List of world snooker champions

The World Snooker Championship snooker tournament founded in 1927 and since 1977 played at the Crucible Theatre in Sheffield, England. The event is played over 17 days in late April and early May, and is chronologically the third of the three Triple Crown events of the season since 1977–78, when the UK Championship was first held. The event was not held from 1941 to 1945 because of World War II or between 1958 and 1963 due to declining interest.

The World Snooker Championship Trophy

The governing body that organises this event is the World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association. Prior to this in 1968, the world championship was organised by the Billiards Association and Control Council (BACC), except for a few years when the Professional Billiards Players' Association (PBPA) staged their own event, the World Professional Match-play Championship.

The best player at the World Snooker Championship was Joe Davis, who won 15 consecutive titles between 1927 and 1946. The record in the modern era, usually dated from 1969 of a knock-out tournament format, rather than a challenge format, is held by Stephen Hendry, who won the title 7 times between 1990 and 1999.

Champions

Format	Organiser
Knockout tournament	BACC
Challenge event with defending champion receiving a bye to the final †	BACC
World Professional Match-play Championship ◊	PBPA
Challenge matches ‡	BACC
Knockout tournament (modern era)	WPBSA

List of snooker World Champions

Year	Winner	Runner-up	Final score	Season	Venue
1927	Joe Davis	Tom Dennis	16–7	n/a	Camkin's Hall, Birmingham
1928†	Joe Davis	Fred Lawrence	16–13	n/a
1929	Joe Davis	Tom Dennis	17–12	n/a	Lounge Hall, Nottingham
1930	Joe Davis	Tom Dennis	25–12	n/a	Thurston's Hall, London
1931	Joe Davis	Tom Dennis	25–21	n/a	Lounge Hall, Nottingham
1932	Joe Davis	Clark McConachy	25–18	n/a	Thurston's Hall, London
1933	Joe Davis	Willie Smith	25–18	n/a	Joe Davis Centre, Chesterfield
1934	Joe Davis	Tom Newman	25–22	n/a	Lounge Hall, Nottingham and Kettering
1935	Joe Davis	Willie Smith	28–21	n/a	Thurston's Hall, London
1936	Joe Davis	Horace Lindrum	34–27	n/a
1937	Joe Davis	Horace Lindrum	32–29	n/a
1938	Joe Davis	Sidney Smith	37–24	n/a
1939	Joe Davis	Sidney Smith	43–30	n/a
1940	Joe Davis	Fred Davis	37–36	n/a
1941–1945: No tournament
1946	Joe Davis	Horace Lindrum	78–67	n/a	Royal Horticultural Hall, London
1947	Walter Donaldson	Fred Davis	82–63	n/a	Leicester Square Hall, London
1948	Fred Davis	Walter Donaldson	84–61	n/a
1949	Fred Davis	Walter Donaldson	80–65	n/a
1950	Walter Donaldson	Fred Davis	51–46	n/a	Tower Circus, Blackpool
1951	Fred Davis	Walter Donaldson	58–39	n/a
1952	Horace Lindrum	Clark McConachy	94–49	n/a	Houldsworth Hall, Manchester
1952◊	Fred Davis	Walter Donaldson	38–35	n/a	Tower Circus, Blackpool
1953◊	Fred Davis	Walter Donaldson	37–34	n/a	Leicester Square Hall, London
1954◊	Fred Davis	Walter Donaldson	45–26	n/a	Houldsworth Hall, Manchester
1955◊	Fred Davis	John Pulman	38–35	n/a	Tower Circus, Blackpool
1956◊	Fred Davis	John Pulman	38–35	n/a
1957◊	John Pulman	Jackie Rea	39–34	n/a	St Helier, Jersey
1958–1963: No tournament
1964‡	John Pulman	Fred Davis	19–16	n/a	Burroughes Hall, London
1964‡	John Pulman	Rex Williams	40–33	n/a
1965‡	John Pulman	Fred Davis	37–36	n/a
1965‡	John Pulman	Rex Williams	25–22	n/a	South Africa
1965‡	John Pulman	Fred Van Rensburg	39–12	n/a
1966‡	John Pulman	Fred Davis	5–2*	n/a	St George's Hall, Liverpool
1968‡	John Pulman	Eddie Charlton	39–34	n/a	Co-operative Hall, Bolton
1969	John Spencer	Gary Owen	37–24	1968–69	Victoria Hall, London
1970	Ray Reardon	John Pulman	37–33	1969/70
1971	John Spencer	Warren Simpson	37–29	1970–71	Chevron Hotel, Sydney, Australia
1972	Alex Higgins	John Spencer	37–32	1971–72	Selly Park British Legion, Birmingham
1973	Ray Reardon	Eddie Charlton	38–32	1972–73	City Exhibition Hall, Manchester
1974	Ray Reardon	Graham Miles	22–12	1973–74	Belle Vue, Manchester
1975	Ray Reardon	Eddie Charlton	31–30	1974–75	Nunawading Basketball Centre, Melbourne, Australia
1976	Ray Reardon	Alex Higgins	27–16	1975–76	Wythenshawe Forum, Manchester
1977	John Spencer	Cliff Thorburn	25–21	1976–77	Crucible Theatre, Sheffield
1978	Ray Reardon	Perrie Mans	25–18	1977–78
1979	Terry Griffiths	Dennis Taylor	24–16	1978–79
1980	Cliff Thorburn	Alex Higgins	18–16	1979–80
1981	Steve Davis	Doug Mountjoy	18–12	1980–81
1982	Alex Higgins	Ray Reardon	18–15	1981–82
1983	Steve Davis	Cliff Thorburn	18–6	1982–83
1984	Steve Davis	Jimmy White	18–16	1983–84
1985	Dennis Taylor	Steve Davis	18–17	1984–85
1986	Joe Johnson	Steve Davis	18–12	1985–86
1987	Steve Davis	Joe Johnson	18–14	1986–87
1988	Steve Davis	Terry Griffiths	18–11	1987–88
1989	Steve Davis	John Parrott	18–3	1988–89
1990	Stephen Hendry	Jimmy White	18–12	1989–90
1991	John Parrott	Jimmy White	18–11	1990–91
1992	Stephen Hendry	Jimmy White	18–14	1991–92
1993	Stephen Hendry	Jimmy White	18–5	1992–93
1994	Stephen Hendry	Jimmy White	18–17	1993–94
1995	Stephen Hendry	Nigel Bond	18–9	1994–95
1996	Stephen Hendry	Peter Ebdon	18–12	1995–96
1997	Ken Doherty	Stephen Hendry	18–12	1996–97
1998	John Higgins	Ken Doherty	18–12	1997–98
1999	Stephen Hendry	Mark Williams	18–11	1998–99
2000	Mark Williams	Matthew Stevens	18–16	1999–2000
2001	Ronnie O'Sullivan	John Higgins	18–14	2000–01
2002	Peter Ebdon	Stephen Hendry	18–17	2001–02
2003	Mark Williams	Ken Doherty	18–16	2002–03
2004	Ronnie O'Sullivan	Graeme Dott	18–8	2003–04
2005	Shaun Murphy	Matthew Stevens	18–16	2004–05
2006	Graeme Dott	Peter Ebdon	18–14	2005–06
2007	John Higgins	Mark Selby	18–13	2006–07
2008	Ronnie O'Sullivan	Ali Carter	18–8	2007–08
2009	John Higgins	Shaun Murphy	18–9	2008–09
2010	Neil Robertson	Graeme Dott	18–13	2009–10
2011	John Higgins	Judd Trump	18–15	2010–11
2012	Ronnie O'Sullivan	Ali Carter	18–11	2011–12
2013	Ronnie O'Sullivan	Barry Hawkins	18–12	2012–13
2014	Mark Selby	Ronnie O'Sullivan	18–14	2013–14
2015	Stuart Bingham	Shaun Murphy	18–15	2014–15
2016	Mark Selby	Ding Junhui	18–14	2015–16
2017	Mark Selby	John Higgins	18–15	2016–17
2018	Mark Williams	John Higgins	18–16	2017–18
2019	Judd Trump	John Higgins	18–9	2018–19
2020	Ronnie O'Sullivan	Kyren Wilson	18–8	2019-20
2021	Mark Selby	Shaun Murphy	18–15	2020-21
2022	Ronnie O'Sullivan	Judd Trump	18–16	2021-22

Joe Davis (1927–40 & 1946)

Stephen Hendry (1990, 1992–96 & 1999)

Steve Davis (1981, 1983–84 & 1987–89)

Statistics

Multiple champions

Snooker World Champions multiple times

Player	Total	Years	Status
Joe Davis	15	1927, 1928, 1929, 1930, 1931, 1932, 1933, 1934, 1935, 1936, 1937, 1938, 1939, 1940, 1946	† 10/7/1978
Fred Davis	8	1948, 1949, 1951, 1952*, 1953*, 1954*, 1955*, 1956*	† 16/4/1998
John Pulman	8	1957*, 1964, 1964, 1965, 1965, 1965, 1966, 1968	† 25/12/1998
Stephen Hendry	7	1990, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1999	active
Ronnie O'Sullivan	7	2001, 2004, 2008, 2012, 2013, 2020, 2022	active
Steve Davis	6	1981, 1983, 1984, 1987, 1988, 1989	retired
Ray Reardon	6	1970, 1973, 1974, 1975, 1976, 1978	retired
John Higgins ¤	4	1998, 2007, 2009, 2011	active
Mark Selby ¤	4	2014, 2016, 2017, 2021	active
Mark Williams ¤	3	2000, 2003, 2018	active
John Spencer	3	1969, 1971, 1977	† 11/7/2006
Walter Donaldson	2	1947, 1950	† 24/5/1973
Alex Higgins	2	1972, 1982	† 24/7/2010

Key

	Challenge match
*	World Professional Match-play Championship
¤	Player competed in 2019

Champions by country

Champions by country (since 1969)

Country	Players	Total	First title	Last title
England	10	25	1969	2022
Scotland	3	12	1990	2011
Wales	3	10	1970	2018
Northern Ireland	2	3	1972	1985
Canada	1	1	1980	1980
Ireland	1	1	1997	1997
Australia	1	1	2010	2010

Champions by country (all-time)

Country	Players	Total	First title	Last title
England	13	56	1927	2022
Scotland	4	14	1947	2011
Wales	3	10	1970	2018
Northern Ireland	2	3	1972	1985
Australia	2	2	1952	2010
Canada	1	1	1980	1980
Ireland	1	1	1997	1997