Fact-Checked & Verified (2026-10-03)
Information independently cross-referenced with PDC regulatory releases, Alexandra Palace venue policies, and official broadcast contracts for PDC & BDO Official World Championship Records.
Important Historical Distinction: PDC vs. BDO World Titles
In January 1993, the world's leading 16 darts professionals separated from the British Darts Organisation (BDO) to form the World Darts Council (later renamed the Professional Darts Corporation, or PDC). Between 1994 and 2020, two distinct World Championships ran concurrently. Today, the PDC World Darts Championship staged at Alexandra Palace represents the undisputed pinnacle of the global sport.
PDC World Darts Championship Winners (1994–Present)
Official championship finals contested under set-play rules at the Circus Tavern (1994–2007) and Alexandra Palace (2008–present).
| Season (Final) | Champion | Runner-Up | Final Score | Venue | Historical Context |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026/27 (2027 Final) | TBD (Upcoming Tournament: 11 Dec 2026 – 3 Jan 2027) | TBD | TBD (Best of 13 sets) | Alexandra Palace, London | 34th PDC World Darts Championship; record £5,000,000 prize purse with £1,000,000 to the champion. |
| 2025/26 (2026 Final) | Luke Littler | Gian van Veen | 7 – 1 | Alexandra Palace, London | Littler successfully defended his world title, becoming only the fourth player in PDC history to retain the crown. |
| 2024/25 (2025 Final) | Luke Littler | Michael van Gerwen | 7 – 3 | Alexandra Palace, London | Littler captured his maiden world title at age 17 in a sensational final rematch. |
| 2023/24 (2024 Final) | Luke Humphries | Luke Littler | 7 – 4 | Alexandra Palace, London | Humphries recovered from 2-4 down in sets to win five on the spin in one of the most-watched sporting broadcasts in Sky Sports history. |
| 2022/23 (2023 Final) | Michael Smith | Michael van Gerwen | 7 – 4 | Alexandra Palace, London | Featured the greatest leg in darts history (MVG missed D12 for a 9-darter, Smith hit a 9-darter on the same turn). |
| 2021/22 (2022 Final) | Peter Wright | Michael Smith | 7 – 5 | Alexandra Palace, London | Wright claimed his second world title after trailing 4-5 in sets. |
| 2020/21 (2021 Final) | Gerwyn Price | Gary Anderson | 7 – 3 | Alexandra Palace, London | Price became the first Welsh PDC World Champion and ascended to World No. 1 (played behind closed doors due to COVID-19). |
| 2019/20 (2020 Final) | Peter Wright | Michael van Gerwen | 7 – 3 | Alexandra Palace, London | Wright secured his emotional first world title on New Year's Day. |
| 2018/19 (2019 Final) | Michael van Gerwen | Michael Smith | 7 – 3 | Alexandra Palace, London | Van Gerwen won his third world title, racing to a 4-0 set lead. |
| 2017/18 (2018 Final) | Rob Cross | Phil Taylor | 7 – 2 | Alexandra Palace, London | Cross won the world title on his tournament debut in Phil Taylor's farewell professional appearance. |
| 2016/17 (2017 Final) | Michael van Gerwen | Gary Anderson | 7 – 3 | Alexandra Palace, London | Record-breaking final with 42 total 180s hit across 10 sets (Anderson 22, MVG 20). |
| 2015/16 (2016 Final) | Gary Anderson | Adrian Lewis | 7 – 5 | Alexandra Palace, London | Anderson successfully defended his world title, matching Adrian Lewis's back-to-back feat. |
| 2014/15 (2015 Final) | Gary Anderson | Phil Taylor | 7 – 6 | Alexandra Palace, London | Anderson's maiden world title, edging Taylor in a gripping 13-set thriller. |
| 2013/14 (2014 Final) | Michael van Gerwen | Peter Wright | 7 – 4 | Alexandra Palace, London | Van Gerwen became the youngest PDC World Champion in history at 24 years, 252 days. |
| 2012/13 (2013 Final) | Phil Taylor | Michael van Gerwen | 7 – 4 | Alexandra Palace, London | Taylor's 16th and final world title, defeating 23-year-old rising star van Gerwen. |
| 2011/12 (2012 Final) | Adrian Lewis | Andy Hamilton | 7 – 3 | Alexandra Palace, London | Lewis successfully defended his title in an all-Stoke final. |
| 2010/11 (2011 Final) | Adrian Lewis | Gary Anderson | 7 – 5 | Alexandra Palace, London | Lewis hit the first-ever nine-darter in a World Championship final in the first set. |
| 2009/10 (2010 Final) | Phil Taylor | Simon Whitlock | 7 – 3 | Alexandra Palace, London | Taylor captured his 15th world title against Australian qualifier Whitlock. |
| 2008/09 (2009 Final) | Phil Taylor | Raymond van Barneveld | 7 – 1 | Alexandra Palace, London | Taylor set a then-record final average of 110.94. |
| 2007/08 (2008 Final) | John Part | Kirk Shepherd | 7 – 2 | Alexandra Palace, London | Inaugural tournament staged at Alexandra Palace; Part became the first non-UK winner at Ally Pally. |
| 2006/07 (2007 Final) | Raymond van Barneveld | Phil Taylor | 7 – 6 | Circus Tavern, Purfleet | The final Circus Tavern tournament; universally voted the greatest darts final ever, decided in a sudden-death leg. |
| 2005/06 (2006 Final) | Phil Taylor | Peter Manley | 7 – 0 | Circus Tavern, Purfleet | Taylor's 13th world title and third 7-0 whitewash in a final. |
| 2004/05 (2005 Final) | Phil Taylor | Mark Dudbridge | 7 – 4 | Circus Tavern, Purfleet | Taylor fought off a spirited comeback from Dudbridge. |
| 2003/04 (2004 Final) | Phil Taylor | Kevin Painter | 7 – 6 | Circus Tavern, Purfleet | Classic sudden-death leg finish after Painter led 4-1. |
| 2002/03 (2003 Final) | John Part | Phil Taylor | 7 – 6 | Circus Tavern, Purfleet | Part ended Taylor's eight-year unbeaten run at the PDC World Championship. |
| 2001/02 (2002 Final) | Phil Taylor | Peter Manley | 7 – 0 | Circus Tavern, Purfleet | Taylor's eighth consecutive PDC world crown. |
| 2000/01 (2001 Final) | Phil Taylor | John Part | 7 – 0 | Circus Tavern, Purfleet | Dominant whitewash with a 107.46 final average. |
| 1999/00 (2000 Final) | Phil Taylor | Dennis Priestley | 7 – 3 | Circus Tavern, Purfleet | Fifth final meeting between Taylor and Priestley in seven years. |
| 1998/99 (1999 Final) | Phil Taylor | Peter Manley | 6 – 2 | Circus Tavern, Purfleet | Taylor won his seventh world title. |
| 1997/98 (1998 Final) | Phil Taylor | Dennis Priestley | 6 – 0 | Circus Tavern, Purfleet | First whitewash in a PDC World Championship final. |
| 1996/97 (1997 Final) | Phil Taylor | Dennis Priestley | 6 – 3 | Circus Tavern, Purfleet | Third consecutive final meeting between Taylor and Priestley. |
| 1995/96 (1996 Final) | Phil Taylor | Dennis Priestley | 6 – 4 | Circus Tavern, Purfleet | Priestley averaged 101.49 but was pipped by Taylor in sets. |
| 1994/95 (1995 Final) | Phil Taylor | Rod Harrington | 6 – 2 | Circus Tavern, Purfleet | Taylor's first PDC World Championship title. |
| 1993/94 (1994 Final) | Dennis Priestley | Phil Taylor | 6 – 1 | Circus Tavern, Purfleet | Inaugural WDC (PDC) World Championship following the 1993 split from the BDO. |
Multiple PDC World Champions Leaderboard
14 TITLES
Phil Taylor
1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2009, 2010, 2013
3 TITLES
Michael van Gerwen
2014, 2017, 2019
2 TITLES
Gary Anderson
2015, 2016
2 TITLES
Peter Wright
2020, 2022
2 TITLES
Adrian Lewis
2011, 2012
2 TITLES
John Part
2003, 2008
2 TITLES
Luke Littler
2025, 2026
Historical BDO World Championship Winners (1978–2020)
Staged at the Heart of the Midlands Club (1978), Jollees Club (1979–1985), Lakeside Country Club (1986–2019), and Indigo at The O2 (2020). The BDO ceased operations in late 2020.
| Player | BDO World Titles | Championship Years |
|---|---|---|
| Eric Bristow | 5 | 1980, 1981, 1984, 1985, 1986 |
| Raymond van Barneveld | 4 | 1998, 1999, 2003, 2005 |
| John Lowe | 3 | 1979, 1987, 1993 |
| Martin Adams | 3 | 2007, 2010, 2011 |
| Glen Durrant | 3 | 2017, 2018, 2019 |
| Phil Taylor | 2 | 1990, 1992 |
| Jocky Wilson | 2 | 1982, 1989 |
| Ted Hankey | 2 | 2000, 2009 |
| Leighton Rees | 1 | 1978 (Inaugural Champion) |
| John Boy Walton | 1 | 2001 |
| Tony David | 1 | 2002 |
| Andy Fordham | 1 | 2004 |
| Jelle Klaasen | 1 | 2006 |
| Mark Webster | 1 | 2008 |
| Christian Kist | 1 | 2012 |
| Scott Waites | 2 | 2013, 2016 |
| Stephen Bunting | 1 | 2014 |
| Scott Mitchell | 1 | 2015 |
| Wayne Warren | 1 | 2020 (Final BDO Championship) |
Roll of Honour FAQ
How many World Championships did Phil Taylor win in his career?
Phil Taylor won a record 16 World Championships across his career: 2 with the BDO (1990, 1992) and 14 with the PDC (1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2009, 2010, 2013).
Who was the first non-UK winner of the PDC World Darts Championship?
Canada's John Part was the first non-UK player to win the PDC World Championship, triumphing 7–6 over Phil Taylor at the Circus Tavern in 2003, before winning again at Alexandra Palace in 2008.
Has anyone ever won the World Championship on their tournament debut?
Yes. Dennis Priestley won the inaugural 1994 event on debut, Christian Kist won the 2012 BDO event on debut, and Rob Cross famously won the 2018 PDC World Championship on his debut, defeating Phil Taylor 7–2 in the final.