Masters Snooker Winners: Every Final, 1975–2026
The Masters has been played 52 times since 1975, won by 26 different players. Ronnie O'Sullivan has the most titles, eight, from 1995 to 2024; Stephen Hendry won six, including five in a row from 1989 to 1993. Kyren Wilson won in 2026.
It is an invitation event for the world top 16, so its prize money does not count for the rankings. The 2027 Masters runs from 10 to 17 January at Alexandra Palace, London.
The Masters is the third Triple Crown event and the only one by invitation. There are no qualifiers: the sixteen players in the world rankings' top 16 after the UK Championship play a straight knockout, every match best of 11 and the final best of 19. With no easy first-round draws, many players call it the hardest of the three to win.
Most Masters titles
| Player | Country | Titles | Years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ronnie O'Sullivan | England | 8 | 1995, 2005, 2007, 2009, 2014, 2016, 2017, 2024 |
| Stephen Hendry | Scotland | 6 | 1989, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1996 |
| Steve Davis | England | 3 | 1982, 1988, 1997 |
| Cliff Thorburn | Canada | 3 | 1983, 1985, 1986 |
| Paul Hunter | England | 3 | 2001, 2002, 2004 |
| Mark Selby | England | 3 | 2008, 2010, 2013 |
| Alex Higgins | Northern Ireland | 2 | 1978, 1981 |
| Mark Williams | Wales | 2 | 1998, 2003 |
| John Higgins | Scotland | 2 | 1999, 2006 |
| Neil Robertson | Australia | 2 | 2012, 2022 |
| Shaun Murphy | England | 2 | 2015, 2025 |
| Judd Trump | England | 2 | 2019, 2023 |
Another 14 players have won once. O'Sullivan's eight titles span almost thirty years, from 1995 to 2024, and he has also lost six finals.
Every final, 1975–2026
Newest first; finals involving a Chinese player are shaded. The final has been best of 19 since 1996.
| Year | Winner | Runner-up | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Kyren Wilson England | John Higgins Scotland | 10–6 |
| 2025 | Shaun Murphy England | Kyren Wilson England | 10–7 |
| 2024 | Ronnie O'Sullivan England | Ali Carter England | 10–7 |
| 2023 | Judd Trump England | Mark Williams Wales | 10–8 |
| 2022 | Neil Robertson Australia | Barry Hawkins England | 10–4 |
| 2021 | Yan Bingtao China | John Higgins Scotland | 10–8 |
| 2020 | Stuart Bingham England | Ali Carter England | 10–8 |
| 2019 | Judd Trump England | Ronnie O'Sullivan England | 10–4 |
| 2018 | Mark Allen Northern Ireland | Kyren Wilson England | 10–7 |
| 2017 | Ronnie O'Sullivan England | Joe Perry England | 10–7 |
| 2016 | Ronnie O'Sullivan England | Barry Hawkins England | 10–1 |
| 2015 | Shaun Murphy England | Neil Robertson Australia | 10–2 |
| 2014 | Ronnie O'Sullivan England | Mark Selby England | 10–4 |
| 2013 | Mark Selby England | Neil Robertson Australia | 10–6 |
| 2012 | Neil Robertson Australia | Shaun Murphy England | 10–6 |
| 2011 | Ding Junhui China | Marco Fu Hong Kong | 10–4 |
| 2010 | Mark Selby England | Ronnie O'Sullivan England | 10–9 |
| 2009 | Ronnie O'Sullivan England | Mark Selby England | 10–8 |
| 2008 | Mark Selby England | Stephen Lee England | 10–3 |
| 2007 | Ronnie O'Sullivan England | Ding Junhui China | 10–3 |
| 2006 | John Higgins Scotland | Ronnie O'Sullivan England | 10–9 |
| 2005 | Ronnie O'Sullivan England | John Higgins Scotland | 10–3 |
| 2004 | Paul Hunter England | Ronnie O'Sullivan England | 10–9 |
| 2003 | Mark Williams Wales | Stephen Hendry Scotland | 10–4 |
| 2002 | Paul Hunter England | Mark Williams Wales | 10–9 |
| 2001 | Paul Hunter England | Fergal O'Brien Ireland | 10–9 |
| 2000 | Matthew Stevens Wales | Ken Doherty Ireland | 10–8 |
| 1999 | John Higgins Scotland | Ken Doherty Ireland | 10–8 |
| 1998 | Mark Williams Wales | Stephen Hendry Scotland | 10–9 |
| 1997 | Steve Davis England | Ronnie O'Sullivan England | 10–8 |
| 1996 | Stephen Hendry Scotland | Ronnie O'Sullivan England | 10–5 |
| 1995 | Ronnie O'Sullivan England | John Higgins Scotland | 9–3 |
| 1994 | Alan McManus Scotland | Stephen Hendry Scotland | 9–8 |
| 1993 | Stephen Hendry Scotland | James Wattana Thailand | 9–5 |
| 1992 | Stephen Hendry Scotland | John Parrott England | 9–4 |
| 1991 | Stephen Hendry Scotland | Mike Hallett England | 9–8 |
| 1990 | Stephen Hendry Scotland | John Parrott England | 9–4 |
| 1989 | Stephen Hendry Scotland | John Parrott England | 9–6 |
| 1988 | Steve Davis England | Mike Hallett England | 9–0 |
| 1987 | Dennis Taylor Northern Ireland | Alex Higgins Northern Ireland | 9–8 |
| 1986 | Cliff Thorburn Canada | Jimmy White England | 9–5 |
| 1985 | Cliff Thorburn Canada | Doug Mountjoy Wales | 9–6 |
| 1984 | Jimmy White England | Terry Griffiths Wales | 9–5 |
| 1983 | Cliff Thorburn Canada | Ray Reardon Wales | 9–7 |
| 1982 | Steve Davis England | Terry Griffiths Wales | 9–5 |
| 1981 | Alex Higgins Northern Ireland | Terry Griffiths Wales | 9–6 |
| 1980 | Terry Griffiths Wales | Alex Higgins Northern Ireland | 9–5 |
| 1979 | Perrie Mans South Africa | Alex Higgins Northern Ireland | 8–4 |
| 1978 | Alex Higgins Northern Ireland | Cliff Thorburn Canada | 7–5 |
| 1977 | Doug Mountjoy Wales | Ray Reardon Wales | 7–6 |
| 1976 | Ray Reardon Wales | Graham Miles England | 7–3 |
| 1975 | John Spencer England | Ray Reardon Wales | 9–8 |
The Paul Hunter Trophy
Paul Hunter won the Masters three times, in 2001, 2002 and 2004, and all three finals finished 10–9. He died of cancer in 2006, aged 27. Since 2016 the trophy has been named the Paul Hunter Trophy in his memory.
Why the Masters does not count for the rankings
Because only the top 16 can play in it. If its money counted, those sixteen would get an extra chance every season to earn ranking money that nobody else has, so the WPBSA keeps all invitation events out of the ranking list. That creates an odd situation: the Masters pays more than the UK Championship used to (£350,000 to the winner in 2026, against £250,000 at the 2025 UK Championship), yet it cannot move a player's ranking, while the ranking after the UK Championship decides who plays in it. The details are in how snooker rankings work.
Chinese players and the Masters
Ding Junhui reached the final in 2007, losing 10–3 to O'Sullivan, and won in 2011, beating Hong Kong's Marco Fu 10–4. Yan Bingtao won in 2021, beating John Higgins 10–8. In January 2027 Zhao Xintong, who already has the UK (2021) and world (2025) titles, can become the first Chinese player to complete the Triple Crown; see the snooker Triple Crown.
Venues
The Masters has always been in London: Wembley Conference Centre from 1979 to 2006, Wembley Arena from 2007 to 2011, and Alexandra Palace since 2012, apart from 2021, when it was played in Milton Keynes.
The 2027 Masters
Alexandra Palace, 10–17 January 2027. The field will be the top 16 after the 2026 UK Championship. Prize money for 2027 had not been announced when we checked; the 2026 winner received £350,000. Every other event's prize money is in snooker prize money 2026/27.
Follow the Masters live
Our snooker section updates scores, results and the schedule every hour during events, with the world rankings that decide the Masters field.
See the world rankings →FAQ
Who has won the most Masters titles?
Ronnie O'Sullivan, with eight between 1995 and 2024. Stephen Hendry won six, including five in a row from 1989 to 1993.
Who won the 2026 Masters?
Kyren Wilson, who beat John Higgins 10–6 in the final, at his third Masters final.
How do players qualify for the Masters?
By being in the world top 16 after the UK Championship. There are no qualifiers.
Does the Masters count for the world rankings?
No. It is an invitation event, and no invitation event's prize money counts for the rankings.
Why is the Masters trophy called the Paul Hunter Trophy?
In memory of Paul Hunter, who won the Masters in 2001, 2002 and 2004, each time 10–9, and died in 2006 aged 27. It was renamed in 2016.
Related reading: World Snooker Championship Winners · UK Championship Winners · The Snooker Triple Crown · How Snooker Rankings Work
Sources: finals, venues and the trophy's renaming from Wikipedia's Masters (snooker) article, cross-checked year by year against our Chinese list; prize money from wst.tv. This article contains no sponsored or affiliate links.