2026 Awards of Excellence
Top 5 Per Category
Fruit BBQ Sauce
- Berry Garcia — Russell's Dam Good BBQ
- Original Nashville Sauce — Charcoal Cowboys
- Darkside — Russell's Dam Good BBQ
- Blackberry Heat — Mc8 BBQ Sauce
- Uncle Earnie's World Famous BBQ Sauce - Spicy — Uncle Earnie's BBQ
Vinegar Mild BBQ Sauce
- Steak Tank HQ Sauce — STEAKTANK.COM
- Cherry Competition — Firefly Barbecue Ltd
- Meat Mitch Naked BBQ Sauce — Meat Mitch
- Steak Tank Tactical Sauce — STEAKTANK.COM
- Southern Belle — Meat Rushmore
Tomato Mild BBQ Sauce
- Holy Smoke Sweet Sauce — Holy Smoke LLC
- Smoke 'n Magic Sweet BBQ Sauce — Smoke 'n Magic
- Sasquatch (IN GIFT BOX) — Russell's Dam Good BBQ
- Backyard Red — Johnny Wolfpack Seasonings
- Foundry Series Sweet Peach Sauce — Croix Valley Foods
Mustard BBQ Sauce
- Carolina — Russell's Dam Good BBQ
- Southern Gold — Papa Pope's BBQ Sauce
- Gnarly Gold — The Gnarly Sauce Company
- Jack's Bar-B-Que Carolina Bar-B-Que Sauce — Jack Cawthon's Bar-B-Que
- Meat Mitch Yellow Brick Road Sauce — Meat Mitch
Original BBQ Sauce
- Cherry Glaze — Baylee Jo's BBQ
- Southern Tangy — The Rib Doctor, Inc.
- Smokey — Russell's Dam Good BBQ
- Carolina Sweet Heat — Lid Licking Sauce
- Buzzz'd Bunny — KillerBunny BBQ
Vinegar Spicy BBQ Sauce
- Steak Tank Tactical Sauce — STEAKTANK.COM
- Neon Nights — Aces Wild BBQ
- Nashville Hot Chicken — Charcoal Cowboys
- Jack's Bar-B-Que Tennesse Original — Jack Cawthon's Bar-B-Que
- Memphis — Russell's Dam Good BBQ
Tomato Spicy BBQ Sauce
- Smoke 'n Magic Spicy BBQ Sauce — Smoke 'n Magic
- High Altitude Heat — Fox & Hound
- KP's Prime Sweet Habanero (Hot) — KP's Prime LLC
- Stegy's Sweet Heat — Stegy's BBQ
- Patriot Spicy — Code 3 Spices
Beef Rub
- Tex Mex — Johnny Wolfpack Seasonings
- Big Beef — Prairie Smoke & Spice BBQ
- All Purpose — Meat Rushmore
- Steak Tank Sweet Heat — STEAKTANK.COM
- Slade's Sweet & Spicy — Slade's BBQ
Poultry Rub
- All Purpose — Meat Rushmore
- Ewe Butter Clucker — Meat Apostles
- White Lightning — Boars Night Out
- Jack's Bar-B-Que Hand Rub — Jack Cawthon's Bar-B-Que
- Uncle Wayne's Fajita — Uncle Wayne's Barbecue
Seafood Rub
- Midwest Dust — Boars Night Out
- Sweet & Tangy — Prairie Smoke & Spice BBQ
- Original Nashville — Charcoal Cowboys
- Slade's River Rub — Slade's BBQ
- Southern Thunder — Boars Night Out
Pork Rub
- Porky's Palace — Aces Wild BBQ
- Trash Can Molasses — Meat Apostles
- Steak Tank Fajita — STEAKTANK.COM
- Everything Seasoning — Johnny Wolfpack Seasonings
- Spicy White Lightning — Boars Night Out
Spicy Rub
- Huney Chipotle — Meat Apostles
- Double Garlic White Lightning — Boars Night Out
- BBQ Rub — Boars Night Out
- Steak Tank Sweet Heat — STEAKTANK.COM
- White Lightning — Boars Night Out
Original Rub
- JDW's Million Dollar Rub — STEAKTANK.COM
- Sweet Purpose — Ole Hickory Pits
- Uncle Hemmy's Peachin' Ain't Easy — Uncle Hemmy BBQ Ltd
- Jailhouse Romance Rub — Front Line Spice N' Rub Co.
- Maple Rub — Russell's Dam Good BBQ
BBQ Gift Pack
- Willingham's World Champion BBQ Seasoning Gift Box — Willingham's
- Jack's Bar-B-Que 4 Pack with Free Hand Rub — Jack Cawthon's Bar-B-Que
- Rib Lovers Combo Pack — Dutch Oven Smokehouse
- Old Dog Sauce and Spice — Old Dog Sauce and Spice
- Barbecue Sauce Collection - Includes Maple Chipotle BBQ, Honey Roasted BBQ & Hickory Smoked BBQ — Bequette's QueZing, LLC
BBQ Snack
- Smokehouse Crackers - Cinnamon Crackers — Spices Smokehouse Crackers
- Holy Smoke BBQ Pickles — Holy Smoke LLC
- Meath Mitch Whomp! Corn — Meat Mitch
- Smokehouse Crackers - BBQ Crackers — Spices Smokehouse Crackers
- Meath Mitch Candied Jalapeno Popcorn — Meat Mitch
BBQ Marinade
- Pork Wrap — Meat Rushmore
- Lone Star Gold Marinade — P & L Steaks Grilling Supply LLC
- Bovine Injection and Marinade — The BBQ Superstore.com
- W'ham Sauce - Marinade — Willingham's
- Southern Tangy — The Rib Doctor, Inc.
BBQ Tool/Accessory
- Chefs Temp ProTemp S1 Patiented Smart Grill Gauce Thermometer Hub — Chefs Temp
- Chefs Temp Finaltouch X10 Professional Instant Read Thermometer - US Patriotic Limited Edition — Chefs Temp
- GrillFighter Chainmail Brush with accompanying Cauldron — Innovation Factory
- Chefs Temp 2 Plus - Needle Proble Wireless Meat Thermometer with Temperature Controller — Chefs Temp
- Royal Oak 100% Charcoal & Hickory Blended Pellets — Royal Oak Charcoal
Apparel
- I Got Sauce T-shirt — Jack Cawthon's Bar-B-Que
- Let the Pigs Fly T-shirt — Jack Cawthon's Bar-B-Que
- GrillFighter Suit-of-Armor Apron — Innovation Factory
- Willis Tshirt — Boars Night Out
- Sweet Sooie T-shirt Design — P & L Steaks Grilling Supply LLC
- Real TN BBQ — Peg Leg Porker
Product Label Design
- BlackDog BBQ Sauce — Beer's BlackDog BBQ
- Peg Leg Porker The Original BBQ Seasoning — Peg Leg Porker
- Long Haired Cowboy Yellow Belly Mustard Sauce — Rebel Fire Que'N Company
- Peg Leg Porker Original BBQ Sauce — Peg Leg Porker
- Mantis The Devil's in the Datil — Mantis BBQ
- Neon Lights LIT UP — Aces Wild BBQ
BBQ Blog
- Revolution BBQ — Revolution Barbecue
- Bush Cooking — Bush Cooking
Website
- amazingribs.com — AmazingRibs.com
- Prairie Fresh BBQ Pit Stop — Prairie Fresh
- www.peglegporker.com — Peg Leg Porker
- https://revolutionbbq.com — Revolution Barbecue
- bushcooking.com — Bush Cooking
BBQ Audio Series
- Grab 'Em In The Brisket — Grab 'Em in The Brisket
- BBQ Therapy Podcast — BBQ Therapy Podcast
Video Series
- Grab 'Em In The Brisket — Grab 'Em in The Brisket
- Prairie Fresh Master Class Shorts Series — Prairie Fresh
Single BBQ Focused Video
- Prairie Fresh Pit Talk Episode 3: BBQ Tips, Pork Cuts, and Pitmaster Stories — Prairie Fresh
- Fire Kitchen with Adam Roberts - Tunstead Oysters — Pitmaster Adam Roberts
- Taking Care of Business — Peg Leg Porker
- The Aldi Brisket! Will It Make the Cut? Show & Tell on the Pellet Cooker! — Ronnie Ribeye - American Griller
- Prairie Fresh Pit Talk Episode 1: How Pitmasters Started in Barbecue & Grilling — Prairie Fresh
BBQ Short-Form Video — 60 Seconds or Less
- Grab 'Em In The Brisket Instagram: “Making it look easy at @stoneranchtx” — Grab 'Em in The Brisket
- How to Wrap a Bacon Weave with The Shed BBQ — Prairie Fresh
- Welcome ot Mantis BBQ & the Mantis Family Story — Mantis BBQ
- What Barbecue Really Means to These Pitmasters | Praire Fresh #shorts — Prairie Fresh
- Grilled Flank Steak — The Rib Doctor, Inc.
Educational Writing
- Smoke 'n Magic in Barbecue News Magazine - Mastering Fire Control — Smoke 'n Magic
- From menu to merchandise-Leveraging Brand Loyalty Beyond the Plate — Peg Leg Porker
- Create a Mermorable Dining Experience - How Restaurants Turn Meals Into... — Peg Leg Porker
- Building a Hospitality Brand that winstands Challenges — Peg Leg Porker
BBQ Focus Article
- Smoke 'n Magic in The Smoke Sheet - Resting Meat: Why It's Important — Smoke 'n Magic
- Smoke 'n Magic in The Smoke Sheet - How to Achieve the Perfect Bark — Smoke 'n Magic
Book Title
- The Meathead Method — AmazingRibs.com
- British & Australian BBQ Secrets Volume 3 — Benjamin Bartlett
Marketing Material
- Barefoot Kitchen - Marketing Promotional Box — Bequette's QueZing, LLC
- Barefoot Kitchen Product Line Brochure — Bequette's QueZing, LLC
- Prairie Fresh I Heart BBQ Plushy Pig — Prairie Fresh
- It's A Twang Thang Logo Sticker — Smoke 'n Magic
BBQ Commercial Photo
- Smoked Dirty Rice Crayfish — AmazingRibs.com
- Marinade — AmazingRibs.com
- Red Snapper — AmazingRibs.com
- Aces Wild Product Line — Aces Wild BBQ
- Smoke Squash Bisque — AmazingRibs.com
Blog/Personal Photo
- Legends — 6 Ten Strong Media
- Pitmasters Light Your Fire - Willingham's MIM 2025 — Willingham's
- Aces Wild Livefire — Aces Wild BBQ
Character Photograph
- Finishing Touches - Willingham's MIM 2025 — Willingham's
- Chef Mantis on Game Day — Mantis BBQ
- The Night Man — 6 Ten Strong Media
- Chef Mantis Getting Messy — Mantis BBQ
- Carnivore Carnival - The Ferris Wheel — Boars Night Out
BBQ Food Photo
- Bad Bones Jalapeño Bacon — Bad Bones BBQ
- Bad Bones Chicken Wings 2 — Bad Bones BBQ
- Best in Show Hondo — 6 Ten Strong Media
- Bad Bones Whole Hog — Bad Bones BBQ
- Bad Bones Shot Gun Shells — Bad Bones BBQ
Live Fire Photo
- Aces Wild Live Fire — Aces Wild BBQ
- Bad Bones Cowboy Steak — Bad Bones BBQ
- Winter BBQ — Mantis BBQ
- Hangin in The Heat — 6 Ten Strong Media
- Bad Bones Picanna — Bad Bones BBQ
Cocktail Mixers
- Twisted Axe Bloody Mary Mix — Fireman John's BBQ
- Smoke 'n Magic Bloody Mary Mix — Smoke 'n Magic
- Fat Boy Spicy Blood Mary Mix — Bar B Que Specialties, Inc.
- Smoked Whiskey Cocktail — Charcoal Cowboys
- Fat Boy Mild Blood Mary Mix — Bar B Que Specialties, Inc.
Spirits
- Peg Leg Porker Bourbon — Peg Leg Porker
- Peg Leg Porker Vodka — Peg Leg Porker
- Cheerwine Bourbon Slush — Carolina Beverage Corp
Soft Drinks/Beverages
- Cheerwine Soft Drink — Carolina Beverage Corp