Memphis in May: Meet the winners of the 2024 World Championship Barbecue Cooking Contest

The Shed BBQ was named Grand Champion of the 2024 Memphis in May World Championship Barbecue Cooking Contest.

The team was announced as Grand Champion and winner of the Whole Hog division during Saturday's awards ceremony at Liberty Park.

Brad Orrison is the team captain for The Shed BBQ and co-owner of the Ocean Springs, Mississippi, restaurant of the same name. He has now won the title of Grand Champion three times, won the Whole Hog division four times and has multiple ancillary competition (poultry, beef and booth) wins. The Shed previously won Grand Champion in 2015 and 2018.

The Shed co-owner Brooke Lewis said this year has felt like a family reunion for the team returning to Memphis in May, adding they are friends with so many teams.

"At the end of the day, we all want to help each other," she said.

The Shed cooked in its "Willys" smoker, a smoker encased inside an antique Willys Jeep, a trademark for the team. Lewis said the team came in with a different level of focus compared to previous years.

"We put a lot of soul and purpose into everything we did," she said. "There was intention in everything we did this weekend."

The longtime BBQ contest kicked off Wednesday and wrapped up Saturday. This year's competition brought in 129 teams from across the U.S. and four other countries, with pitmasters facing off in a variety of categories from Whole Hog to Tomato Sauce to Best Booth.

The awards ceremony also heralded the first public confirmation that the Memphis in May World Championship Barbecue Cooking Contest would return to Liberty Park in 2025. The contest is set for May 14-17.

"To all the teams, thank you for sticking with us this year," Memphis in May CEO Mack Weaver said. "Memphis in May is here to stay."

Here is a look at the Memphis in May barbecue contest winners.

Grand Champion

The Shed BBQ

Whole Hog

1. The Shed BBQ

2. Bubba Grills

3. Jack's Old South

4. Blues Hog

5. Ubons Barbecue of Yazoo City

6. Boars Night Out

7. Steamboat BBQ

8. Will-Be-Que BBQ Team

9. Hanks BBQ

10. Rub Me Tender

Ribs

1. Heath Riles BBQ

2. Slabs A' Smokin

3. Riberty

4. Sweetie's Bar-B-Q

5. Ribdiculous Bar-B-Krew

6. Fat Side Up

7. Tippy Q

8. The Usual Saucepects

9. Nuts N' Butts

10. South Mane Smkrs

Shoulder

1. Big Bob Gibson's

2. Shoats & Skins

3. Smoke BBQ Team

4. Swine & Dine

5. Page's Pig Pen

6. Planet BBQ Inc.

7. The Pork University

8. Sweet Swine O' Mine

9. Lillie's Q

10. Brown Chicken Brown Cow

Patio Porkers

1. Piggin' Ain't Easy

2. Meat Makers

3. The Bastey Boys

4. Smokin' Hot & Saucy

Green Grilling Award

Cadillac Grillz

Kingsford Tour of Champions

1. Bubba Grills

2. Russell's Dam Good BBQ

3. Big Bob Gibson's BBQ

Turkey Smoke

1. Willingham's

2. MySwine Championship BBQ Team

3. Redneck BBQ Express

4. Heath Riles BBQ Team

5. B.O.K. BBQ Team

Wings

1. Burnt Finger BBQ

2. Steamboat BBQ

3. South Mane Smkrs

4. Sweet Swine O' Mine

5. Shoats & Skins

Anything But — Beef

1. Heath Riles BBQ Team

2. Blue Collar Smokers

3. B.O.K. BBQ Team

4. Sweet Swine O' Mine

5. Tie: Hall Pass BBQ and The Bastey Boys

Anything But — Poultry

1. Steak Tank

2. Small Axe BBQ

3. Ruthless Hogs BBQ

4. Willingham's

5. Russell's Dam Good BBQ

Anything But — Seafood

1. Blues Hog

2. Porkcrastinators

3. Smoked N Spiced

4. Porkosaurus BBQ

5. Brown Chicken Brown Cow

Anything But — Exotic

1. Bluff City Smokers

2. The Bastey Boys

3. Don't Stop Porkin'

4. Smoked N Spiced

5. Swinos

Tomato Sauce

1. Nice Rack

2. Peyton Place Motley Que

3. Porkosaurus BBQ

4. The Usual Saucepects

5. Bubba Grills

MEMPHIS IN MAY REWIND: Meet the winners of the 2023 World Championship Barbecue Cooking Contest

Mustard Sauce

1. Burnt Finger BBQ

2. Smoke BBQ Team

3. Small Axe BBQ

4. Blues Hog

5. Hogapalooza BBQ

Vinegar Sauce

1. Lillie's Q

2. HogExpress

3. Rub Me Tender

4. Hometown BBQ

5. Bluff City Smokers

Best Booth

1. Swine & Dine

2. All-Star Ten Pin Porkers

3. Bluff City Smokers

4. Willingham's

5. Russell's Dam Good BBQ

6. Cadillac Grillz

7. Dirty Old Basters

8. Mucho Aloha

Best T-Shirt

1. Porkcrastinators

2. Bain BBQ

3. Swine & Dine

4. Slabs A' Smokin

5. The Pig Diamonds

6. Boardellos

7. Pigs Gone Wild

8. Don't Stop Porkin'

9. Willingham's

10. Choates Grit and Grind Smokers

Ms. Piggie Idol

1. Swinos

2. Pigs Gone Wild

3. Swine & Dine

4. Grill & Grind

5. Smoke Tails BBQ

Neil Strebig is a journalist with The Commercial Appeal. He can be reached at neil.strebig@commercialappeal.com, 901-426-0679 or via X/Twitter, @neilStrebig. 

This article originally appeared on Memphis Commercial Appeal: Memphis in May barbecue contest: Here are the winners from WCBCC 2024