April 8, 2008

LIVINGSTON, Ala.--Gov. Bob Riley last week signed a proclamation declaring the Sucarnochee BBQ & Blues Cook-off a state championship event. Sanctioned by the Kansas City Barbeque Society, the inaugural event takes places at The University of West Alabama in Livingston on April 18-19, proclaimed as Sucarnochee Folklife Festival Days in Alabama by the governor.

With this designation, the cook-off’s grand champion team will automatically qualify for the KCBS American Royal world championship event. In addition, the winning team will be entered into a drawing to qualify for the annual Jack Daniel’s World Championship Invitational Barbecue. Held the fourth Saturday in October in Lynchburg, Tenn., the event is considered one of the most prestigious barbecue competitions in the world.
 

The Sucarnochee BBQ & Blues Cook-off boasts a total payout of $7,000. Professional cooking teams will compete for cash prizes in four categories: chicken, ribs, pork and brisket. The grand champion team will receive $1,000, with reserve grand champion taking home $750. First, second and third prizes in each category will earn $500, $350 and $200, respectively. An additional $150 will be awarded to the team with the best barbecue sauce.
 

Backyard teams competing with ribs can earn $250, $200 or $100 for placing. Young cookers in the kid’s chicken category can take home $75, $50 or $25 prizes.
 

Entry fees range from $250 for professional teams, $125 for backyard teams and $25 each in the barbecue sauce and kid’s chicken competition. Each team will receive five tickets to Thursday night’s catfish dinner and five tickets for Friday night’s social, along with T-shirts and other giveaways.

Singer/songwriter Austin Cunningham will headline Friday night's entertainment. Leaving his hometown of Garland, Texas, in 1986, and he carved out a place for himself on Nashville's Music Row as a songwriter. His songs have been covered by artists such as Martina McBride, Hank Williams, Jr., Lee Greenwood, Wynonna, Del McCoury, Chris Knight, Claire Lynch and many others. Austin has received the Johnny Mercer Award for Emerging American Songwriters.
Local favorite Dr. Debbie Davis of the Davis Hall Blooz Duo will also perform at the cook-off.

The Sucarnochee BBQ & Blues Cook-off is being held in conjunction with the fifth annual Sucarnochee Folklife Festival. The festival, a celebration of Black Belt regional culture, takes place Saturday, April 19 in downtown Livingston and includes the Sucarnochee 5K River Run, Cornbread Cook-off, folk artists, musicians, storytellers, walking ghost tour and more.

With more than 8,500 professional members, KCBS sanctions and judges nearly 300 barbecue competitions in 44 states, promoting barbecue as America's cuisine. KCBS sanctions competitions by providing the most respected form of judging and scoring in the world of barbecue. The organization provides a representative for each contest and an appropriate number of certified judges who have been trained to judge world-class barbecue in a blind judging process. KCBS judges are trained to appropriately judge all types of barbecue, from St. Louis and Texas styles to Memphis and Carolina styles.
 

For more information or to sign up for the cook-off, please contact Monica Moore at 205-652-3497 or visit www.centerforblackbelt.org.