List of World Snooker Championship winners facts for kids

The World Snooker Championship trophy

The World Snooker Championship is a super exciting yearly snooker tournament! It first started way back in 1927. Since 1977, it has been held at the famous Crucible Theatre in Sheffield, England.

This big event takes place over seventeen days in late April and early May. It's one of the three most important snooker tournaments of the season, known as the Triple Crown events. The championship didn't happen between 1941 and 1945 because of World War II. It also took a break from 1958 to 1963 because not enough players were interested at that time.

Today, the World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association (WPBSA) organizes this amazing tournament. Before 1968, other groups were in charge.

Many great players have won the World Snooker Championship. As of 2024, 28 different players have lifted the trophy! The player with the most wins ever is Joe Davis. He won an incredible fifteen times in a row between 1927 and 1946! In more recent times, since 1969, when the tournament changed its format, Stephen Hendry and Ronnie O'Sullivan share the record. They have both won the title seven times.

World Snooker Champions Over the Years

This table shows all the winners of the World Snooker Championship. You can see who won, who they played against in the final, and what the score was!

List of World Snooker Championship winners
Year	Winner	Runner-up	Final score	Season	Venue
1927^†	Joe Davis (ENG)	Tom Dennis (ENG)	20–11	n/a	Camkin's Hall, Birmingham
1928*	Joe Davis (ENG)	Fred Lawrence (ENG)	16–13	n/a	Camkin's Hall, Birmingham
1929^†	Joe Davis (ENG)	Tom Dennis (ENG)	19–14	n/a	Lounge Hall, Nottingham
1930^†	Joe Davis (ENG)	Tom Dennis (ENG)	25–12	n/a	Thurston's Hall, London
1931^†	Joe Davis (ENG)	Tom Dennis (ENG)	25–21	n/a	Lounge Hall, Nottingham
1932^†	Joe Davis (ENG)	Clark McConachy (NZL)	30–19	n/a	Thurston's Hall, London
1933^†	Joe Davis (ENG)	Willie Smith (ENG)	25–18	n/a	Joe Davis Centre, Chesterfield
1934^†	Joe Davis (ENG)	Tom Newman (ENG)	25–22	n/a	Lounge Hall, Nottingham and Central Hall, Kettering
1935^†	Joe Davis (ENG)	Willie Smith (ENG)	25–20	n/a	Thurston's Hall, London
1936^†	Joe Davis (ENG)	Horace Lindrum (AUS)	34–27	n/a
1937^†	Joe Davis (ENG)	Horace Lindrum (AUS)	32–29	n/a
1938^†	Joe Davis (ENG)	Sidney Smith (ENG)	37–24	n/a
1939^†	Joe Davis (ENG)	Sidney Smith (ENG)	43–30	n/a
1940^†	Joe Davis (ENG)	Fred Davis (ENG)	37–36	n/a
1941–1945: No tournament
1946^†	Joe Davis (ENG)	Horace Lindrum (AUS)	78–67	n/a	Royal Horticultural Hall, London
1947^†	Walter Donaldson (SCO)	Fred Davis (ENG)	82–63	n/a	Leicester Square Hall, London
1948^†	Fred Davis (ENG)	Walter Donaldson (SCO)	84–61	n/a
1949^†	Fred Davis (ENG)	Walter Donaldson (SCO)	80–65	n/a
1950^†	Walter Donaldson (SCO)	Fred Davis (ENG)	51–46	n/a	Tower Circus, Blackpool
1951^†	Fred Davis (ENG)	Walter Donaldson (SCO)	58–39	n/a	Tower Circus, Blackpool
1952^†	Horace Lindrum (AUS)	Clark McConachy (NZL)	94–49	n/a	Houldsworth Hall, Manchester
1952◊	Fred Davis (ENG)	Walter Donaldson (SCO)	38–35	n/a	Tower Circus, Blackpool
1953◊	Fred Davis (ENG)	Walter Donaldson (SCO)	37–34	n/a	Leicester Square Hall, London
1954◊	Fred Davis (ENG)	Walter Donaldson (SCO)	45–26	n/a	Houldsworth Hall, Manchester
1955◊	Fred Davis (ENG)	John Pulman (ENG)	38–35	n/a	Tower Circus, Blackpool
1956◊	Fred Davis (ENG)	John Pulman (ENG)	38–35	n/a	Tower Circus, Blackpool
1957◊	John Pulman (ENG)	Jackie Rea (NIR)	39–34	n/a	Jersey Billiards Association Match Room, St Helier, Jersey
1958–1963: No tournament
1964‡	John Pulman (ENG)	Fred Davis (ENG)	19–16	1963–64	Burroughes Hall, London
1964‡	John Pulman (ENG)	Rex Williams (ENG)	40–33	1964–65
1965‡	John Pulman (ENG)	Fred Davis (ENG)	37–36	1964–65
1965‡	John Pulman (ENG)	Rex Williams (ENG)	25–22	1965–66	South Africa
1965‡	John Pulman (ENG)	Fred Van Rensburg (SAF)	39–12	1965–66	South Africa
1966‡	John Pulman (ENG)	Fred Davis (ENG)	5–2	1965–66	St George's Hall, Liverpool
1968‡	John Pulman (ENG)	Eddie Charlton (AUS)	39–34	1967–68	Co-operative Hall, Bolton
1969	John Spencer (ENG)	Gary Owen (WAL)	37–24	1968–69	Victoria House, London
1970	Ray Reardon (WAL)	John Pulman (ENG)	37–33	1969–70	Victoria House, London
1971	John Spencer (ENG)	Warren Simpson (AUS)	37–29	1970–71	Chevron Hotel, Sydney
1972	Alex Higgins (NIR)	John Spencer (ENG)	37–31	1971–72	Selly Park British Legion, Birmingham
1973	Ray Reardon (WAL)	Eddie Charlton (AUS)	38–32	1972–73	City Exhibition Hall, Manchester
1974	Ray Reardon (WAL)	Graham Miles (ENG)	22–12	1973–74	Belle Vue, Manchester
1975	Ray Reardon (WAL)	Eddie Charlton (AUS)	31–30	1974–75	Nunawading Basketball Centre, Melbourne, Australia
1976	Ray Reardon (WAL)	Alex Higgins (NIR)	27–16	1975–76	Wythenshawe Forum, Manchester
1977	John Spencer (ENG)	Cliff Thorburn (CAN)	25–21	1976–77	Crucible Theatre, Sheffield
1978	Ray Reardon (WAL)	Perrie Mans (SAF)	25–18	1977–78
1979	Terry Griffiths (WAL)	Dennis Taylor (NIR)	24–16	1978–79
1980	Cliff Thorburn (CAN)	Alex Higgins (NIR)	18–16	1979–80
1981	Steve Davis (ENG)	Doug Mountjoy (WAL)	18–12	1980–81
1982	Alex Higgins (NIR)	Ray Reardon (WAL)	18–15	1981–82
1983	Steve Davis (ENG)	Cliff Thorburn (CAN)	18–6	1982–83
1984	Steve Davis (ENG)	Jimmy White (ENG)	18–16	1983–84
1985	Dennis Taylor (NIR)	Steve Davis (ENG)	18–17	1984–85
1986	Joe Johnson (ENG)	Steve Davis (ENG)	18–12	1985–86
1987	Steve Davis (ENG)	Joe Johnson (ENG)	18–14	1986–87
1988	Steve Davis (ENG)	Terry Griffiths (WAL)	18–11	1987–88
1989	Steve Davis (ENG)	John Parrott (ENG)	18–3	1988–89
1990	Stephen Hendry (SCO)	Jimmy White (ENG)	18–12	1989–90
1991	John Parrott (ENG)	Jimmy White (ENG)	18–11	1990–91
1992	Stephen Hendry (SCO)	Jimmy White (ENG)	18–14	1991–92
1993	Stephen Hendry (SCO)	Jimmy White (ENG)	18–5	1992–93
1994	Stephen Hendry (SCO)	Jimmy White (ENG)	18–17	1993–94
1995	Stephen Hendry (SCO)	Nigel Bond (ENG)	18–9	1994–95
1996	Stephen Hendry (SCO)	Peter Ebdon (ENG)	18–12	1995–96
1997	Ken Doherty (IRL)	Stephen Hendry (SCO)	18–12	1996–97
1998	John Higgins (SCO)	Ken Doherty (IRL)	18–12	1997–98
1999	Stephen Hendry (SCO)	Mark Williams (WAL)	18–11	1998–99
2000	Mark Williams (WAL)	Matthew Stevens (WAL)	18–16	1999–00
2001	Ronnie O'Sullivan (ENG)	John Higgins (SCO)	18–14	2000–01
2002	Peter Ebdon (ENG)	Stephen Hendry (SCO)	18–17	2001–02
2003	Mark Williams (WAL)	Ken Doherty (IRL)	18–16	2002–03
2004	Ronnie O'Sullivan (ENG)	Graeme Dott (SCO)	18–8	2003–04
2005	Shaun Murphy (ENG)	Matthew Stevens (WAL)	18–16	2004–05
2006	Graeme Dott (SCO)	Peter Ebdon (ENG)	18–14	2005–06
2007	John Higgins (SCO)	Mark Selby (ENG)	18–13	2006–07
2008	Ronnie O'Sullivan (ENG)	Ali Carter (ENG)	18–8	2007–08
2009	John Higgins (SCO)	Shaun Murphy (ENG)	18–9	2008–09
2010	Neil Robertson (AUS)	Graeme Dott (SCO)	18–13	2009–10
2011	John Higgins (SCO)	Judd Trump (ENG)	18–15	2010–11
2012	Ronnie O'Sullivan (ENG)	Ali Carter (ENG)	18–11	2011–12
2013	Ronnie O'Sullivan (ENG)	Barry Hawkins (ENG)	18–12	2012–13
2014	Mark Selby (ENG)	Ronnie O'Sullivan (ENG)	18–14	2013–14
2015	Stuart Bingham (ENG)	Shaun Murphy (ENG)	18–15	2014–15
2016	Mark Selby (ENG)	Ding Junhui (CHN)	18–14	2015–16
2017	Mark Selby (ENG)	John Higgins (SCO)	18–15	2016–17
2018	Mark Williams (WAL)	John Higgins (SCO)	18–16	2017–18
2019	Judd Trump (ENG)	John Higgins (SCO)	18–9	2018–19
2020	Ronnie O'Sullivan (ENG)	Kyren Wilson (ENG)	18–8	2019–20
2021	Mark Selby (ENG)	Shaun Murphy (ENG)	18–15	2020–21
2022	Ronnie O'Sullivan (ENG)	Judd Trump (ENG)	18–13	2021–22
2023	Luca Brecel (BEL)	Mark Selby (ENG)	18–15	2022–23
2024	Kyren Wilson (ENG)	Jak Jones (WAL)	18–14	2023–24
2025	Zhao Xintong (CHN)	Mark Williams (WAL)	18–12	2024–25

Joe Davis (1927–40 and 1946)

Stephen Hendry (1990, 1992–96 and 1999)

Ronnie O'Sullivan (2001, 2004, 2008, 2012–13, 2020 and 2022)

Steve Davis (1981, 1983–84 and 1987–89)

John Higgins (1998, 2007, 2009 and 2011)

Mark Selby (2014, 2016–17 and 2021)

Mark Williams (2000, 2003 and 2018)

Players with Multiple Championships

Some players have won the World Snooker Championship more than once. This list shows the champions who have won many times.

Key
	Challenge match (a different way the championship was decided)
*	World Professional Match-play Championship (another type of championship)
¤	Player competed in 2024 (meaning they are still playing!)
	Date of death

Multiple-time Snooker World Championship winners
Player	Total Wins	Years Won	Status
Joe Davis (ENG)	15	1927, 1928, 1929, 1930, 1931, 1932, 1933, 1934, 1935, 1936, 1937, 1938, 1939, 1940, 1946	†10 July 1978
Fred Davis (ENG)	8	1948, 1949, 1951, 1952, 1953, 1954, 1955, 1956*	†16 April 1998
John Pulman (ENG)	8	1957, 1964, 1964, 1965, 1965, 1965, 1966, 1968*	†25 December 1998
Stephen Hendry (SCO)	7	1990, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1999	retired
Ronnie O'Sullivan (ENG)	7	2001, 2004, 2008, 2012, 2013, 2020, 2022	¤
Ray Reardon (WAL)	6	1970, 1973, 1974, 1975, 1976, 1978	†19 July 2024
Steve Davis (ENG)	6	1981, 1983, 1984, 1987, 1988, 1989	retired
John Higgins (SCO)	4	1998, 2007, 2009, 2011	¤
Mark Selby (ENG)	4	2014, 2016, 2017, 2021	¤
John Spencer (ENG)	3	1969, 1971, 1977	†11 July 2006
Mark Williams (WAL)	3	2000, 2003, 2018	¤
Walter Donaldson (SCO)	2	1947, 1950	†24 May 1973
Alex Higgins (NIR)	2	1972, 1982	†24 July 2010

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List of World Snooker Championship winners Facts for Kids. Kiddle Encyclopedia.