The International Chili Society (ICS) just announced that the 54th annual World Championship Chili Cook-off (WCCC) is now officially full with the largest number of cook teams in almost a decade and that registration is closed.

The Traditional Red category, which boasts a grand prize of $25,000, has reached a maximum field of 140 cook teams, all of whom will convene this fall in Myrtle Beach, S.C. This marks the first time that ICS has reached maximum capacity in a key category; however, plans are underway to conduct a Last Chance Qualifier for cooks who want to enter the Homestyle and Verde categories which occur during the same weekend, Sept 17-19. 

“This championship is shaping up to be one of the most significant in ICS history,” said Mike McCloud, President and CEO of ICS. “We can tell that chiliheads are getting excited just by the sheer volume of registrations. After a year of postponements due to COVID, I know these chiliheads are eager to get back into action and add to their Food Sport winnings.” 

The Last Chance Qualifier, taking place on Friday, September 17th, will send the top five scoring competitors in both Homestyle and Verde into the category finals on Saturday. Both of those categories, as well as Salsa, already have over 100 contestants registered.

Any competitor who is already registered for one of the 54th WCCC categories, but would like to compete in a second or third category, is eligible to enter the Last Chance qualifier for Homestyle and Verde. They simply have to fill out this form and indicate their category of interest. An ICS representative will reach out directly via email to confirm registration. 

Additionally, while the Traditional Red category has reached its capacity, a waitlist will be created in case there is attrition between now and September. To join that waitlist, simply email your info to info@icschili.com. Those on the waitlist will move into the competition on a first-come, first-served basis based on availability. 

To learn how to enter the competition or judge the entries, simply follow the International Chili Society on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram (@ICSChili). To learn more about the event itself, follow World Championship Chili Cook-off on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

About the International Chili Society 

Since 1967, the International Chili Society (ICS) has been bringing people together over one of America's greatest culinary creations. ICS sanctions more than 100 events a year nationwide with one mission –  to continuously improve chili while raising money for charities and nonprofits. More than $100 million has been raised for charities by the chili arena since ICS was started. To celebrate each year’s pro-chili season, ICS holds a World Chili Championship Cook-off (WCCC) and crowns World Champions. To see previous winners, click here.