World Darts Championship Winners: Every Champion, Record and Prize Since 1978
World Darts Championship winners run from Leighton Rees, who took the first BDO title in 1978, to Luke Littler, who won the PDC crown in 2025 and again in 2026. Two championships ran side by side for 27 years after the 1993 split. Phil Taylor won 16 world titles across both, more than anyone in the sport. Below you will find every champion by year, titles by player and nation, the records that matter, how the prize money grew, and what to expect at the 2026/27 event at Alexandra Palace.
A short history of darts and its world championship
Darts grew up in English pubs, and organised competition followed the pub leagues. The News of the World individual championship, first played in London in 1927, became one of the biggest events in the game, according to the Darts501 history archive. The British Darts Organisation (BDO) staged its first world championship in 1978 at the Heart of the Midlands club in Nottingham, and Welshman Leighton Rees beat John Lowe 11-7 in a final played in legs.
The event moved to Jollees in Stoke-on-Trent from 1979 to 1985, then to the Lakeside Country Club in Frimley Green, Surrey, in 1986. Lakeside became the home of the BDO Worlds for 34 years, and the name still means darts to a lot of people. Eric Bristow dominated the early era with five titles in seven years.
The 1993 split and the birth of the PDC
In 1992, 16 leading professionals, including every active former world champion, formed the World Darts Council in a row with the BDO over sponsorship, television and the right to run their own events. The 1993 Embassy World Championship was the last unified one. From 1994 there were two world championships: the BDO's at Lakeside and the breakaway event at the Circus Tavern in Purfleet. An out-of-court settlement in June 1997 saw the World Darts Council recognised and renamed the Professional Darts Corporation (PDC), as set out in the PDC's history.
The PDC Worlds moved to Alexandra Palace in north London for the 2008 edition and has stayed there since. The BDO version kept going until 2020, its final edition held at Indigo at The O2 after leaving Lakeside, before the organisation collapsed in September 2020. The World Darts Federation (WDF) then launched its own world championship at Lakeside in 2022. Today the PDC title at "Ally Pally" is the one the sport's best players chase.
PDC World Darts Championship winners by year (1994 to 2026)
Every PDC final since the first in 1994. Finals have been played over sets since the start, first to six until 1999 and first to seven from 2000.
| Year | Champion | Nation | Final score | Runner-up |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1994 | Dennis Priestley | England | 6-1 | Phil Taylor |
| 1995 | Phil Taylor | England | 6-2 | Rod Harrington |
| 1996 | Phil Taylor | England | 6-4 | Dennis Priestley |
| 1997 | Phil Taylor | England | 6-3 | Dennis Priestley |
| 1998 | Phil Taylor | England | 6-0 | Dennis Priestley |
| 1999 | Phil Taylor | England | 6-2 | Peter Manley |
| 2000 | Phil Taylor | England | 7-3 | Dennis Priestley |
| 2001 | Phil Taylor | England | 7-0 | John Part |
| 2002 | Phil Taylor | England | 7-0 | Peter Manley |
| 2003 | John Part | Canada | 7-6 | Phil Taylor |
| 2004 | Phil Taylor | England | 7-6 | Kevin Painter |
| 2005 | Phil Taylor | England | 7-4 | Mark Dudbridge |
| 2006 | Phil Taylor | England | 7-0 | Peter Manley |
| 2007 | Raymond van Barneveld | Netherlands | 7-6 | Phil Taylor |
| 2008 | John Part | Canada | 7-2 | Kirk Shepherd |
| 2009 | Phil Taylor | England | 7-1 | Raymond van Barneveld |
| 2010 | Phil Taylor | England | 7-3 | Simon Whitlock |
| 2011 | Adrian Lewis | England | 7-5 | Gary Anderson |
| 2012 | Adrian Lewis | England | 7-3 | Andy Hamilton |
| 2013 | Phil Taylor | England | 7-4 | Michael van Gerwen |
| 2014 | Michael van Gerwen | Netherlands | 7-4 | Peter Wright |
| 2015 | Gary Anderson | Scotland | 7-6 | Phil Taylor |
| 2016 | Gary Anderson | Scotland | 7-5 | Adrian Lewis |
| 2017 | Michael van Gerwen | Netherlands | 7-3 | Gary Anderson |
| 2018 | Rob Cross | England | 7-2 | Phil Taylor |
| 2019 | Michael van Gerwen | Netherlands | 7-3 | Michael Smith |
| 2020 | Peter Wright | Scotland | 7-3 | Michael van Gerwen |
| 2021 | Gerwyn Price | Wales | 7-3 | Gary Anderson |
| 2022 | Peter Wright | Scotland | 7-5 | Michael Smith |
| 2023 | Michael Smith | England | 7-4 | Michael van Gerwen |
| 2024 | Luke Humphries | England | 7-4 | Luke Littler |
| 2025 | Luke Littler | England | 7-3 | Michael van Gerwen |
| 2026 | Luke Littler | England | 7-1 | Gian van Veen |
Phil Taylor won 14 of the first 20 PDC titles. Michael van Gerwen was the next player to win more than two, with three titles between 2014 and 2019. Now it is Luke Littler's turn. He lost the 2024 final aged 16, then won in 2025 and 2026, becoming only the fourth player to retain the PDC title and the first since Gary Anderson in 2016.
BDO World Championship winners (1978 to 2020)
The BDO championship ran for 43 editions. It produced 26 different men's champions and a famous run of upsets at Lakeside, from Keith Deller's shock win in 1983 to Wayne Warren becoming the oldest men's world champion in 2020.
| Year | Champion | Nation | Final score (sets) | Runner-up |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1978 | Leighton Rees | Wales | 11-7 (legs) | John Lowe |
| 1979 | John Lowe | England | 5-0 | Leighton Rees |
| 1980 | Eric Bristow | England | 5-3 | Bobby George |
| 1981 | Eric Bristow | England | 5-3 | John Lowe |
| 1982 | Jocky Wilson | Scotland | 5-3 | John Lowe |
| 1983 | Keith Deller | England | 6-5 | Eric Bristow |
| 1984 | Eric Bristow | England | 7-1 | Dave Whitcombe |
| 1985 | Eric Bristow | England | 6-2 | John Lowe |
| 1986 | Eric Bristow | England | 6-0 | Dave Whitcombe |
| 1987 | John Lowe | England | 6-4 | Eric Bristow |
| 1988 | Bob Anderson | England | 6-4 | John Lowe |
| 1989 | Jocky Wilson | Scotland | 6-4 | Eric Bristow |
| 1990 | Phil Taylor | England | 6-1 | Eric Bristow |
| 1991 | Dennis Priestley | England | 6-0 | Eric Bristow |
| 1992 | Phil Taylor | England | 6-5 | Mike Gregory |
| 1993 | John Lowe | England | 6-3 | Alan Warriner |
| 1994 | John Part | Canada | 6-0 | Bobby George |
| 1995 | Richie Burnett | Wales | 6-3 | Raymond van Barneveld |
| 1996 | Steve Beaton | England | 6-3 | Richie Burnett |
| 1997 | Les Wallace | Scotland | 6-3 | Marshall James |
| 1998 | Raymond van Barneveld | Netherlands | 6-5 | Richie Burnett |
| 1999 | Raymond van Barneveld | Netherlands | 6-5 | Ronnie Baxter |
| 2000 | Ted Hankey | England | 6-0 | Ronnie Baxter |
| 2001 | John Walton | England | 6-2 | Ted Hankey |
| 2002 | Tony David | Australia | 6-4 | Mervyn King |
| 2003 | Raymond van Barneveld | Netherlands | 6-3 | Ritchie Davies |
| 2004 | Andy Fordham | England | 6-3 | Mervyn King |
| 2005 | Raymond van Barneveld | Netherlands | 6-2 | Martin Adams |
| 2006 | Jelle Klaasen | Netherlands | 7-5 | Raymond van Barneveld |
| 2007 | Martin Adams | England | 7-6 | Phill Nixon |
| 2008 | Mark Webster | Wales | 7-5 | Simon Whitlock |
| 2009 | Ted Hankey | England | 7-6 | Tony O'Shea |
| 2010 | Martin Adams | England | 7-5 | Dave Chisnall |
| 2011 | Martin Adams | England | 7-5 | Dean Winstanley |
| 2012 | Christian Kist | Netherlands | 7-5 | Tony O'Shea |
| 2013 | Scott Waites | England | 7-1 | Tony O'Shea |
| 2014 | Stephen Bunting | England | 7-4 | Alan Norris |
| 2015 | Scott Mitchell | England | 7-6 | Martin Adams |
| 2016 | Scott Waites | England | 7-1 | Jeff Smith |
| 2017 | Glen Durrant | England | 7-3 | Danny Noppert |
| 2018 | Glen Durrant | England | 7-6 | Mark McGeeney |
| 2019 | Glen Durrant | England | 7-3 | Scott Waites |
| 2020 | Wayne Warren | Wales | 7-4 | Jim Williams |
The WDF era at Lakeside (2022 onwards)
Since 2022 the WDF has run a world championship at Lakeside each winter, with a men's and a women's event. Men's winners so far are Neil Duff of Northern Ireland (2022), Andy Baetens of Belgium (2023), Shane McGuirk of the Republic of Ireland (2024) and Jimmy van Schie of the Netherlands (2025). Beau Greaves won the first three women's titles before Deta Hedman won in 2025. The prize money is far smaller than at Ally Pally, and most top players now hold PDC Tour Cards, so the WDF event is a pathway rather than a rival.
Most world darts titles by player
Counting PDC and BDO men's world titles together gives the fairest all-time list, because several greats won both. Only four players have done that double: Phil Taylor, Dennis Priestley, John Part and Raymond van Barneveld.
| Player | Nation | Total | PDC | BDO | Years won |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Phil Taylor | England | 16 | 14 | 2 | 1990, 1992, 1995 to 2002, 2004 to 2006, 2009, 2010, 2013 |
| Eric Bristow | England | 5 | 0 | 5 | 1980, 1981, 1984, 1985, 1986 |
| Raymond van Barneveld | Netherlands | 5 | 1 | 4 | 1998, 1999, 2003, 2005, 2007 |
| John Lowe | England | 3 | 0 | 3 | 1979, 1987, 1993 |
| John Part | Canada | 3 | 2 | 1 | 1994, 2003, 2008 |
| Martin Adams | England | 3 | 0 | 3 | 2007, 2010, 2011 |
| Glen Durrant | England | 3 | 0 | 3 | 2017, 2018, 2019 |
| Michael van Gerwen | Netherlands | 3 | 3 | 0 | 2014, 2017, 2019 |
| Dennis Priestley | England | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1991, 1994 |
| Jocky Wilson | Scotland | 2 | 0 | 2 | 1982, 1989 |
| Gary Anderson | Scotland | 2 | 2 | 0 | 2015, 2016 |
| Peter Wright | Scotland | 2 | 2 | 0 | 2020, 2022 |
| Adrian Lewis | England | 2 | 2 | 0 | 2011, 2012 |
| Luke Littler | England | 2 | 2 | 0 | 2025, 2026 |
| Ted Hankey | England | 2 | 0 | 2 | 2000, 2009 |
| Scott Waites | England | 2 | 0 | 2 | 2013, 2016 |
On the PDC list alone, 13 different men have won the title. Taylor's 14 is more than the next four players combined. Littler, still only 19, already sits level with Anderson, Wright, Lewis and Part on two.
World darts titles by nation
England's grip on the sport is total in raw numbers, but the Netherlands has been the clear second force since van Barneveld's first BDO win in 1998. The WDF column shows how the newer event has spread titles to Ireland and Belgium.
| Nation | PDC (1994 to 2026) | BDO (1978 to 2020) | WDF (2022 to 2025) | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| England | 22 | 28 | 0 | 50 |
| Netherlands | 4 | 6 | 1 | 11 |
| Scotland | 4 | 3 | 0 | 7 |
| Wales | 1 | 4 | 0 | 5 |
| Canada | 2 | 1 | 0 | 3 |
| Australia | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Northern Ireland | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Belgium | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Republic of Ireland | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
Wales has the odd distinction of producing the first world champion (Rees, 1978) and the last BDO champion (Warren, 2020). Gerwyn Price added the country's only PDC title in 2021.
World Championship records
Nine-dart finishes on TV at Ally Pally
A nine-darter is the perfect leg of 501, the fewest darts you can possibly take. Sixteen have been thrown at the PDC World Championship, per Sky Sports' nine-darter club and Wikipedia's records. Only two have come in a final. Before that, Paul Lim hit the only BDO Worlds nine-darter at Lakeside in 1990, and the £52,000 bonus was more than the champion, Phil Taylor, took home.
| # | Player | Opponent | Edition and round |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Raymond van Barneveld | Jelle Klaasen | 2009 event |
| 2 | Raymond van Barneveld | Brendan Dolan | 2010 event |
| 3 | Adrian Lewis | Gary Anderson | 2011 final |
| 4 | Dean Winstanley | Vincent van der Voort | 2013 event |
| 5 | Michael van Gerwen | James Wade | 2013 semi-final |
| 6 | Terry Jenkins | Per Laursen | 2014 event |
| 7 | Kyle Anderson | Ian White | 2014 event |
| 8 | Adrian Lewis | Raymond van Barneveld | 2015 event |
| 9 | Gary Anderson | Jelle Klaasen | 2016 semi-final |
| 10 | James Wade | Stephen Bunting | 2021 event |
| 11 | William Borland | Bradley Brooks | 2022 event, first round |
| 12 | Darius Labanauskas | Mike De Decker | 2022 event |
| 13 | Gerwyn Price | Michael Smith | 2022 event |
| 14 | Michael Smith | Michael van Gerwen | 2023 final |
| 15 | Christian Kist | Madars Razma | 2025 event, first round |
| 16 | Damon Heta | Luke Woodhouse | 2025 event |
William Borland's nine-darter in the deciding leg against Bradley Brooks made him the first player to win a televised PDC match with a perfect leg. Michael Smith's came in the 2023 final, a match he went on to win 7-4.
Averages, youngest and oldest
| Record | Holder | Detail |
|---|---|---|
| Highest match average | Michael van Gerwen | 114.05, 2017 semi-final v Raymond van Barneveld |
| Highest average in a final | Phil Taylor | 110.94, 2009 final v Raymond van Barneveld |
| Highest set average | Luke Littler | 140.91, 2025 second round |
| Youngest champion | Luke Littler | 17 years, 11 months, 13 days (2025) |
| Youngest finalist | Luke Littler | 16 years, 347 days (2024) |
| Youngest player | Mitchell Clegg | 16 years, 37 days (2007) |
| Oldest champion | Phil Taylor | 52, in 2013 |
| Oldest match winner | Paul Lim | 71, at the 2026 edition |
| Most 180s in one tournament | Michael Smith | 83 (2022) |
| Most 180s in one match | Peter Wright and Michael Smith | 24 each (2022 semi-final and 2022 final) |
| Most 180s in one edition | All players | 1,127 (2026) |
On the BDO side, Keith Deller recorded the first 100-plus match average at the championship in 1985, and Raymond van Barneveld's 103.83 in a 2004 quarter-final is the BDO record.
Prize money growth
The prize money shows how far the PDC has come. The first PDC champion earned £16,000 from a £64,000 pot. Today a first-round loser gets almost that on their own: £15,000.
| Edition | Winner's prize | Total prize fund |
|---|---|---|
| 1994 | £16,000 | £64,000 |
| 2010 | £200,000 | Not verified |
| 2017 | £350,000 | Not verified |
| 2018 | £400,000 | £1,800,000 |
| 2019 to 2025 | £500,000 | £2,500,000 |
| 2026 | £1,000,000 | £5,000,000 |
| 2027 | Not yet confirmed by the PDC | Not yet confirmed by the PDC |
The 2026 edition doubled the fund in one go, the biggest prize money increase in PDC history. The runner-up took £400,000, semi-finalists £200,000 and quarter-finalists £100,000. Littler's £1 million cheque in January 2026 was the largest prize in the history of professional darts. For context, the WDF men's champion at Lakeside earned £146,000 in 2025, per the WDF championship records.
The 2026/27 World Darts Championship at Alexandra Palace
The next edition is the biggest yet in terms of crowd. Sky Sports confirmed the dates in August 2026:
- Dates: Friday 11 December 2026 to Sunday 3 January 2027, with a Christmas break from 24 to 27 December.
- Venue: the Great Hall at Alexandra Palace for the first time, holding over 5,200 people against 3,200 in the West Hall.
- Field: 128 players. In 2025/26 that meant the top 40 on the two-year Order of Merit, the next 40 on the one-year Pro Tour list, and 48 international qualifiers, with all seeds starting in round one.
- Tickets: 180,000, sold through a two-stage ballot for the first time.
- Format: in 2025/26, rounds one and two were best of five sets, rounds three and four best of seven, the quarter-finals best of nine, the semi-finals best of 11 and the final best of 13.
- Prize fund: not officially confirmed at the time of writing. The 2025/26 fund was £5 million with £1 million to the winner.
Littler goes for a third straight title, something only Phil Taylor has done in the PDC era. Luke Humphries, the 2024 champion, arrives in strong form, and van Veen will want to go one better than his first final.
Latest: darts news from October and early November 2026
- 4 October 2026, World Grand Prix: Luke Humphries came from 3-0 down to beat Gerwyn Price 6-4 in the Leicester final, his second World Grand Prix title and a £150,000 prize, per Radio X and Sporting Life.
- 25 October 2026, European Championship: Ross Smith beat Martin Schindler 11-8 in Dortmund to win the event for a second time, four years after his first. Littler went out in the quarter-finals, as reported by Radio X.
- 30 October 2026, Netflix's Beat Luke Littler: Fallon Sherrock won £501,000 by beating Littler in a single leg of 501 at Manchester Central, checking out on double 20 in 15 darts, per Sporting Life. Her eligibility as a non-Tour Card holder with past Ally Pally wins sparked debate among fans.
- 4 November 2026, Players Championship 33: Humphries, back from illness, beat Niels Zonneveld 8-4 in Leicester for his fourth Players Championship title of 2026, per the PDC.
- Coming up: the Grand Slam of Darts in Wolverhampton (14 to 22 November) and the Players Championship Finals in Minehead (27 to 29 November), the last big events before Ally Pally. The WDF World Championship also returns to Lakeside in late November.
501 rules and checkouts, briefly
Every World Championship match is played as 501, and it is the same game you play in Darts 501 on Rescro. Each player starts on 501 and takes turns throwing three darts. Your score is subtracted until you reach exactly zero, and the final dart must land in a double or the bullseye (the inner bull counts as double 25).
- Maximum visit: three treble 20s for 180.
- Bust: go below zero, leave yourself on 1, or reach zero without a double, and the whole visit is wiped.
- Highest checkout: 170, treble 20, treble 20, bull.
- Bogey numbers: 169, 168, 166, 165, 163, 162 and 159 cannot be finished in three darts.
- Nine-darter: the most common route is 180, 180, then 141 (treble 20, treble 19, double 12).
At the World Championship, legs make up sets, and you win a set by taking three legs. Littler dropped only four sets in seven matches on his way to the 2026 title.
Play darts online
If you want to try a 170 checkout yourself, you can play Darts 501 free in your browser against a computer opponent that gets sharper every leg you win, with real doubles, trebles and bust rules. If you fancy a different pub classic after that, try Pool or browse the full sport games collection.
Frequently asked questions
Who won the 2026 World Darts Championship?
Luke Littler won the 2026 PDC World Darts Championship, beating Gian van Veen of the Netherlands 7-1 in the final at Alexandra Palace on 3 January 2026. It was his second world title in a row, and he collected £1,000,000, the biggest prize in darts history. He also hit the most 180s of the tournament, 73.
Who has won the most World Darts Championships?
Phil Taylor has won the most, with 16 world titles. He won the BDO title in 1990 and 1992, then 14 PDC titles between 1995 and 2013. Eric Bristow and Raymond van Barneveld are next on five each, and Michael van Gerwen leads the active players with three PDC titles.
How much does the World Darts Championship winner get?
The 2026 PDC world champion received £1,000,000 from a total prize fund of £5,000,000, double the previous year. The runner-up earned £400,000. The PDC had not officially confirmed the 2026/27 prize fund at the time of writing. In 1994 the winner received just £16,000.
When is the 2026/27 World Darts Championship?
The 2026/27 PDC World Darts Championship runs from Friday 11 December 2026 to Sunday 3 January 2027 at Alexandra Palace in London, with a break from 24 to 27 December. For the first time it is held in the Great Hall, which holds more than 5,200 fans. The field is 128 players.
What happened to Fallon Sherrock?
Fallon Sherrock is still playing. In December 2019 she became the first woman to win a match at the PDC World Championship and reached the third round. On 30 October 2026 she beat Luke Littler in a single leg on Netflix's Beat Luke Littler show in Manchester, winning £501,000 with a 15-dart leg finished on double 20.
Is the BDO World Darts Championship still played?
No. The last BDO World Championship was held in January 2020, won by Wayne Warren, and the British Darts Organisation collapsed in September 2020. Since 2022 the World Darts Federation has staged its own world championship at Lakeside in Surrey, the former BDO home, with men's and women's events.
What is the highest checkout in darts?
The highest checkout in 501 is 170, scored with treble 20, treble 20 and the bullseye. Because you must finish on a double or the bull, a few numbers below 170 cannot be checked out in three darts: 169, 168, 166, 165, 163, 162 and 159. The highest checkout at the 2026 World Championship was 170.
Sources
- Wikipedia: PDC World Darts Championship
- Wikipedia: BDO World Darts Championship
- Wikipedia: WDF World Darts Championship
- Wikipedia: 2026 PDC World Darts Championship
- Wikipedia: Professional Darts Corporation
- Wikipedia: 2018 PDC World Darts Championship
- Sky Sports: 2026/27 dates confirmed, final in the Great Hall
- Sky Sports: World Championship nine-darter club
- PDC Europe: Biggest prize money increase in PDC history
- Planet Sport: 2024 World Championship prize money
- Radio X: Humphries beats Price 6-4 in World Grand Prix final
- Sporting Life: Humphries wins World Grand Prix
- Radio X: Ross Smith beats Martin Schindler to European Championship
- Sporting Life: Fallon Sherrock beats Luke Littler to win £501,000
- PDC on YouTube: Players Championship 33 highlights
- PDC on YouTube: 2026 European Championship final session
- Darts501: News of the World Championships history