Editor’s note: This story was originally published in 2021 and has been updated.
With the Fourth of July comes everyone’s favorite guilty pleasure: the Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contest, an annual tradition featuring the art of consuming an absurd amount of processed meat in a short amount of time.
The competition rose to notoriety through the likes of Joey Chestnut and Takeru Kobayashi, who have each won the event multiple times.
For this year’s contest, Chestnut was not only the odds-on favorite to win his eighth consecutive and 15th victory in the last 16 years, but rarely does he face an actual contender looking to dethrone the reigning champion.
With that in mind, we’re taking a look back at every winner of the Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contest since 2000, both men and women.
MORE:
- 52 Major League Eating records that belong to Joey Chestnut
- The top-10 hot dog eating contest record-holders (all Joey Chestnut)
- Why Kobayashi no longer competes
Nordstrom Anniversary sale
2000: Kazutoyo Arai (25 1/8 hot dogs)
AP Photo/Richard Drew
2001: Takeru Kobayashi (50 hot dogs)
AP Photo/Richard Drew
2002: Takeru Kobayashi (50 1/2 hot dogs)
Mario Tama/Gettty Images
2003: Takeru Kobayashi (44 1/2 hot dogs)
AP Photo/Mary Altafer
2004: Takeru Kobayashi (53 1/2 hot dogs)
AP Photo/Osamu Honda
2005: Takeru Kobayashi (49 hot dogs)
AP Photo/Diane Bondareff
2006: Takeru Kobayashi (53 3/4 hot dogs)
TIMOTHY A. CLARY/AFP via Getty Images
2007: Joey Chestnut (66 hot dogs)
AP Photo/Seth Wenig
2008: Joey Chestnut (59 + 5 eat-off hot dogs)
Michael Nagle/Getty Images
2009: Joey Chestnut (68 hot dogs)
AP Photo/Yanina Manolova
2010: Joey Chestnut (54 hot dogs)
AP Photo/Tina Fineberg
2011: Joey Chestnut (62 hot dogs)
Ramin Talaie/Getty Images
2011: Sonya Thomas (40 hot dogs)
AP Photo/John Minchillo
2012: Joey Chestnut (68 hot dogs)
AP Photo/John Minchillo
2012: Sonya Thomas (45 hot dogs)
AP Photo/John Minchillo
2013: Joey Chestnut (69 hot dogs)
AP Photo/John Minchillo
2013: Sonya Thomas (36 3/4 hot dogs)
AP Photo/John Minchillo
2014: Joey Chestnut (61 hot dogs)
Kena Betancur/Getty Images
2014: Miki Sudo (34 hot dogs)
AP Photo/John Minchillo
2015: Matt Stonie (62 hot dogs)
AP Photo/Tina Fineberg, File
2015: Miki Sudo (38 hot dogs)
AP Photo/Tina Fineberg
2016: Joey Chestnut (70 hot dogs)
Eric Thayer/Getty Images
2016: Miki Sudo (38 1/2 hot dogs)
AP Photo/Michael Noble Jr.
2017: Joey Chestnut (72 hot dogs)
AP Photo/Richard Drew
2017: Miki Sudo (41 hot dogs)
AP Photo/Michael Noble Jr.
2018: Joey Chestnut (74 hot dogs)
AP Photo/Mary Altaffer
2018: Miki Sudo (37 hot dogs)
Eduardo Munoz Alvarez/Getty Images
2019: Joey Chestnut (71 hot dogs)
ROBYN BECK/AFP via Getty Images
2019: Miki Sudo (31 hot dogs)
DON EMMERT/AFP via Getty Images
2020: Joey Chestnut (75 hot dogs)
AP Photo/John Minchillo
*world record
2020: Miki Sudo (48 1/2 hot dogs)
AP Photo/John Minchillo
2021: Joey Chestnut (76 hot dogs)*
*world record
2021: Michelle Lesco (30.75 hot dogs)
2022: Joey Chestnut (63 hot dogs)
2022: Miki Sudo (40 hot dogs)
2023: Joey Chestnut (62 hot dogs)
(AP Photo/John Minchillo)
2023: Miki Sudo (39.5 hot dogs)
(AP Photo/John Minchillo)
