Grand Champion: Riles wins 2026 Memphis in May BBQ contest

The win was Heath Riles BBQ team’s second year in a row and the first back-to-back Grand Champion in 42 years.

Heath Riles BBQ was named Grand Champion of the Memphis in May World Championship
Barbecue Cooking Contest for the second year in a row.

The team was crowned 2026 Grand Champion during the awards ceremony May 16 at Liberty
Park in Memphis, emceed by WMC-TV’s Ron Childers. Based in Olive Branch, Heath Riles BBQ
also won first place in the ribs category, just as it did in the 2025 BBQ contest.

This marks the first time in 42 years that a team has won back-to-back Grand Champion titles at Memphis in May. A former Shelby County commissioner, barbecue legend John Willingham won Grand Champion titles in 1983 and 1984.

“It feels incredible,” Riles said. “Anytime that you can do something that another legend like John Willingham did right — he helped put Memphis in May and Memphis barbecue on the map. It is just incredible that my name is going to be mentioned now as a back-to-back champion with his.”

The secret to Heath Riles BBQ’s success? It’s not the ingredients, but the man behind the grill.
Pitmaster Heath Riles himself.

“Consistency, practice and key ingredients,” Riles said backstage, right after accepting the award.

“We develop all our rubs and sauces ourselves, and I sell them in 20,000 stores nationwide in 16 countries. I put everything on YouTube step by step that I do, even this contest. I have no secrets at all.”

Riles said he was very surprised by the repeat victory. “The level of competition here, and for a rib to do it back to back? That’s really unheard of.”

Nearly 190 teams took part in the competition, which kicked off May 13. Here is a look at all the
winners.

Grand Champion

Heath Riles BBQ is named Grand Champion at the Memphis in May World Championship Barbecue Cooking Contest on May 16 at Liberty Park in Memphis. The Olive Branch-based team also was crowned Grand Champion in 2025.

Whole Hog

1. Will Be Que
2. Wicker’s
3. Music City Smokers
4. Fireman John’s
5. Come and Eat It
6. Cook the Books
7. The Shed BBQ
8. Darkside Of The Gator MAC
9. Hank’s BBQ
10. Blues Hog
    

Shoulder

1. Smoke BBQ Team
2. Planet Barbeque
3. Southern Hoggers
4. Swine & Dine
5. Smoked N Spiced
6. Lillie’s Q
7. Team Waterdog
8. Big Bob Gibson Bar-B-Q
9. The People’s Republic of Swina
10. Ribdiculous-Bar-B-Krewe

Ribs

1. Heath Riles BBQ
2. Sweet Brown Smokers
3. Meat Drink & Be Merry
4. Serial Grillers
5. Auto Be Grillin
6. The Norwegian National Barbecue Team
7. Sweet Home Smokers
8. Bluff City Smokers
9. Smokin With An Attitude
10. Brothers Q & 256 Crew

Grilling GreenAward
Bubba Grills

Tomato-based Sauce
SWINOS – WET

Mustard-based Sauce
Too Sauced To Pork

Vinegar-based Sauce
Come and Eat It

Hot Wing
The SWINOS

Turkey Smoke
The People’s Republic of Swina

Beef
Greaseland Porkers

Poultry
Cook the Books

Exotic
Blues Hog

Seafood
The SWINOS

Open Fire
The Culinary Charm

2026 Junior Barbecue Cooking Contest

Grand Champion: 360 BBQ 2.0
Pork Chop: First Class BBQ 2.0
Ribeye Steak: Pigs Fly Barbecue
Chicken Drumstick: Give ‘em Hell
Dessert: Little Bit Sauced

Rib Rumble
Pigs Gone Wild

Best Booth presented by Home Depot
Love Meat Tender

Best T-Shirt
Pig Diamonds

SCASteak Cookoff
Boars Night Out

This article originally appeared on Memphis Commercial Appeal: Memphis in May BBQ contest