National Barbecue & Grilling Association Logo

2026 Awards of Excellence 

Fruit BBQ Sauce

  1. Berry Garcia — Russell's Dam Good BBQ
  2. Original Nashville Sauce — Charcoal Cowboys
  3. Darkside — Russell's Dam Good BBQ
  4. Blackberry Heat — Mc8 BBQ Sauce
  5. Uncle Earnie's World Famous BBQ Sauce - Spicy — Uncle Earnie's BBQ

Vinegar Mild BBQ Sauce

  1. Steak Tank HQ Sauce — STEAKTANK.COM
  2. Cherry Competition — Firefly Barbecue Ltd
  3. Meat Mitch Naked BBQ Sauce — Meat Mitch
  4. Steak Tank Tactical Sauce — STEAKTANK.COM
  5. Southern Belle — Meat Rushmore

Tomato Mild BBQ Sauce

  1. Holy Smoke Sweet Sauce — Holy Smoke LLC
  2. Smoke 'n Magic Sweet BBQ Sauce — Smoke 'n Magic
  3. Sasquatch (IN GIFT BOX) — Russell's Dam Good BBQ
  4. Backyard Red — Johnny Wolfpack Seasonings
  5. Foundry Series Sweet Peach Sauce — Croix Valley Foods

Mustard BBQ Sauce

  1. Carolina — Russell's Dam Good BBQ
  2. Southern Gold — Papa Pope's BBQ Sauce
  3. Gnarly Gold — The Gnarly Sauce Company
  4. Jack's Bar-B-Que Carolina Bar-B-Que Sauce — Jack Cawthon's Bar-B-Que
  5. Meat Mitch Yellow Brick Road Sauce — Meat Mitch

Original BBQ Sauce

  1. Cherry Glaze — Baylee Jo's BBQ
  2. Southern Tangy — The Rib Doctor, Inc.
  3. Smokey — Russell's Dam Good BBQ
  4. Carolina Sweet Heat — Lid Licking Sauce
  5. Buzzz'd Bunny — KillerBunny BBQ

Vinegar Spicy BBQ Sauce

  1. Steak Tank Tactical Sauce — STEAKTANK.COM
  2. Neon Nights — Aces Wild BBQ
  3. Nashville Hot Chicken — Charcoal Cowboys
  4. Jack's Bar-B-Que Tennesse Original — Jack Cawthon's Bar-B-Que
  5. Memphis — Russell's Dam Good BBQ

Tomato Spicy BBQ Sauce

  1. Smoke 'n Magic Spicy BBQ Sauce — Smoke 'n Magic
  2. High Altitude Heat — Fox & Hound
  3. KP's Prime Sweet Habanero (Hot) — KP's Prime LLC
  4. Stegy's Sweet Heat — Stegy's BBQ
  5. Patriot Spicy — Code 3 Spices

Beef Rub

  1. Tex Mex — Johnny Wolfpack Seasonings
  2. Big Beef — Prairie Smoke & Spice BBQ
  3. All Purpose — Meat Rushmore
  4. Steak Tank Sweet Heat — STEAKTANK.COM
  5. Slade's Sweet & Spicy — Slade's BBQ

Poultry Rub

  1. All Purpose — Meat Rushmore
  2. Ewe Butter Clucker — Meat Apostles
  3. White Lightning — Boars Night Out
  4. Jack's Bar-B-Que Hand Rub — Jack Cawthon's Bar-B-Que
  5. Uncle Wayne's Fajita — Uncle Wayne's Barbecue

Seafood Rub

  1. Midwest Dust — Boars Night Out
  2. Sweet & Tangy — Prairie Smoke & Spice BBQ
  3. Original Nashville — Charcoal Cowboys
  4. Slade's River Rub — Slade's BBQ
  5. Southern Thunder — Boars Night Out

Pork Rub

  1. Porky's Palace — Aces Wild BBQ
  2. Trash Can Molasses — Meat Apostles
  3. Steak Tank Fajita — STEAKTANK.COM
  4. Everything Seasoning — Johnny Wolfpack Seasonings
  5. Spicy White Lightning — Boars Night Out

Spicy Rub

  1. Huney Chipotle — Meat Apostles
  2. Double Garlic White Lightning — Boars Night Out
  3. BBQ Rub — Boars Night Out
  4. Steak Tank Sweet Heat — STEAKTANK.COM
  5. White Lightning — Boars Night Out

Original Rub

  1. JDW's Million Dollar Rub — STEAKTANK.COM
  2. Sweet Purpose — Ole Hickory Pits
  3. Uncle Hemmy's Peachin' Ain't Easy — Uncle Hemmy BBQ Ltd
  4. Jailhouse Romance Rub — Front Line Spice N' Rub Co.
  5. Maple Rub — Russell's Dam Good BBQ

BBQ Gift Pack

  1. Willingham's World Champion BBQ Seasoning Gift Box — Willingham's
  2. Jack's Bar-B-Que 4 Pack with Free Hand Rub — Jack Cawthon's Bar-B-Que
  3. Rib Lovers Combo Pack — Dutch Oven Smokehouse
  4. Old Dog Sauce and Spice — Old Dog Sauce and Spice
  5. Barbecue Sauce Collection - Includes Maple Chipotle BBQ, Honey Roasted BBQ & Hickory Smoked BBQ — Bequette's QueZing, LLC

BBQ Snack

  1. Smokehouse Crackers - Cinnamon Crackers — Spices Smokehouse Crackers
  2. Holy Smoke BBQ Pickles — Holy Smoke LLC
  3. Meath Mitch Whomp! Corn — Meat Mitch
  4. Smokehouse Crackers - BBQ Crackers — Spices Smokehouse Crackers
  5. Meath Mitch Candied Jalapeno Popcorn — Meat Mitch

BBQ Marinade

  1. Pork Wrap — Meat Rushmore
  2. Lone Star Gold Marinade — P & L Steaks Grilling Supply LLC
  3. Bovine Injection and Marinade — The BBQ Superstore.com
  4. W'ham Sauce - Marinade — Willingham's
  5. Southern Tangy — The Rib Doctor, Inc.

BBQ Tool/Accessory

  1. Chefs Temp ProTemp S1 Patiented Smart Grill Gauce Thermometer Hub — Chefs Temp
  2. Chefs Temp Finaltouch X10 Professional Instant Read Thermometer - US Patriotic Limited Edition — Chefs Temp
  3. GrillFighter Chainmail Brush with accompanying Cauldron — Innovation Factory
  4. Chefs Temp 2 Plus - Needle Proble Wireless Meat Thermometer with Temperature Controller — Chefs Temp
  5. Royal Oak 100% Charcoal & Hickory Blended Pellets — Royal Oak Charcoal

Apparel

  1. I Got Sauce T-shirt — Jack Cawthon's Bar-B-Que
  2. Let the Pigs Fly T-shirt — Jack Cawthon's Bar-B-Que
  3. GrillFighter Suit-of-Armor Apron — Innovation Factory
  4. Willis Tshirt — Boars Night Out
  5. Sweet Sooie T-shirt Design — P & L Steaks Grilling Supply LLC
  6. Real TN BBQ — Peg Leg Porker

Product Label Design

  1. BlackDog BBQ Sauce — Beer's BlackDog BBQ
  2. Peg Leg Porker The Original BBQ Seasoning — Peg Leg Porker
  3. Long Haired Cowboy Yellow Belly Mustard Sauce — Rebel Fire Que'N Company
  4. Peg Leg Porker Original BBQ Sauce — Peg Leg Porker
  5. Mantis The Devil's in the Datil — Mantis BBQ
  6. Neon Lights LIT UP — Aces Wild BBQ

BBQ Blog

  1. Revolution BBQ — Revolution Barbecue
  2. Bush Cooking — Bush Cooking

Website

  1. amazingribs.com — AmazingRibs.com
  2. Prairie Fresh BBQ Pit Stop — Prairie Fresh
  3. www.peglegporker.com — Peg Leg Porker
  4. https://revolutionbbq.com — Revolution Barbecue
  5. bushcooking.com — Bush Cooking

BBQ Audio Series

  1. Grab 'Em In The Brisket — Grab 'Em in The Brisket
  2. BBQ Therapy Podcast — BBQ Therapy Podcast

Video Series

  1. Grab 'Em In The Brisket — Grab 'Em in The Brisket
  2. Prairie Fresh Master Class Shorts Series — Prairie Fresh

Single BBQ Focused Video

  1. Prairie Fresh Pit Talk Episode 3: BBQ Tips, Pork Cuts, and Pitmaster Stories — Prairie Fresh
  2. Fire Kitchen with Adam Roberts - Tunstead Oysters — Pitmaster Adam Roberts
  3. Taking Care of Business — Peg Leg Porker
  4. The Aldi Brisket! Will It Make the Cut? Show & Tell on the Pellet Cooker! — Ronnie Ribeye - American Griller
  5. Prairie Fresh Pit Talk Episode 1: How Pitmasters Started in Barbecue & Grilling — Prairie Fresh

BBQ Short-Form Video — 60 Seconds or Less

  1. Grab 'Em In The Brisket Instagram: “Making it look easy at @stoneranchtx” — Grab 'Em in The Brisket
  2. How to Wrap a Bacon Weave with The Shed BBQ — Prairie Fresh
  3. Welcome ot Mantis BBQ & the Mantis Family Story — Mantis BBQ
  4. What Barbecue Really Means to These Pitmasters | Praire Fresh #shorts — Prairie Fresh
  5. Grilled Flank Steak — The Rib Doctor, Inc.

Educational Writing

  1. Smoke 'n Magic in Barbecue News Magazine - Mastering Fire Control — Smoke 'n Magic
  2. From menu to merchandise-Leveraging Brand Loyalty Beyond the Plate — Peg Leg Porker
  3. Create a Mermorable Dining Experience - How Restaurants Turn Meals Into... — Peg Leg Porker
  4. Building a Hospitality Brand that winstands Challenges — Peg Leg Porker

BBQ Focus Article

  1. Smoke 'n Magic in The Smoke Sheet - Resting Meat: Why It's Important — Smoke 'n Magic
  2. Smoke 'n Magic in The Smoke Sheet - How to Achieve the Perfect Bark — Smoke 'n Magic

Book Title

  1. The Meathead Method — AmazingRibs.com
  2. British & Australian BBQ Secrets Volume 3 — Benjamin Bartlett

Marketing Material

  1. Barefoot Kitchen - Marketing Promotional Box — Bequette's QueZing, LLC
  2. Barefoot Kitchen Product Line Brochure — Bequette's QueZing, LLC
  3. Prairie Fresh I Heart BBQ Plushy Pig — Prairie Fresh
  4. It's A Twang Thang Logo Sticker — Smoke 'n Magic

BBQ Commercial Photo

  1. Smoked Dirty Rice Crayfish — AmazingRibs.com
  2. Marinade — AmazingRibs.com
  3. Red Snapper — AmazingRibs.com
  4. Aces Wild Product Line — Aces Wild BBQ
  5. Smoke Squash Bisque — AmazingRibs.com

Blog/Personal Photo

  1. Legends — 6 Ten Strong Media
  2. Pitmasters Light Your Fire - Willingham's MIM 2025 — Willingham's
  3. Aces Wild Livefire — Aces Wild BBQ

Character Photograph

  1. Finishing Touches - Willingham's MIM 2025 — Willingham's
  2. Chef Mantis on Game Day — Mantis BBQ
  3. The Night Man — 6 Ten Strong Media
  4. Chef Mantis Getting Messy — Mantis BBQ
  5. Carnivore Carnival - The Ferris Wheel — Boars Night Out

BBQ Food Photo

  1. Bad Bones Jalapeño Bacon — Bad Bones BBQ
  2. Bad Bones Chicken Wings 2 — Bad Bones BBQ
  3. Best in Show Hondo — 6 Ten Strong Media
  4. Bad Bones Whole Hog — Bad Bones BBQ
  5. Bad Bones Shot Gun Shells — Bad Bones BBQ

Live Fire Photo

  1. Aces Wild Live Fire — Aces Wild BBQ
  2. Bad Bones Cowboy Steak — Bad Bones BBQ
  3. Winter BBQ — Mantis BBQ
  4. Hangin in The Heat — 6 Ten Strong Media
  5. Bad Bones Picanna — Bad Bones BBQ

Cocktail Mixers

  1. Twisted Axe Bloody Mary Mix — Fireman John's BBQ
  2. Smoke 'n Magic Bloody Mary Mix — Smoke 'n Magic
  3. Fat Boy Spicy Blood Mary Mix — Bar B Que Specialties, Inc.
  4. Smoked Whiskey Cocktail — Charcoal Cowboys
  5. Fat Boy Mild Blood Mary Mix — Bar B Que Specialties, Inc.

Spirits

  1. Peg Leg Porker Bourbon — Peg Leg Porker
  2. Peg Leg Porker Vodka — Peg Leg Porker
  3. Cheerwine Bourbon Slush — Carolina Beverage Corp

Soft Drinks/Beverages

  1. Cheerwine Soft Drink — Carolina Beverage Corp