World Snooker Championship Winners & History

By Freetips staff

11 Apr 2023

Freetips staff 11 Apr 2023

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A guide to the previous winners and runners-up of the World Snooker Championship
The World Snooker Championship is the biggest prize in snooker
Guide to the recent champions

(Getty Images)

The World Snooker Championship was launched in 1927 and will take place for the 91st time in 2023.

It is widely regarded as the leading snooker tournament in terms of prestige and prize money and is the final ranking event of the snooker season each year.

The tournament is organised by the World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association and will be held for the 47th consecutive year at the Crucible Theatre in Sheffield in 2023.

Joe Davis is the most successful player at the World Snooker Championship after winning 15 consecutive titles between 1927 and 1946.

The record in the modern era is held by Stephen Hendry who won seven titles between 1990 and 1999 and now Ronnie O'Sullivan, who made it seven titles when winning in 2022.

World Snooker Championship Winners, Runners-up & Final Score

Year	Winner	Runner-Up	Score	Venue
2022	Ronnie O'Sullivan	Judd Trump	18-13	Crucible Theatre, Sheffield
2021	Mark Selby	Shaun Murphy	18-15	Crucible Theatre, Sheffield
2020	Ronnie O'Sullivan	Kyren Wilson	18-8	Crucible Theatre, Sheffield
2019	Judd Trump	John Higgins	18–9	Crucible Theatre, Sheffield
2018	Mark Williams	John Higgins	18–16	Crucible Theatre, Sheffield
2017	Mark Selby	John Higgins	18–15	Crucible Theatre, Sheffield
2016	Mark Selby	Ding Junhui	18–14	Crucible Theatre, Sheffield
2015	Stuart Bingham	Shaun Murphy	18–15	Crucible Theatre, Sheffield
2014	Mark Selby	Ronnie O'Sullivan	18–14	Crucible Theatre, Sheffield
2013	Ronnie O'Sullivan	Barry Hawkins	18–12	Crucible Theatre, Sheffield
2012	Ronnie O'Sullivan	Ali Carter	18–11	Crucible Theatre, Sheffield
2011	John Higgins	Judd Trump	18–15	Crucible Theatre, Sheffield
2010	Neil Robertson	Graeme Dott	18–13	Crucible Theatre, Sheffield
2009	John Higgins	Shaun Murphy	18–9	Crucible Theatre, Sheffield
2008	Ronnie O'Sullivan	Ali Carter	18–8	Crucible Theatre, Sheffield
2007	John Higgins	Mark Selby	18–13	Crucible Theatre, Sheffield
2006	Graeme Dott	Peter Ebdon	18–14	Crucible Theatre, Sheffield
2005	Shaun Murphy	Matthew Stevens	18–16	Crucible Theatre, Sheffield
2004	Ronnie O'Sullivan	Graeme Dott	18–8	Crucible Theatre, Sheffield
2003	Mark Williams	Ken Doherty	18–16	Crucible Theatre, Sheffield
2002	Peter Ebdon	Stephen Hendry	18–17	Crucible Theatre, Sheffield
2001	Ronnie O'Sullivan	John Higgins	18–14	Crucible Theatre, Sheffield
2000	Mark Williams	Matthew Stevens	18–16	Crucible Theatre, Sheffield
1999	Stephen Hendry	Mark Williams	18–11	Crucible Theatre, Sheffield
1998	John Higgins	Ken Doherty	18–12	Crucible Theatre, Sheffield
1997	Ken Doherty	Stephen Hendry	18–12	Crucible Theatre, Sheffield
1996	Stephen Hendry	Peter Ebdon	18–12	Crucible Theatre, Sheffield
1995	Stephen Hendry	Nigel Bond	18–9	Crucible Theatre, Sheffield
1994	Stephen Hendry	Jimmy White	18–17	Crucible Theatre, Sheffield
1993	Stephen Hendry	Jimmy White	18–5	Crucible Theatre, Sheffield
1992	Stephen Hendry	Jimmy White	18–14	Crucible Theatre, Sheffield
1991	John Parrott	Jimmy White	18–11	Crucible Theatre, Sheffield
1990	Stephen Hendry	Jimmy White	18–12	Crucible Theatre, Sheffield
1989	Steve Davis	John Parrott	18–3	Crucible Theatre, Sheffield
1988	Steve Davis	Terry Griffiths	18–11	Crucible Theatre, Sheffield
1987	Steve Davis	Joe Johnson	18–14	Crucible Theatre, Sheffield
1986	Joe Johnson	Steve Davis	18–12	Crucible Theatre, Sheffield
1985	Dennis Taylor	Steve Davis	18–17	Crucible Theatre, Sheffield
1984	Steve Davis	Jimmy White	18–16	Crucible Theatre, Sheffield
1983	Steve Davis	Cliff Thorburn	18–6	Crucible Theatre, Sheffield
1982	Alex Higgins	Ray Reardon	18–15	Crucible Theatre, Sheffield
1981	Steve Davis	Doug Mountjoy	18–12	Crucible Theatre, Sheffield
1980	Cliff Thorburn	Alex Higgins	18–16	Crucible Theatre, Sheffield
1979	Terry Griffiths	Dennis Taylor	24–16	Crucible Theatre, Sheffield
1978	Ray Reardon	Perrie Mans	25–18	Crucible Theatre, Sheffield
1977	John Spencer	Cliff Thorburn	25–21	Crucible Theatre, Sheffield
1976	Ray Reardon	Alex Higgins	27–16	Wythenshawe Forum, Manchester
1975	Ray Reardon	Eddie Charlton	31–30	Nunawading Basketball Centre, Melbourne, Australia
1974	Ray Reardon	Graham Miles	22–12	Belle Vue, Manchester
1973	Ray Reardon	Eddie Charlton	38–32	City Exhibition Hall, Manchester
1972	Alex Higgins	John Spencer	37–32	Selly Park British Legion, Birmingham
1971	John Spencer	Warren Simpson	37–29	Chevron Hotel, Sydney, Australia
1970	Ray Reardon	John Pulman	37–33	Victoria Hall, London
1969	John Spencer	Gary Owen	37–24	Victoria Hall, London
1968	John Pulman	Eddie Charlton	39–34	Co-operative Hall, Bolton
1966	John Pulman	Fred Davis	5–2	St George's Hall, Liverpool
1965	John Pulman	Fred Davis	37–36	Burroughes Hall, London
1965	John Pulman	Rex Williams	25–22	South Africa
1965	John Pulman	Fred Van Rensburg	39–12	South Africa
1964	John Pulman	Fred Davis	19–16	Burroughes Hall, London
1964	John Pulman	Rex Williams	40–33	Burroughes Hall, London
1957	John Pulman	Jackie Rea	39–34	St Helier, Jersey
1956	Fred Davis	John Pulman	38–35	Tower Circus, Blackpool
1955	Fred Davis	John Pulman	38–35	Tower Circus, Blackpool
1954	Fred Davis	Walter Donaldson	45–26	Houldsworth Hall, Manchester
1953	Fred Davis	Walter Donaldson	37–34	Leicester Square Hall, London
1952	Fred Davis	Walter Donaldson	38–35	Tower Circus, Blackpool
1952	Horace Lindrum	Clark McConachy	94–49	Houldsworth Hall, Manchester
1951	Fred Davis	Walter Donaldson	58–39	Tower Circus, Blackpool
1950	Walter Donaldson	Fred Davis	51–46	Tower Circus, Blackpool
1949	Fred Davis	Walter Donaldson	80–65	Leicester Square Hall, London
1948	Fred Davis	Walter Donaldson	84–61	Leicester Square Hall, London
1947	Walter Donaldson	Fred Davis	82–63	Leicester Square Hall, London
1946	Joe Davis	Horace Lindrum	78–67	Royal Horticultural Hall, London
1940	Joe Davis	Fred Davis	37–36	Thurston's Hall, London
1939	Joe Davis	Sidney Smith	43–30	Thurston's Hall, London
1938	Joe Davis	Sidney Smith	37–24	Thurston's Hall, London
1937	Joe Davis	Horace Lindrum	32–29	Thurston's Hall, London
1936	Joe Davis	Horace Lindrum	34–27	Thurston's Hall, London
1935	Joe Davis	Willie Smith	25–20	Thurston's Hall, London
1934	Joe Davis	Tom Newman	25–22	Lounge Hall, Nottingham and Kettering
1933	Joe Davis	Willie Smith	25–18	Joe Davis Centre, Chesterfield
1932	Joe Davis	Clark McConachy	30–19	Thurston's Hall, London
1931	Joe Davis	Tom Dennis	25–21	Lounge Hall, Nottingham
1930	Joe Davis	Tom Dennis	25–12	Thurston's Hall, London
1929	Joe Davis	Tom Dennis	19–14	Lounge Hall, Nottingham
1928	Joe Davis	Fred Lawrence	16–13	Camkin's Hall, Birmingham
1927	Joe Davis	Tom Dennis	20–11	Camkin's Hall, Birmingham

World Snooker Championship History

The World Snooker Championship began in 1927 and was won by Joe Davis. Davis won the first 15 championships before retiring from the event undefeated.

Snooker experienced a decline in the 1950s with the tournament not held after 1952, despite an unofficial championship held until 1957. The World Snooker Championship was revived on a challenge basis in 1964 and returned as a knock-out event in 1969.

Since 1977 the tournament has been played at the Crucible Theatre in Sheffield, England. The tournament is played over 17 days and ends on the first Monday in May.

The 2020 World Championship was postponed from 18 April to 4 May until 31 July to 16 August because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The 2020 World Snooker Championship was one of the first tournaments to allow live audiences since the outbreak of the pandemic.

In 2022, Ronnie O'Sullivan created history by joining Stephen Hendry as a seven-time world champion.