
🥇 Chicken (Backyard) — Electro-Que-ted (1378 pts)
🥇 Pork Ribs (Backyard) — Electro-Que-ted (1397 pts)
🥇 Brisket (Master) — SMOKIN' VOLTS BBQ (2583 pts)
🥇 Chicken (Master) — GETTIN' BASTED (2639 pts)
🥇 Pork (Master) — GETTIN' BASTED (2630 pts)
🥇 Pork Ribs (Master) — GETTIN' BASTED (2652 pts)

Storylines (12 found in the 2025 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

2,826 Master Series points

GETTIN' BASTED finished 2025 as KCBS Master Series Team of the Year on 2,826 points.

Backyard: Electro-Que-ted

The season’s big winner

9× grand championships in 2025

9 of the 306 contests won this season

GETTIN' BASTED took 9 grand championships in 2025, more than anyone else — out of 306 won by 229 different teams.

Electro-Que-ted ×7
FIRE & SHINE BBQ ×7
Leaning Jowler BBQ ×7

The score of the year

718.8572 highest Master overall of 2025

B' Mackin BBQ put up 718.8572 at 21st Annual Burnt Offerings BBQ Contest — 17.18 points clear of what a 2025 win averaged.

21st Annual Burnt Offerings BBQ Contest
Sep 12, 2025

A clean sweep

1 four-meat sweep

Winning all four meats at one contest happened 1 time in 2025 — The BBQ Ranch did it at Vienna Pet Fair BBQ and took the Grand Championship with it.

The BBQ Ranch · Vienna Pet Fair BBQ

The closest finish

0.0004 points between first and second

WOLF'S REVENGE BBQ beat SMOKIN SKULLIES by 0.0004 at Smokin' in the Pines — the narrowest Master win of 2025, and 6 more finished dead level and went to the KCBS tiebreaker.

Smokin' in the Pines
Mar 28, 2025

Rookie champion

2× GC in their first season

Average Joe BBQ Team cooked their first tracked KCBS contest in 2025 and won 2 grand championships — one of 6 rookies to take a title.

6 contests cooked
class of 2025: 1,043 new teams

The biggest upset

4% their odds against the top seed

4% — what the rating gave them going in

Angry Cock BBQ (rated 1452) won Kora Kares for Kids out of a field headed by GETTIN' BASTED at 1985.

40 teams
Aug 16, 2025

The season’s biggest climb

+155.5 power rating gained in 2025

Fire Pig added 155.5 rating points across 17 rated contests in 2025 — they sit at #640 today.

17 rated contests
now #640 at 1652

Perfect boxes

648 perfect 180s in 2025

Judges handed out 648 perfect 180s in 2025 — 16.5 for every 1,000 meat entries. JANKY LEG BBQ collected 13 of them.

JANKY LEG BBQ ×13
Damn Fine Beef & Swine ×11
ROOTERS-N-TOOTERS TN ×10

Most miles cooked

39 contests entered in 2025

GETTIN' BASTED entered 39 contests in 2025, winning 9 of them.

9 GCs
32 top-ten overalls
21 states/provinces

The biggest room

401 teams at one contest

The 2025 average field was 28 teams

American Royal World Series of Barbecue - Open Contest drew 401 teams, against a 2025 average of 28 — Wag's Backwoods BBQ won it.

Nov 5, 2025
KS

The calendar grew

+5% contests against 2024

KCBS ran 440 contests in 2025, up 22 on the 418 of 2024.

440 in 2025
418 in 2024

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)

2025 in the run of seasons (2025 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	2826
2	ROOTERS-N-TOOTERS TN	2629
3	HOT DADDY'S BBQ	2570
4	JANKY LEG BBQ	2539
5	FIRE AT THE END OF THE DAY	2532
6	SMOKIN' VOLTS BBQ	2525
7	Meat Candy Q	2463
8	SMOKIN HOGGZ BBQ - MA	2440
9	HotMess BBQ	2432
10	Poppa Pig	2424

Backyard Series Team of the Year (top 10)

#	Team	Points
1	Electro-Que-ted	1414
2	Leaning Jowler BBQ	1359
3	FIRE & SHINE BBQ	1351
4	BBQ MIKE	1343
5	Rudes BBQ	1332
6	Fire Pig	1331
7	NORALA BBQ TEAM	1328
8	Dogpatch Q	1313
8	WEEZ'S GROOVIN' BBQ	1313
10	Too Sauced BBQ	1310

Most Grand Championships

#	Team	GCs
1	GETTIN' BASTED	9
2	Electro-Que-ted	7
3	FIRE & SHINE BBQ	7
4	Leaning Jowler BBQ	7
5	FIRE AT THE END OF THE DAY	6
6	Dogpatch Q	5
7	Fire Pig	5
8	JANKY LEG BBQ	5
9	SMELLAQUE	5
10	SMOKIN' VOLTS BBQ	5

Highest overall scores (Master · /720)

#	Team	Score
1	B' Mackin BBQ 21st Annual Burnt Offerings BBQ Contest · Sep 12, 2025	718.8572
2	Bad Dog BBQ Downtown Jonesboro BBQ Festival · Sep 26, 2025	717.7028
3	Glamping Grillers Kickin' It Route 66 Barbecue Challenge (Day 1) · Mar 28, 2025	715.4288
4	Poppa Pig Lakeland Pig Festival · Jan 24, 2025	714.2744
5	FOOD'VENTURE GRILL & BBQ Transylvanian Grill & BBQ Camp · May 10, 2025	714.2628
6	Poppa Pig 21st Annual Burnt Offerings BBQ Contest · Sep 12, 2025	714.2628
7	JANKY LEG BBQ Trekking for CDH · Sep 13, 2025	714.2628
8	Burnin and Lootin 21st Annual Burnt Offerings BBQ Contest · Sep 12, 2025	713.1316
9	Tillman's BBQ Plant City Pig Jam · Nov 21, 2025	713.1316
10	Burnin and Lootin Pitmaster's NorUt KCBS BBQ Championship · Jun 20, 2025	712.5716

Highest overall scores (Backyard · /360)

#	Team	Score
1	Leaning Jowler BBQ Catskills Barbeque - Backyard Competition (Day 2) · Jun 7, 2025	360
2	Dogpatch Q High on the Hog Festival (BACKYARD ONLY) · May 16, 2025	358.8572
3	Mind if I Smoke? Reelin N Smokin Backyard BBQ Competition (BACKYARD ONLY) · Jun 13, 2025	358.8572
4	Electro-Que-ted Big Creek BBQ Bash (BACKYARD ONLY) · Oct 3, 2025	358.8572
5	Smokey Bees BBQ - MS Foley BBQ & Blues Cook-Off (BACKYARD ONLY) · Mar 7, 2025	358.8572
6	NORALA BBQ TEAM O'So Good BBQ Festival (BACKYARD ONLY) Day 2 · May 3, 2025	358.8572
7	Char-Cole Grillers BBQ & Boogie · Apr 25, 2025	358.2972
8	Electro-Que-ted 7th Annual KCBS World Invitational (Sunday, May 25, 2025) · May 25, 2025	357.7144
9	Electro-Que-ted Up in Smoke on the Square (BACKYARD ONLY) · Aug 22, 2025	357.7144
10	Big James Kitchen Smoke on the Water Guntersville (BACKYARD ONLY) · Sep 12, 2025	357.7144

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

Meat	Team	Score
Chicken	Smoke Central BBQ 9th Annual Jimmy Jam BBQ Slam	180 🔥
Pork Ribs	Stewey Magoos BBQ 9th Annual Jimmy Jam BBQ Slam	180 🔥
Pork	POPPA PIG AND PORKCHOP 10th Annual Slab-O-Rama Barbeque Challenge	180 🔥
Brisket	PeachCoast BBQ Lakeland Pig Festival	180 🔥

How hard each meat was (2025 only)

Meat	Entries	Avg	Avg win	180s per 1,000
Chicken	10,741	168.80	178.35	20.9
Pork Ribs	11,512	167.51	177.66	11.4
Pork	8,723	168.42	178.47	19.3
Brisket	8,400	166.40	178.03	14.9

Busiest teams (contests entered)

Team	Contests	GCs	Top 10
GETTIN' BASTED 21 states	39	9	32
MAN MEAT BBQ 10 states	38	1	19
BrewsCue 15 states	35	1	16
SMOKIN HOGGZ BBQ - MA 15 states	33	3	23
Shiggin aint easy 18 states	33	2	21
JANKY LEG BBQ 11 states	32	5	20
ROOTERS-N-TOOTERS TN 12 states	32	4	28
WOLF'S REVENGE BBQ 10 states	32	1	18
Can Country Outlaw BBQ 7 states	30	3	20
Glamping Grillers 12 states	30	2	15

Biggest climbers (power rating gained in 2025)

Team	Gained	Contests
Fire Pig #640 today	+155.5	17
FIRE & SHINE BBQ #211 today	+144.2	25
Take It Easy BBQ #687 today	+140.1	25
SMOKIN' VOLTS BBQ #106 today	+133.3	22
HalaQyah BBQ #995 today	+127.8	16
Rollin Smoke BBQ #154 today	+125.3	25
Bramble BBQ #280 today	+115.1	15
Say My Name BBQ #675 today	+108	14
The Antwerp Smokers #304 today	+107.1	12
Rudes BBQ #136 today	+106	22

Biggest contests

Contest	Teams	Grand Champion
American Royal World Series of Barbecue - Open Contest Kansas City, KS	401	Wag's Backwoods BBQ
The Great Lenexa BBQ Battle - Kansas State Championship Lenexa, KS	159	Slaps BBQ
American Royal World Series of Barbecue - Invitational Contest Kansas City, KS	158	Rooters-N-Tooters TN
7th Annual KCBS World Invitational (Saturday, May 24, 2025) Lebanon, TN	106	Meat Me In St. Louis
Smoke on the Shores BBQ Championship Lebanon, TN	100	Triple H BBQ
Permian Basin Barbeque Cook-off by Daniel Energy Partners (COMPETITOR SERIES) Houston, TX	98	Western Midstream Partners
Navy SEAL Danny Dietz Memorial Classic Cookoff Waller, TX	92	Rio Valley Meat BBQ
Smoke in the Spring Osage City, KS	92	Parts 'R' Smokin
Jack Daniel's World Championship Invitational Barbecue (Competitor's Series) (JUDGES BY INVITATION ONLY) Lynchburg, TN	90	Kings BBQ Team
BBQ Jackpot Las Vegas, NV	90	Big Johns BBQ Company

Closest finishes (Master, first over second)

Margin	Contest
0.0004	Smokin' in the Pines WOLF'S REVENGE BBQ over SMOKIN SKULLIES
0.0112	SD BBQ Shootout @ Huset's Speedway HOT DADDY'S BBQ over RUM N' SMOKE BBQ
0.0112	The Great Lenexa BBQ Battle - Kansas State Championship SLAPS BBQ over Squealin N Dealin BBQ
0.0112	Rollin Smoke at Rustic Timbers BBQ Bash QUE U over THE BBQ BUS
0.0116	Last Frontier BBQ Throwdown Smoked & Furious over LC BBQ
0.0116	Curley Que Classic SMOKIN' VOLTS BBQ over Cynical BBQ
0.0228	Stoney Creek BBQ Cookoff MUTTLEY CREW BBQ over Optimus Swine
0.0344	Gold Country Casino Resort BrewFest & State BBQ Championship Smokin' Bliss BBQ over Cynical BBQ
0.0344	Kora Kares for Kids Angry Cock BBQ over CANYON RIDERS BBQ
0.5140	Minnesota in May Ash Kickin' BBQ over Phoenix BBQ

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

Widest winning margins (Master)

Margin	Contest
24.1032	The Great Atlantic BBQ Competition GOOD GOOGLY GOO BBQ over Cook the books
18.3540	Riverland Smokers BBQ Contest 2025 (Day 1) The Antwerp Smokers over The BBQ Ranch
17.7140	Vienna Pet Fair BBQ The BBQ Ranch over Woodquarter Smokerheads
16.0456	Horse Town Brew n Que Festival (Day 1) LOOT N' BOOTY BBQ over Meat Candy Q
14.8572	Brighton Barbeque Bash GETTIN' BASTED over SHIGGIN & GRINNIN

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

Odds	Contest
4%	Kora Kares for Kids Angry Cock BBQ (1452) over a field led by GETTIN' BASTED (1985)
5%	The All American Comeback BBQ, Bourbon, & Bands Cuatro D Barbeque (1500) over a field led by GETTIN' BASTED (1994)
7%	Rock Lane Presents Grills Gone Wild BREWS BEFORE Q'S (1534) over a field led by GETTIN' BASTED (1991)
8%	University of Arkansas Animal Science Boots, Brews, and BBQ Contest HOLLOW Q (1564) over a field led by GETTIN' BASTED (1979)
8%	Smoke on the Ohio JaBs (1495) over a field led by ROOTERS-N-TOOTERS TN (1910)
8%	The Santiam Smoke Show (Day 1) Bad Bears BBQ (1582) over a field led by GETTIN' BASTED (1996)
8%	Big BBQ Bash ALPINE SMOKE WORKS (1474) over a field led by ROOTERS-N-TOOTERS TN (1887)
9%	Iowa State BBQ Championship Rack Shack bbq (1541) over a field led by JANKY LEG BBQ (1953)
10%	BBQ Jackpot Big Johns BBQ Company (1611) over a field led by SHAKE 'N BAKE BBQ (2001)
10%	Bloomin' BBQ Music & Food Festival HalaQyah BBQ (1505) over a field led by ROOTERS-N-TOOTERS TN (1892)

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

Clean sweeps (all four meats at one contest)

Team	Contest
The BBQ Ranch 🏆	Vienna Pet Fair BBQ Mar 1, 2025

Most perfect 180s (in 2025)

Team	180s	Contests
JANKY LEG BBQ	13	10
Damn Fine Beef & Swine	11	9
ROOTERS-N-TOOTERS TN	10	10
SCUFFLETOWN SMOKERS	8	7
BOGGS HOG BBQ	7	5
Can Country Outlaw BBQ	7	5
GETTIN' BASTED	7	7
Glamping Grillers	7	7
Kermit's Ex	7	6
Poppa Pig	7	6

Class of 2025 (1,043 teams debuted · how the class did →)

Team	Contests	GCs
Average Joe BBQ Team	6	2
When Pigs Fly Family BBQ	4	2
Blended Smoke BBQ	13	1
HORMONAL ESCAPE COMPETITION BBQ	11	1
SASSY SMOKE BBQ	10	1
Briskey Business BBQ	7	1
B.R.A. BARBECUE TEAM	6	1
Fire Family BBQ PTY	4	1
JaBs	4	1
Karnivor Creations BBQ	4	1
Brews and Ques BBQ	2	1
Ashes to Embers BBQ	1	1

State by state

State/Prov.	Contests	Scored	Avg field
MO 16 titles	34	28	26
AL 3 titles	26	26	25
KS 19 titles	23	23	64
TN 5 titles	20	16	53
CA 12 titles	18	16	23
VA 11 titles	18	17	23
GA 8 titles	15	9	36
IN 5 titles	15	7	28
IA 8 titles	14	13	24
IL 5 titles	14	14	27
PA 9 titles	12	12	20
NJ 5 titles	9	9	29
WI 5 titles	9	8	28
AB	8	8	25
FL 7 titles	8	7	27
MI 4 titles	8	8	29
MN 5 titles	8	8	31
AR 4 titles	7	7	19
MA 5 titles	7	7	18
NY 2 titles	6	5	23
CT 3 titles	5	5	27
NC 5 titles	5	5	31
OK 4 titles	5	5	18
DE 1 title	4	4	17
MS 4 titles	4	4	23
MT 3 titles	4	3	28
NH 2 titles	4	4	18
ON	4	2	24
OR 4 titles	4	4	30
TX 3 titles	4	4	73
AZ 3 titles	3	3	34
ID 2 titles	3	2	36
KY 2 titles	3	3	21
ND 1 title	3	2	35
NS	3	2	12
OH 3 titles	3	3	31
SC 2 titles	3	2	46
SD 2 titles	3	3	40
UT 2 titles	3	2	21
VT 1 title	3	3	17
DC 1 title	2	2	25
MB	2	2	15
MD 1 title	2	1	29
ME 1 title	2	2	40
NE 2 titles	2	2	28
NO	2	2	13
NV 2 titles	2	2	60
SK	2	1	27
WA 1 title	2	2	20
WV 2 titles	2	2	21
WY 2 titles	2	2	27
AK 1 title	1	1	8
CO 1 title	1	1	30
GL	1	1	7
HI 1 title	1	1	12
LA 1 title	1	1	33
LT	1	1	11
NB	1	1	15
NM	1	1	30
QC	1	1	18
SJ	1	1	16

State championships (201 in 2025)

Contest	Grand Champion
9th Annual Jimmy Jam BBQ Slam FL · Jan 9, 2025	Elite BBQ Smokers
10th Annual Slab-O-Rama Barbeque Challenge AZ · Jan 17, 2025	Gettin' Basted
The Golden State Battle VII (Day 1) CA · Jan 24, 2025	Cherry Anchor BBQ
SJV Winter Rub NE · Jan 24, 2025	Shiggin aint easy
Lakeland Pig Festival FL · Jan 24, 2025	Poppa Pig?
The Golden State Battle VII (Day 2) CA · Jan 25, 2025	Gettin' Basted
Grills Gone Wild FL · Feb 7, 2025	Fred Vegas Smokers
Ribs on the Ridge FL · Feb 14, 2025	Menke Boys BBQ
Best in the Southwest AZ · Feb 21, 2025	Stevo's BBQ Team
Fire on Ice BBQ Championship MN · Feb 21, 2025	Shiggin & Grinnin
Mission Farms - King of the Farm NC · Feb 28, 2025	Fred Vegas Smokers
Sip & Swine BBQ Festival GA · Mar 7, 2025	Janky Leg BBQ
Smoke on the Shores BBQ Championship TN · Mar 14, 2025	Triple H BBQ
Dinuba's BBQ & Brew Fest CA · Mar 14, 2025	Meat Candy Q
University of Arkansas Animal Science Boots, Brews, and BBQ Contest AR · Mar 14, 2025	HOLLOW Q
Back Porch Jam at the Hillsborough County Fairgrounds FL · Mar 14, 2025	Tillman's BBQ
Okefenokee Smoke (formerly Swamptown Showdown) GA · Mar 21, 2025	Poppa Pig
Torry Island BBQ Showdown FL · Mar 21, 2025	Sloppy Hogs
7th Annual Qlathe BBQ Championship KS · Mar 21, 2025	Slaps BBQ
BBQ Gives Back (Day 1) (Masters and Backyard) VA · Mar 21, 2025	Gettin' Basted

Busiest reps (contests worked in 2025)

Rep	Contests
Jeanne Titus	37
Charlie Brinza	36
Carol Bigler	27
Randy G Bigler	27
Dave Rogers	26
Eugene Wickham	22
Peg Rogers	22
Sarah Wickham	22
Bill Jones	20
Bill Wright	18

More from 2025

Season ran Jan 9 → Dec 12 first and last contest on the 2025 calendar

Average winning margin 3.97 across 254 Master contests · 6 settled by tiebreaker

Walks to the stage 13,487 top-ten calls handed out in the four meats

New teams 1,043 first tracked contest anywhere was in 2025

Contest series 340 distinct recurring contests on the calendar

Busiest weekend 13 contests all on Jun 27, 2025

Reps working 98 KCBS reps on the season’s contests

Toughest table Brisket lowest average of the four meats at 166.4

Outside the rating 17 invitationals and non-points contests that do not move a power rating

Cancelled 38 contests that came off the calendar

Results still out 54 of 440 contests on the 2025 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 2025 contest →