The NBBQA Awards of Excellence: Where Great Barbecue Gets Its Due

Everybody says their sauce is the best. The NBBQA Awards of Excellence is where you find out.

Entries for the 2027 Awards of Excellence are open now through Monday, November 23, 2026. Every year, this program honors the best commercial products and creative work in barbecue: sauces, rubs, fuel, tools, books, photography, digital media and, new this year, BBQ art. If you make it, sell it, write it or shoot it, and it's barbecue, there's a place for it here.

Why it's worth entering

A medal from the National Barbecue & Grilling Association tells buyers your product was judged against its peers and came out on top. That's a story you can put on a label, a booth banner, a product page or a pitch to a store buyer.

• Credibility you can point to. Entries are judged by certified barbecue judges from established organizations like the National Barbecue Festival, KCBS and SCA.
• A fair shake. Judges can have no business or family connection to the entrants they score.
• A stage. Winners are celebrated at the NBBQA Conference, March 17–20, 2027, in front of the people who buy, sell and talk about barbecue for a living.
• Built for small brands too. Member entry fees start at $15. You don't need a national distribution deal to win; you need to be the best in your category.

Key dates

Books, media, photography and new products must have been published, released or launched between December 1, 2025 and November 23, 2026. Products must be commercially available to the public.

How to enter

1. Pick your categories on the entry page and pay your fees. Members pay $15–$60 per entry and non-members $25–$75, depending on category.
2. Check the entry rules for how much to send. For example, sauces need 12 oz, rubs 6 oz, and fuel two unopened retail packages.
3. Ship physical entries, sealed and well cushioned, to NBBQA, 336 Phelps Road, Douglas, GA 31533.
4. Email digital entries (links, files, photos) to admin@nbbqa.org.

Everything must arrive by November 23. Don't let the mail carrier be the reason you missed out.

What's new for 2027

This year's lineup is the broadest yet.

• BBQ Art. A brand-new category for painters, sculptors, woodworkers, jewelers, leatherworkers and more. Pieces don't have to be for sale, and commissioned, one-of-a-kind and already-sold work all qualify. Work made mainly with AI image tools is not eligible.
• BBQ Fuel. Charcoal briquettes, lump, pellets, wood chunks and fire starters, burn-tested by our judges.
• Original and Unique sauces and rubs. "Original" now means your signature house recipe. "Unique" replaces Specialty for the flavors that break the mold.
• BBQ Sides & Condiments, because a plate is more than the meat.
• New Product of the Year, an add-on for anything launched in the past year ($25 members / $35 non-members per product).
• Community Impact Award, honoring the people and businesses who use barbecue to give back ($10 nomination).

The categories

Full details are on the categories page.

Want to judge or volunteer?

Judging day is Saturday, December 5, 2026 in Byhalia, Mississippi, with setup on Friday, December 4. It takes a lot of hands to taste, test and score every entry, and we take care of our crew: lunch and snacks on Friday, breakfast on Saturday. Sign up to judge or volunteer here.

Your move

You've done the hard part. You built the recipe, designed the label, wrote the book or got the shot. Now let the barbecue world see it.

Enter the 2027 Awards of Excellence before November 23, 2026. Questions? Email admin@nbbqa.org.

We Are BBQ.