🏆 2025 AWARDS OF EXCELLENCE AWARDS 🏆

BBQ SAUCES

FRUIT BBQ SAUCE
🥇 First Place: Geeze Louise Nectarine – Geeze Louise
🥈 Second Place: Apple Q – Ole Hickory Pits
🥉 Third Place: Smoked Peach – Bad Bones BBQ
4th Place: Smokey’s Peach Bourbon BBQ Sauce – Smokey’s Bar-B-Que
5th Place: Original Nashville – Charcoal Cowboys

MUSTARD BBQ SAUCE
🥇 First Place: Mustard Bold Gold – Mack’s Barbecue Paint, LLC
🥈 Second Place: Meat Mitch Yellow Brick Road Sauce – Meat Mitch
🥉 Third Place: Honey Mustard – Bad Bones BBQ
4th Place: Colorado Gold – Dutch Oven Smokehouse
5th Place: Mantis Gold – Mantis BBQ

TOMATO MILD BBQ SAUCE
🥇 First Place: Rodney’s Red Dog BBQ Sauce – Sweet – HK Foods (Sauce by Goss)
🥈 Second Place: Beer’s BlackDog BBQ Sauce – Beer's BlackDog BBQ Sauce
🥉 Third Place: Steak Tank “Tactical Sauce” – Steaktank.com
4th Place: Kansas City BBQ Sauce – Chef Rays, LLC
4th Place: Aces Wild Neon Nights – Craig Carter
4th Place: Apple Q – Ole Hickory Pits
5th Place: SmokinGhost BBQ Haunted Heat – SmokinGhostBBQ

TOMATO SPICY BBQ SAUCE
🥇 First Place: Smoke’n Magic Spicy Sauce – Smoke ’n Magic
🥈 Second Place: Sweet & Spicy – The Shed BBQ & Blues Joint
🥉 Third Place: Beast – Bad Bones BBQ
4th Place: Spicy Pam – Meat Head Charcoal
5th Place: Slade’s BBQ Sauce – Steaktank.com

VINEGAR MILD BBQ SAUCE
🥇 First Place: Slade’s BBQ Sauce – Steaktank.com
🥈 Second Place: Sweet & Tangy – The Shed BBQ & Blues Joint
🥉 Third Place: Steak Tank “Tactical Sauce” – Steaktank.com
4th Place: Aces Wild Neon Nights – Aces Wild
5th Place: Steak Tank “HQ Sauce” – Steaktank.com

VINEGAR SPICY BBQ SAUCE
🥇 First Place: Meat Mitch Whomp! BBQ Sauce – Meat Mitch
🥈 Second Place: Steak Tank “Tactical Sauce” – Steaktank.com
🥉 Third Place: Steak Tank “HQ Sauce” – Steaktank.com
4th Place: Sweet & Spicy – The Shed BBQ & Blues Joint
5th Place: SmokinGhost BBQ Haunted Heat – SmokinGhostBBQ

ORIGINAL BBQ SAUCE
🥇 First Place: Southern Sweet – The Shed BBQ & Blues Joint
🥈 Second Place: Original Arkansas Red – Mack’s Barbecue Paint, LLC
🥉 Third Place: Smokey’s Original BBQ Sauce – Smokey’s Bar-B-Que
4th Place: Tennessee Gunpowder – Charcoal Cowboys
5th Place: Apple Q – Ole Hickory Pits
5th Place: Mansmith’s Sticky BBQ Sauce – Mansmith Enterprises, Inc.

🥇BEST OVERALL SAUCE 2025🥇
BBQ PIT BOYS

BBQ RUBS

BEEF RUB
🥇 First Place: Good on Everything – The Shed BBQ & Blues Joint
🥈 Second Place: Boars Night Out White Lightning Double Garlic Butter – Boars Night Out Competition Team & Catering
🥉 Third Place: Steakhouse PitGrit – Pit O’Heaven Grillin’
4th Place: Boars Night Out White Lightning – Boars Night Out Competition Team & Catering
5th Place: Slade’s River Rub – Steaktank.com

PORK RUB
🥇 First Place: Texas Tornado – Boars Night Out Competition Team & Catering & Sweet Swine O’Mine
🥈 Second Place: SDQ Pitmasters Blend – Summa Dat Que
🥉 Third Place: Steak Tank “Attack” – Steaktank.com
4th Place: Maple Candy Rub – Prairie Smoke & Spice Company
5th Place: 4 Queens – Aces Wild

POULTRY RUB
🥇 First Place: Faith & Fires Ministry All Purpose Seasoning – Faith & Fires Ministry
🥈 Second Place: Smoky Candy Apple – Meat Apostles
🥉 Third Place: All Purpose Seasoning – Rogue Cookers
4th Place: Texas Tornado – Boars Night Out Competition Team & Catering & Sweet Swine O’Mine
5th Place: Aces Wild 4 Queens – Aces Wild

SEAFOOD RUB
🥇 First Place: Smoke’n Magic Pork Rub – Smoke ’n Magic
🥈 Second Place: Kickin’ PitGrit – Pit O’Heaven Grillin’
🥉 Third Place: Tumbleweed All-Purpose Rub – Prairie Smoke & Spice Company
4th Place: Boars Night Out MidWest Dust – Boars Night Out Competition Team & Catering
5th Place: Texas Brisket Rub – Rogue Cookers

SPICY RUB
🥇 First Place: Texas Tornado – Boars Night Out Competition Team & Catering & Sweet Swine O’Mine
🥈 Second Place: Boars Night Out Southern Thunder – Boars Night Out Competition Team & Catering
🥉 Third Place: Boars Night Out White Lightning Double Garlic Butter – Boars Night Out Competition Team & Catering
4th Place: Kickin’ PitGrit – Pit O’Heaven Grillin’
5th Place: SDQ Hot – Summa Dat Que

ORIGINAL BBQ RUB
🥇 First Place: Boars Night Out White Lightning Double Garlic Butter – Boars Night Out Competition Team & Catering
🥈 Second Place: All Purpose Seasoning – Rogue Cookers
🥉 Third Place: Boars Night Out Southern Thunder – Boars Night Out Competition Team & Catering
4th Place: Boars Night Out Spicy White Lightning – Boars Night Out Competition Team & Catering
5th Place: Boars Night Out White Lightning – Boars Night Out Competition Team & Catering

BBQ FOOD CATEGORY

BBQ GIFT PACK
🥇 First Place: Combo Pack (Sweet & Sassy, Brushfire, Chuckbox & Californio) – Dutch Oven Smokehouse
🥈 Second Place: Sauce/Seasoning Combo Box – Peg Leg Porker
🥉 Third Place: Aces Wild BBQ Gift Pack – Aces Wild
4th Place: SmokinGhost BBQ 3-Pack Gift Box – SmokinGhostBBQ
5th Place: Devine Swine – Bad Bones BBQ

BBQ MARINADE
🥇 First Place: Aces Wild BBQ Gift Pack – Aces Wild
🥈 Second Place: Fowl Play – The Shed BBQ & Blues Joint
🥉 Third Place: Steak Tank “HQ Sauce” – Steaktank.com
4th Place: Beef Blaster – The Shed BBQ & Blues Joint
5th Place: Southern Tangy (Beef, Pork, Poultry) – The Rib Doctor, Inc.

BBQ SNACKS
🥇 First Place: Meat Mitch Whomp! Corn – Meat Mitch
🥈 Second Place: Red Beard Seasoning Steak & Brisket Chips – Red Beard Seasonings

BBQ EQUIPMENT

BBQ TOOL / ACCESSORY
🥇 First Place: Butter Pan Holder for Grill Grate (Photo) – Aces Wild
🥈 Second Place: MeatStick V Wireless Meat Thermometer – Soma Labs LLC
🥉 Third Place: Robo Hog – The Shed BBQ & Blues Joint
4th Place: Royal Oak Super Size Instant Lighting Charcoal Briquets – Royal Oak Charcoal
5th Place: MagneChef “Bull Ring” Cutting Board – MagneChef

APPAREL
🥇 First Place: The Shed Front Entrance Shirt – The Shed BBQ & Blues Joint
🥈 Second Place: Peg Leg Porker “Limpin’ Ain’t Easy” T-shirt – Peg Leg Porker
🥉 Third Place: Aces Wild T-shirt – Aces Wild
4th Place: Steak Tank “Onesy” – Steaktank.com
5th Place: Meat Lover Hat – Aces Wild

PRODUCT LABEL DESIGN
🥇 First Place: Texas Tornado – Boars Night Out Competition Team & Catering & Sweet Swine O’Mine
🥈 Second Place: Aces Wild Logo – Aces Wild
🥉 Third Place: Sweet and Sassy – Dutch Oven Smokehouse
4th Place: Boars Night Out Spicy White Lightning – Boars Night Out Competition Team & Catering
5th Place: The Shed BBQ Sauce Label – The Shed BBQ & Blues Joint

BBQ DIGITAL MEDIA

BBQ BLOG
🥇 First Place: www.BushCooking.com
🥈 Second Place: www.TankTok.com

BBQ WEBSITE
🥇 First Place: www.badbonesbbq.com – Bad Bones BBQ
🥈 Second Place: www.dosmokehouse.com – Dutch Oven Smokehouse
🥉 Third Place: www.charcoalcowboysbbq.com – Charcoal Cowboys
4th Place: www.steaktank.com – Steaktank.com
5th Place: www.bushcooking.com – Bush Cooking

BBQ AUDIO SERIES
🥇 First Place: Grab ’em in the Brisket – A Texas BBQ Podcast – Grab ’em in the Brisket

BBQ VIDEO SERIES
🥇 First Place: Trippin’ in the Kitchen – Tripp Rion
🥈 Second Place: Grab ’em in the Brisket – A Texas BBQ Podcast – Grab ’em in the Brisket
🥉 Third Place: YouTube @outbackcookin – Dutch Oven Smokehouse
4th Place: Bub’s Bits – Bub ’n Mutha’s Gourmet Dry Rub

SINGLE BBQ FOCUSED VIDEO
🥇 First Place: Ribs Done Two Separate Ways – The Rib Doctor, Inc.
🥈 Second Place: A Young Pit Master’s First BBQ Competition – The Rib Doctor, Inc.

BBQ PUBLICATIONS

EDUCATIONAL WRITING
🥇 First Place: “10 Tips for Mastering Ribs” – The Smoke Sheet BBQ Newsletter – Chef Rays, LLC

BBQ FOCUSED ARTICLE
🥇 First Place: “How to Make Your Family Owned Business Run Like a Well-Oiled Machine” – Peg Leg Porker
🥈 Second Place: “Pit Boss Gives Back by Honoring Heroes” – Chef Rays, LLC
🥉 Third Place: “How to Use Obstacles to Your Advantage: Lessons from the Pitmaster” – Peg Leg Porker
4th Place: “The Hidden Value of Awards Competitions for Your Business” – Peg Leg Porker
5th Place: “How to Introduce Your Restaurant to TikTok” – Peg Leg Porker

BOOK OF THE YEAR
🥇 First Place: Fire Kitchen – Pitmaster Adam Roberts
🥈 Second Place: Chef Mantis and April’s First Cooking Adventure – Mantis BBQ
🥉 Third Place: British & Australian BBQ Secrets, Vol. 2 – B. Bartlett
4th Place: BBQ Cocktails & Desserts – B. Bartlett

MARKETING MATERIAL
🥇 First Place: Chef Mantis and April’s First Cooking Adventure – Mantis BBQ
🥈 Second Place: Steak Tank Pizza Cutter – Steaktank.com
🥉 Third Place: Dutch Oven Recipe Card – Dutch Oven Smokehouse
4th Place: 1st Place Sauces – Bad Bones BBQ
5th Place: I ❤︎ BBQ Pig Sticker (2024 Edition) – Prairie Fresh

PHOTOGRAPHY
🥇 First Place: Dri-Duck Apparel Web Article – Aces Wild
🥈 Second Place: BBQ Elk Sliders – Dutch Oven Smokehouse
🥉 Third Place: Apachebands.org Drums / Steak Tank – Steaktank.com
4th Place: Apachebands.org Clarinet – Steaktank.com
5th Place: Apachebands.org French Horn – Steaktank.com

BBQ PHOTOS

BBQ BLOG / PERSONAL PHOTOGRAPH
🥇 First Place: Carnivore Carnival Lambo Destruction – Aces Wild
🥈 Second Place: The Rib Doctor and Kaiden Blake – The Rib Doctor, Inc.

BBQ CHARACTER PHOTO
🥇 First Place: Chef Mantis – Mantis BBQ
🥈 Second Place: Carnivore Carnival Neon – Aces Wild
🥉 Third Place: Salt and Smoke – GameChanger

BBQ FOOD PHOTO
🥇 First Place: Pork Sando – Bad Bones BBQ
🥈 Second Place: Double Chicken – Bad Bones BBQ
🥉 Third Place: Sunset Slaw – Dutch Oven Smokehouse
4th Place: Artisan Turkey – Bad Bones BBQ
5th Place: The Jack Chef’s Choice – Aces Wild

LIVE FIRE PHOTO
🥇 First Place: Inside the Firebox – Mantis BBQ

BBQ DRINKS

ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES
🥇 First Place: Peg Leg Porker Spirits White Label – Peg Leg Porker
🥈 Second Place: Shipping Container Amber Ale – Southern Tail Brewing Company
🥉 Third Place: Exit 140 Cream Ale – Southern Tail Brewing Company
4th Place: Braver Hand Märzen – Southern Tail Brewing Company

NON-ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES
🥇 First Place: Southern Tail Root Beer/Soda – Southern Tail Brewing Company
🥈 Second Place: Southern Tail Ginger Beer/Soda – Southern Tail Brewing Company

MIXERS
🥇 First Place: Smoke’n Magic Bold & Spicy Bloody Mary Mix – Smoke ’n Magic
🥈 Second Place: Smoked Whiskey Cocktail – Charcoal Cowboys
🥉 Third Place: Geeze Louise Sangrita – Geeze Louise
4th Place: Peg Leg Porker Spirits Old Fashioned Cocktail Mixer – Peg Leg Porker