South Carolina State Barbeque Championship

The official state championship since 2011

South Carolina State Barbeque Championship Awards

In 2011 the South Carolina Legislature designated the South Carolina Barbeque Association as the official organization to name the South Carolina State Barbeque Champion.

The SCBA conducts a year-long contest which runs from January to December of each year with contests held in over 35 different towns and cities across the great state of South Carolina.

At each SCBA sanctioned event, participating cook teams receive points based on their scores, which are tallied throughout the year. Teams may enter as many contests as they wish but only their top ten (10) scores are totaled to determine the winner of the state championship.

At the end of the year, the team with the ten highest scores is named the South Carolina State Barbeque Champion. In January, an awards ceremony takes place at the State House in Columbia where trophies and cash prizes are awarded to the top five teams.

South Carolina in conjunction with the SCBA was the first state in the nation to adopt this year-long, state-wide contest which is the very best way to see which team is truly the South Carolina State Champion.

Past and Present South Carolina State Barbeque Champions

YearTeamPitmasterCity
2024Sadie Beth Barbeque CompanyGage BlueMt. Pleasant
2023Tail-Gater HaterPhillip Miles/Dennis CarawayLake City
2022Tail-Gater HaterPhillip Miles/Dennis CarawayLake City
2021Tail-Gater HaterPhillip Miles/Dennis CarawayLake City
2019Tail-Gater HaterPhillip Miles/Glenn LeeLake City
2018Pimp My PigDean PriceLeesville
2017Pimp My PigDean PriceLeesville
2016Backwoods Bar-B-QueGene CulbertsonTrenton
2015Backwoods Bar-B-QueGene CulbertsonTrenton
2014Smokin' StacksJeff SmithAiken
2013All Smoked UpGary TaylorLexington
2012Can't Quit SmokingGeorge KingWinnsboro
2011Can't Quit SmokingGeorge KingWinnsboro
2010No Pig Left BehindDoug QuinnGoose Creek
2009Pot Belly CookersDennis JarretSummerville
2008Red Neck BarbequeSam BowerElgin
2007JT's BBQTim HandySummerville

Ready to Compete?

Join the ranks of South Carolina's best pitmasters. Check out our upcoming events and start accumulating points toward the state championship.

© 2026 South Carolina Barbeque Association. All rights reserved.

PO Box 363, Irmo, SC 29063