Seventeen days. One table. One champion.
The World Snooker Championship is the sport’s oldest and most prestigious title — and it has a paper trail going back to 1927.
Whether you need the full World Snooker Championship winners list by year, want to know who has won the most titles, or are tracking the 2026 tournament, it’s all here.
World Snooker Championship Winners List from 1927 to 2026
No padding. Just the complete record.
World Snooker Championship Winners List by Year
Every champion listed below, from 1927 to 2026. Scores are shown as Winner – Runner-up.
| Year | Winner | Score | Runner-Up |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | TBD | – | TBD |
| 2025 | Zhao Xintong | 18–12 | Mark Williams |
| 2024 | Kyren Wilson | 18–14 | Jak Jones |
| 2023 | Luca Brecel | 18–15 | Mark Selby |
| 2022 | Ronnie O’Sullivan | 18–13 | Judd Trump |
| 2021 | Mark Selby | 18–15 | Shaun Murphy |
| 2020 | Ronnie O’Sullivan | 18–8 | Kyren Wilson |
| 2019 | Judd Trump | 18–9 | John Higgins |
| 2018 | Mark Williams | 18–16 | John Higgins |
| 2017 | Mark Selby | 18–15 | John Higgins |
| 2016 | Mark Selby | 18–14 | Ding Junhui |
| 2015 | Stuart Bingham | 18–15 | Shaun Murphy |
| 2014 | Mark Selby | 18–14 | Ronnie O’Sullivan |
| 2013 | Ronnie O’Sullivan | 18–12 | Barry Hawkins |
| 2012 | Ronnie O’Sullivan | 18–11 | Ali Carter |
| 2011 | John Higgins | 18–15 | Judd Trump |
| 2010 | Neil Robertson | 18–13 | Graeme Dott |
| 2009 | John Higgins | 18–9 | Shaun Murphy |
| 2008 | Ronnie O’Sullivan | 18–8 | Ali Carter |
| 2007 | John Higgins | 18–13 | Mark Selby |
| 2006 | Graeme Dott | 18–14 | Peter Ebdon |
| 2005 | Shaun Murphy | 18–16 | Matthew Stevens |
| 2004 | Ronnie O’Sullivan | 18–8 | Graeme Dott |
| 2003 | Mark Williams | 18–16 | Ken Doherty |
| 2002 | Peter Ebdon | 18–17 | Stephen Hendry |
| 2001 | Ronnie O’Sullivan | 18–14 | John Higgins |
| 2000 | Mark Williams | 18–16 | Matthew Stevens |
| 1999 | Stephen Hendry | 18–11 | Mark Williams |
| 1998 | John Higgins | 18–12 | Ken Doherty |
| 1997 | Ken Doherty | 18–12 | Stephen Hendry |
| 1996 | Stephen Hendry | 18–12 | Peter Ebdon |
| 1995 | Stephen Hendry | 18–9 | Nigel Bond |
| 1994 | Stephen Hendry | 18–17 | Jimmy White |
| 1993 | Stephen Hendry | 18–5 | Jimmy White |
| 1992 | Stephen Hendry | 18–14 | Jimmy White |
| 1991 | John Parrott | 18–11 | Jimmy White |
| 1990 | Stephen Hendry | 18–12 | Jimmy White |
| 1989 | Steve Davis | 18–3 | John Parrott |
| 1988 | Steve Davis | 18–11 | Terry Griffiths |
| 1987 | Steve Davis | 18–14 | Joe Johnson |
| 1986 | Joe Johnson | 18–12 | Steve Davis |
| 1985 | Dennis Taylor | 18–17 | Steve Davis |
| 1984 | Steve Davis | 18–16 | Jimmy White |
| 1983 | Steve Davis | 18–6 | Cliff Thorburn |
| 1982 | Alex Higgins | 18–15 | Ray Reardon |
| 1981 | Steve Davis | 18–12 | Doug Mountjoy |
| 1980 | Cliff Thorburn | 18–16 | Alex Higgins |
| 1979 | Terry Griffiths | 24–16 | Dennis Taylor |
| 1978 | Ray Reardon | 25–18 | Perrie Mans |
| 1977 | John Spencer | 25–21 | Cliff Thorburn |
| 1976 | Ray Reardon | 27–16 | Alex Higgins |
| 1975 | Ray Reardon | 31–30 | Eddie Charlton |
| 1974 | Ray Reardon | 22–12 | Graham Miles |
| 1973 | Ray Reardon | 38–32 | Eddie Charlton |
| 1972 | Alex Higgins | 37–31 | John Spencer |
| 1971 | John Spencer | 37–29 | Warren Simpson |
| 1970 | Ray Reardon | 37–33 | John Pulman |
| 1969 | John Spencer | 37–24 | Gary Owen |
| 1968 | John Pulman | 39–34 | Eddie Charlton |
| 1966 | John Pulman | 5–2 | Fred Davis |
| 1965 | John Pulman | 39–12 | Fred Van Rensburg |
| 1965 | John Pulman | 25–22 | Rex Williams |
| 1965 | John Pulman | 37–36 | Fred Davis |
| 1964 | John Pulman | 40–33 | Rex Williams |
| 1964 | John Pulman | 19–16 | Fred Davis |
| 1957 | John Pulman | 39–34 | Jackie Rea |
| 1956 | Fred Davis | 38–35 | John Pulman |
| 1955 | Fred Davis | 38–35 | John Pulman |
| 1954 | Fred Davis | 45–26 | Walter Donaldson |
| 1953 | Fred Davis | 37–34 | Walter Donaldson |
| 1952 | Fred Davis | 38–35 | Walter Donaldson |
| 1952 | Horace Lindrum | 94–49 | Clark McConachy |
| 1951 | Fred Davis | 58–39 | Walter Donaldson |
| 1950 | Walter Donaldson | 51–46 | Fred Davis |
| 1949 | Fred Davis | 80–65 | Walter Donaldson |
| 1948 | Fred Davis | 84–61 | Walter Donaldson |
| 1947 | Walter Donaldson | 82–63 | Fred Davis |
| 1946 | Joe Davis | 78–67 | Horace Lindrum |
| 1940 | Joe Davis | 37–36 | Fred Davis |
| 1939 | Joe Davis | 43–30 | Sidney Smith |
| 1938 | Joe Davis | 37–24 | Sidney Smith |
| 1937 | Joe Davis | 32–29 | Horace Lindrum |
| 1936 | Joe Davis | 34–27 | Horace Lindrum |
| 1935 | Joe Davis | 25–20 | Willie Smith |
| 1934 | Joe Davis | 25–22 | Tom Newman |
| 1933 | Joe Davis | 25–18 | Willie Smith |
| 1932 | Joe Davis | 30–19 | Clark McConachy |
| 1931 | Joe Davis | 25–21 | Tom Dennis |
| 1930 | Joe Davis | 25–12 | Tom Dennis |
| 1929 | Joe Davis | 19–14 | Tom Dennis |
| 1928 | Joe Davis | 16–13 | Fred Lawrence |
| 1927 | Joe Davis | 20–11 | Tom Dennis |
Note: The championship was not held between 1941–1945 (World War II) or between 1958–1963. Two separate 1952 events are both included above, as they had different player fields and formats.
The Last 10 Snooker World Champions
Need just the recent decade? Here it is:
| Year | Champion | Runner-Up |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Zhao Xintong | Mark Williams |
| 2024 | Kyren Wilson | Jak Jones |
| 2023 | Luca Brecel | Mark Selby |
| 2022 | Ronnie O’Sullivan | Judd Trump |
| 2021 | Mark Selby | Shaun Murphy |
| 2020 | Ronnie O’Sullivan | Kyren Wilson |
| 2019 | Judd Trump | John Higgins |
| 2018 | Mark Williams | John Higgins |
| 2017 | Mark Selby | John Higgins |
| 2016 | Mark Selby | Ding Junhui |
Six different players won the title across this ten-year span. That’s more variety than the Hendry years — when one player seemed to treat the Crucible like a second home — but O’Sullivan still managed two titles in this window at ages 44 and 45.
Who Has Won the Most World Snooker Championships?
Thirteen players have claimed the title more than once. Here’s the full multiple-champions list:
| Player | Titles | Years Won |
|---|---|---|
| Joe Davis | 15 | 1927–1946 |
| Fred Davis | 8 | 1948–1956 |
| John Pulman | 8 | 1957–1968 |
| Stephen Hendry | 7 | 1990–1999 |
| Ronnie O’Sullivan | 7 | 2001–2022 |
| Ray Reardon | 6 | 1970–1978 |
| Steve Davis | 6 | 1981–1989 |
| John Higgins | 4 | 1998–2011 |
| Mark Selby | 4 | 2014–2021 |
| John Spencer | 3 | 1969–1977 |
| Mark Williams | 3 | 2000–2018 |
| Walter Donaldson | 2 | 1947, 1950 |
| Alex Higgins | 2 | 1972, 1982 |
Joe Davis: 15 Titles, Never Beaten in a Final
Joe Davis won the first World Championship in 1927 and never lost a final. He retired from the event unbeaten in 1946. His 15 titles represent a stretch of total dominance that no sport’s equivalent record can comfortably compare to.
The Modern-Era Debate: Hendry vs O’Sullivan
Stephen Hendry’s seven titles came in a ten-year run from 1990 to 1999 — five of them in six years between 1992 and 1996. Ronnie O’Sullivan’s seven arrived across 21 years, with his last in 2022 at age 46.
Which record is more impressive depends on what you value. Hendry’s consistency within a single era is hard to argue with. O’Sullivan’s longevity is something different altogether. The debate isn’t settled, and snooker fans are unlikely to stop having it.
The Record Nobody Talks About Enough: Jimmy White
Jimmy White reached the World Championship final six times: 1984, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993, and 1994. He never won. Three of those defeats came against Hendry. He remains the highest-profile finalist never to lift the trophy.
Snooker World Championship 2026 Schedule
The 2026 World Snooker Championship is taking place at the Crucible Theatre in Sheffield from 19 April to 5 May 2026.
Zhao Xintong enters as defending champion after his 18–12 win over Mark Williams in the 2025 final.
The 2026 winner will be added to this list once the final concludes.
World Snooker Championship Prize Money
The current prize structure for the World Championship:
| Position | Prize |
|---|---|
| Winner | £500,000 |
| Runner-up | £200,000 |
| Semi-finalists | £100,000 each |
| Quarter-finalists | £50,000 each |
| Total fund | ~£2.395 million |
Prize money is paid out across all rounds of the event, including qualifying-stage competitors. The tournament runs under the World Snooker Tour, the sport’s professional governing circuit.
IBSF World Snooker Championship: A Different Event
The IBSF (International Billiards and Snooker Federation) World Championship is the amateur version of the title, run separately through national federations. It has no connection to the professional Crucible event.
Some players win IBSF titles before turning professional — but those results are not included in this list. Every champion listed above refers exclusively to the professional World Snooker Championship.
FAQs
- Who has won the most World Snooker Championships?
Joe Davis won 15 titles between 1927 and 1946 — more than any other player in history. In the professional era, Stephen Hendry and Ronnie O’Sullivan share the record with 7 titles each.
- Who is the current World Snooker Champion?
Zhao Xintong is the reigning champion. He won the 2025 title by beating Mark Williams 18–12 at the Crucible. The 2026 championship is underway, and a new champion will be crowned by 5 May 2026.
- How much prize money does the World Snooker Champion receive?
The winner takes home £500,000 from a total prize fund of approximately £2.395 million.
- Which player has appeared in the most World Championship finals without winning?
Jimmy White played in six finals — 1984, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993, and 1994 — without winning the title.
- When did the World Snooker Championship move to the Crucible Theatre?
The event has been held at the Crucible Theatre in Sheffield since 1977.
- What is the IBSF World Snooker Championship?
The IBSF event is the amateur world championship organised by national snooker federations. It is entirely separate from the professional championship at the Crucible.
Conclusion:
From Joe Davis’s 15 unbeaten titles in snooker’s early years to Zhao Xintong’s 2025 win, the World Championship has a complete, well-documented record.
The table above covers every winner, every score, and every runner-up since 1927.
Bookmark this page — the 2026 champion will be added the moment the final is played.