First established in 1927, the World Snooker Championship has been played under numerous guises in its near-100-year history, and is the sport's biggest event.
Initially organised by the Billiards Association and Control Council, Joe Davis won each of the first 15 editions.
After a disagreement with the BACC, the Professional Billiards Players' Association organised their own event, known as the World Professional Match-play Championship in 1952, which was then replaced by a new format in 1964, with players challenging champion John Pulman between 1964 and 1968.
The World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association took control of the game from there, organising the World Snooker Championship from 1969 onwards.
Find out the full list of winners below.
Year | Winner | Runner-up | Final score |
BACC-organised knockout tournament | |||
1927 | Joe Davis | Tom Dennis | 20–11 |
1928* | Joe Davis | Fred Lawrence | 16–13 |
1929 | Joe Davis | Tom Dennis | 19–14 |
1930 | Joe Davis | Tom Dennis | 25–12 |
1931 | Joe Davis | Tom Dennis | 25–21 |
1932 | Joe Davis | Clark McConachy | 30–19 |
1933 | Joe Davis | Willie Smith | 25–18 |
1934 | Joe Davis | Tom Newman | 25–22 |
1935 | Joe Davis | Willie Smith | 25–20 |
1936 | Joe Davis | Horace Lindrum | 34–27 |
1937 | Joe Davis | Horace Lindrum | 32–29 |
1938 | Joe Davis | Sidney Smith | 37–24 |
1939 | Joe Davis | Sidney Smith | 43–30 |
1940 | Joe Davis | Fred Davis | 37–36 |
1941–1945: No tournament | |||
1946 | Joe Davis | Horace Lindrum | 78–67 |
1947 | Walter Donaldson | Fred Davis | 82–63 |
1948 | Fred Davis | Walter Donaldson | 84–61 |
1949 | Fred Davis | Walter Donaldson | 80–65 |
1950 | Walter Donaldson | Fred Davis | 51–46 |
1951 | Fred Davis | Walter Donaldson | 58–39 |
PBPA-organised World Professional Match-play Championship | |||
1952 | Horace Lindrum | Clark McConachy | 94–49 |
1952 | Fred Davis | Walter Donaldson | 38–35 |
1953 | Fred Davis | Walter Donaldson | 37–34 |
1954 | Fred Davis | Walter Donaldson | 45–26 |
1955 | Fred Davis | John Pulman | 38–35 |
1956 | Fred Davis | John Pulman | 38–35 |
1957 | John Pulman | Jackie Rea | 39–34 |
1958–1963: No tournament | |||
BACC-organised challenge matches | |||
1964 | John Pulman | Fred Davis | 19–16 |
1964 | John Pulman | Rex Williams | 40–33 |
1965 | John Pulman | Fred Davis | 37–36 |
1965 | John Pulman | Rex Williams | 25–22 |
1965 | John Pulman | Fred Van Rensburg | 39–12 |
1966 | John Pulman | Fred Davis | 5–2 |
1968 | John Pulman | Eddie Charlton | 39–34 |
WPBSA-organised knockout tournament | |||
1969 | John Spencer | Gary Owen | 37–24 |
1970 | Ray Reardon | John Pulman | 37–33 |
1971 | John Spencer | Warren Simpson | 37–29 |
1972 | Alex Higgins | John Spencer | 37–31 |
1973 | Ray Reardon | Eddie Charlton | 38–32 |
1974 | Ray Reardon | Graham Miles | 22–12 |
1975 | Ray Reardon | Eddie Charlton | 31–30 |
1976 | Ray Reardon | Alex Higgins | 27–16 |
1977 | John Spencer | Cliff Thorburn | 25–21 |
1978 | Ray Reardon | Perrie Mans | 25–18 |
1979 | Terry Griffiths | Dennis Taylor | 24–16 |
1980 | Cliff Thorburn | Alex Higgins | 18–16 |
1981 | Steve Davis | Doug Mountjoy | 18–12 |
1982 | Alex Higgins | Ray Reardon | 18–15 |
1983 | Steve Davis | Cliff Thorburn | 18–6 |
1984 | Steve Davis | Jimmy White | 18–16 |
1985 | Dennis Taylor | Steve Davis | 18–17 |
1986 | Joe Johnson | Steve Davis | 18–12 |
1987 | Steve Davis | Joe Johnson | 18–14 |
1988 | Steve Davis | Terry Griffiths | 18–11 |
1989 | Steve Davis | John Parrott | 18–3 |
1990 | Stephen Hendry | Jimmy White | 18–12 |
1991 | John Parrott | Jimmy White | 18–11 |
1992 | Stephen Hendry | Jimmy White | 18–14 |
1993 | Stephen Hendry | Jimmy White | 18–5 |
1994 | Stephen Hendry | Jimmy White | 18–17 |
1995 | Stephen Hendry | Nigel Bond | 18–9 |
1996 | Stephen Hendry | Peter Ebdon | 18–12 |
1997 | Ken Doherty | Stephen Hendry | 18–12 |
1998 | John Higgins | Ken Doherty | 18–12 |
1999 | Stephen Hendry | Mark Williams | 18–11 |
2000 | Mark Williams | Matthew Stevens | 18–16 |
2001 | Ronnie O'Sullivan | John Higgins | 18–14 |
2002 | Peter Ebdon | Stephen Hendry | 18–17 |
2003 | Mark Williams | Ken Doherty | 18–16 |
2004 | Ronnie O'Sullivan | Graeme Dott | 18–8 |
2005 | Shaun Murphy | Matthew Stevens | 18–16 |
2006 | Graeme Dott | Peter Ebdon | 18–14 |
2007 | John Higgins | Mark Selby | 18–13 |
2008 | Ronnie O'Sullivan | Ali Carter | 18–8 |
2009 | John Higgins | Shaun Murphy | 18–9 |
2010 | Neil Robertson | Graeme Dott | 18–13 |
2011 | John Higgins | Judd Trump | 18–15 |
2012 | Ronnie O'Sullivan | Ali Carter | 18–11 |
2013 | Ronnie O'Sullivan | Barry Hawkins | 18–12 |
2014 | Mark Selby | Ronnie O'Sullivan | 18–14 |
2015 | Stuart Bingham | Shaun Murphy | 18–15 |
2016 | Mark Selby | Ding Junhui | 18–14 |
2017 | Mark Selby | John Higgins | 18–15 |
2018 | Mark Williams | John Higgins | 18–16 |
2019 | Judd Trump | John Higgins | 18–9 |
2020 | Ronnie O'Sullivan | Kyren Wilson | 18–8 |
2021 | Mark Selby | Shaun Murphy | 18–15 |
2022 | Ronnie O'Sullivan | Judd Trump | 18–13 |
2023 | Luca Brecel | Mark Selby | 18–15 |
2024 | Kyren Wilson | Jak Jones | 18–14 |
*In 1928, Joe Davis received a bye to the final.