2025 NBBQA AOE Awards
2025 Awards of Excellence
Top 5 Placements
BBQ Sauce
Fruit BBQ Sauce
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First Place: Geeze Louise Nectarine – Geeze Louise
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Second Place: Apple Q – Ole Hickory Pits
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Third Place: Smoked Peach – Bad Bones BBQ
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Fourth Place: Smokey's Peach Bourbon BBQ Sauce – Smokey's Bar-B-Que
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Fifth Place: Original Nashville – Charcoal Cowboys
Mustard BBQ Sauce
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First Place: Mustard Bold Gold – Mack's Barbecue Paint, LLC
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Second Place: Meat Mitch Yellow Brick Road Sauce – Meat Mitch
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Third Place: Honey Mustard – Bad Bones BBQ
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Fourth Place: Colorado Gold – Dutch Oven Smokehouse
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Fifth Place: Mantis Gold – Mantis BBQ
Tomato Mild BBQ Sauce
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First Place: Rodney's Red Dog BBQ Sauce - Sweet – HK Foods - Sauce by Goss
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Second Place: Beer's BlackDog BBQ Sauce – Beer's Blackdog BBQ Sauce
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Third Place: Steak Tank "Tactical Sauce" – Steaktank.com
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Fourth Place: Kansas City BBQ Sauce – Chef Rays, LLC
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Fourth Place: Aces Wild Neon Nights – Craig Carter
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Fourth Place: Apple Q – Ole Hickory Pits
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Fifth Place: SmokinGhost BBQ Haunted Heat – SmokinGhostBBQ
Tomato Spicy BBQ Sauce
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First Place: Smoke'n Magic Spicy Sauce – Smoke 'n Magic
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Second Place: Sweet & Spicy – The Shed BBQ & Blues Joint
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Third Place: Beast – Bad Bones BBQ
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Fourth Place: Spicy Pam – Meat Head Charcoal
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Fifth Place: Slade's BBQ Sauce – Steaktank.com
Vinegar Mild BBQ Sauce
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First Place: Slade's BBQ Sauce – Steaktank.com
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Second Place: Sweet & Tangy – The Shed BBQ & Blues Joint
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Third Place: Steak Tank "Tactical Sauce" – Steaktank.com
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Fourth Place: Aces Wild Neon Nights – Aces Wild
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Fifth Place: Steak Tank "HQ Sauce" – Steaktank.com
Vinegar Spicy BBQ Sauce
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First Place: Meat Mitch Whomp! BBQ Sauce – Meat Mitch
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Second Place: Steak Tank "Tactical Sauce" – Steaktank.com
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Third Place: Steak Tank "HQ Sauce" – Steaktank.com
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Fourth Place: Sweet & Spicy – The Shed BBQ & Blues Joint
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Fifth Place: SmokinGhost BBQ Haunted Heat – SmokinGhostBBQ
Original BBQ Sauce
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First Place: Southern Sweet – The Shed BBQ & Blues Joint
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Second Place: Original Arkansas Red – Mack's Barbecue Paint, LLC
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Third Place: Smokey's Original BBQ Sauce – Smokey's Bar-B-Que
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Fourth Place: Tennessee Gunpowder – Charcoal Cowboys
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Fifth Place: Apple Q – Ole Hickory Pits
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Fifth Place: Mansmith's Sticky BBQ Sauce – Mansmith Enterprises, Inc.
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'
Fourth Place: Boars Night Out White Lightning - Boars Night Out Competition Team & Catering
Fifth 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
Fourth Place: Maple Candy Rub - Prairie Smoke & Spice Company
Fifth 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
Fourth Place: Texas Tornado - Boars Night Out Competition Team & Catering & Sweet Swine
O'Mine
Fifth 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
Fourth Place: Boars Night Out MidWest Dust - Boars Night Out Competition Team & Catering
Fifth 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
Fourth Place: Kickin' PitGrit - Pit O'Heaven Grillin'
Fifth 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
Fourth Place: Boars Night Out Spicy White Lightning - Boars Night Out Competition Team &
Catering
Fifth Place: Boars Night Out White Lightning - Boars Night Out Competition Team & Catering
BBQ Food Category
BBQ Gift Pack
First Place: Combo Pack with Sweet & Sassy, Brushfire, Chuckbox, and Californio - Dutch Oven
Smokehouse
Second Place: Peg Leg Porker Sauce/ Seasoning Combo Box - Peg Leg Porker
Third Place: Aces Wild BBQ Gift Pack - Aces Wild
Fourth Place: SmokingGhost BBQ 3 Pack Gift Box with Spooky Sweet, Haunted Heat, and
All-Purpose Rub - SmokinGhostBBQ
Fifth Place: Devine Swine - Bad Bones BBQ2025 Awards of Excellence - BBQ Sauce Awards
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
Fourth Place: Beef Blaster - The Shed BBQ & Blues Joint
Fifth 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 Gift Pack
First Place: Combo Pack with Sweet & Sassy, Brushfire, Chuckbox, and Californio - Dutch Oven
Smokehouse
Second Place: Peg Leg Porker Sauce/ Seasoning Combo Box - Peg Leg Porker
Third Place: Aces Wild BBQ Gift Pack - Aces Wild
Fourth Place: SmokingGhost BBQ 3 Pack Gift Box with Spooky Sweet, Haunted Heat, and
All-Purpose Rub - SmokinGhostBBQ
Fifth 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
Fourth Place: Beef Blaster - The Shed BBQ & Blues Joint
Fifth Place: Southern Tangy: Beef, Pork, Poultry - The Rib Doctor, Inc.
BBQ Snacks
First Place: Meat Mitch Whomp! Corn - Meat Mitch2025 Awards of Excellence - BBQ Sauce Awards
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
Fourth Place: Royal Oak Super Size Instant Lighting Charcoal Briquets - Royal Oak Charcoal
Fifth 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 Tshirt - Aces Wild
Fourth Place: Steak Tank 'Onesy' - Steaktank.com
Fifth 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
Fourth Place: Boars Night Out Spicy White Lightning - Boars Night Out Competition Team &
Catering
Fifth 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
Fourth Place: www.steaktank.com - Steaktank.com
Fifth 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 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: Pits 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
Fourth Place: The Hidden Value of Awards & Competitions for Your Business - Peg Leg Porker
Fifth Place: How to Introduce Your Restaurant To TikTok - Peg Leg Porker
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 Company2025 Awards of Excellence - BBQ Sauce Awards
Fourth Place: Braver Hand/Marzen - 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
Fourth Place: Peg Leg Porker Spirits Old Fashioned Cocktail Mixer - Peg Leg Porker