Snooker World Championships prize money: How much do the winners take home?

Snooker World Championships prize money: How much do the winners take home?

Kenneth Mwenda
May 17, 2024 at 10:14 PM

The Snooker World Championships' prize money has significantly increased over the years. Winners have earned considerable money and the amount of cash the players receive increases as the competition advances. Scroll down for more updates about the event's prizes.

Kyren Wilson and Luca Brecel during Cazoo World Snooker Championship trophy
Frame 1: Luca Brecel of Belgium during the 2023 Cazoo World Championship. Frame 2: Kyren Wilson with the 2024 Cazoo World Snooker Championship trophy. Photos: George Wood, VCG (modified by author)
Source: Getty Images

Table of Сontents:

The event is the longest-running and most prestigious tournament in professional snooker. We have gathered information from various sources to understand how much players earn in the competition.

How much is the Snooker World Championships' prize money?

The tournament's prize money has been $2,993,750 since 2020. Players compete at a high level to fight for the prestigious title of Snooker Champion. Here is a breakdown of how much players earn during different levels in the 2024 edition, according to Radio Times.

  • Winner: $625,000
  • Runner-up: $250,000
  • Semi-finalist: $125,000
  • Quarter-finalist: $62,500
  • Last 16: $37,500
  • Last 32: $25,000
  • Last 48: $18,750
  • Last 80: $12,500
  • Last 112: $6,250
  • Highest break: $18,750
  • Maximum break (main tournament): $50,000
  • Maximum break (qualifying): $12,5

Who won the Snooker World Championships in 2024?

Kyren Wilson during the match against Jak Jones
Kyren Wilson of England during the match against Jak Jones of Wales during the Cazoo World Snooker Championship 2024 at Crucible Theatre on May 06, 2024 in Sheffield. Photo: George Wood
Source: Getty Images

In the final of the 2024 tournament at the Crucible, Kyren Wilson claimed his first prize by defeating Jak Jones 18-14 in the final match, according to the Mirror. Wilson had already been a runner-up twice in Sheffield and once in the Masters. He told Sky Sports,

"Hats off to Jak. He really pushed me the whole way, but I just felt as if I needed to keep my emotions under wraps. I had to keep myself nice and composed the whole time, and the only way I was going to lose the final was if I capitulated emotionally. However, I managed to hold myself together really well."

Snooker World Championship prize money by year

Kyren Wilson with the Cazoo World Snooker Championship trophy
Kyren Wilson with the Cazoo World Snooker Championship trophy after victory in the Final match at Crucible Theatre on May 06, 2024 in Sheffield, England. Photo: George Wood
Source: Getty Images

The World Snooker Championship began in 1927, and the prize money increased annually. Let us examine players' earnings over the last ten years.

2014

In 2014, Mark Selby triumphed, won the tournament, and got a record prize of $375,000, beating the previous sum of $337,500 in 2003. Despite this, the amount for first-round losers remained $15,000 and the overall $1,517,500.

2015

During the 2015 tournament, Stuart Bingham won the men's event. Among the men's competitions, an overall prize of $1,705,000 was at stake, and the championship winner took $375,000.

2016

The prize money for the 2016 World Snooker Championship was $1,875,125, and the winner was entitled to a maximum of $412,500. Mark Selby emerged as the best. In the final, he outplayed Ding Junhui 18-14 and lifted the snooker world championship cup for the second time.

2017

Mark Selby during the snooker final match in China
Mark Selby of England during the final match against Mark Allen on Day eight of the 2017 Snooker International Championship on November 5, 2017, in China. Photo: Visual China Group
Source: Getty Images

The 2017 tournament offered a total prize pool of $2,187,500 and an award for the champion of $468,750. Moreover, the first-round losers received a record-breaking $20,000, higher than the $18,750 payout in 2003. Mark Selby retained the title.

2018

The total prize pool for the 2018 World Snooker Championship was $2,460,000, and the winner received $531,250. Two "class of '92" players, Mark Williams and John Higgins, met in the final, with Higgins losing.

2019

The 2019 World Snooker Championship had a total prize pool of $2,788,750, which was the largest prize bag record ever at that time. The player who won the Championship secured $625,000, while the man who came in second won $250,000. In 2019, John Higgins advanced to the final for the second time but again lost 18-9 to Judd Trump.

2020 - 2024

Luca Brecel of Belgium during the 2023 Cazoo World Championship
Luca Brecel of Belgium reacts in the final match against Mark Selby of England on day 17 of the 2023 Cazoo World Championship at Crucible Theatre on May 1, 2023. Photo: VCG
Source: Getty Images

Since the 2020 tournament, the Snooker World Championships' prize money has been $2,993,750. The champion receives $625,000, and the runner-up gets $250,000.

Trivia

The World Snooker Championship was established in 1927. The tournament is now played over seventeen days in late April and early May and is chronologically the third of the three Triple

How much is a 147 break worth?

Players receive $50,000 for scoring 147 in the event. According to BBC, Noppon Saengkham won the reward in 2024 after his 147 break in qualification but got ousted by Jackson Page.

Who has won the most world snooker championships?

Stephen Hendry and Ronnie O'Sullivan have each won seven times, jointly holding the record for the most world titles in the modern era. Ray Reardon and Steve Davis have won six titles, while John Higgins and Mark Selby have won four. John Spencer and Mark Williams have won three titles, and Alex Higgins has two.

Who has the longest world number 1 snooker?

Hendry keeps the record for the longest stay at the top under the traditional ranking system, with nine seasons (1990/1991–1997/1998 and again in 2006–07).

Final word

The Snooker World Championships' monetary rewards reflect the event's elevated status and attractiveness. The competition continues to attract fans around the globe, marking the prize money as a milestone of superior performance in the world of snooker.

READ ALSO: Snooker vs Pool: Find out the differences between the two

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It is easy to confuse the two games if you lack basic knowledge of both. This article breaks down the key features of Snooker vs Pool, their history and what it takes to succeed in the games. Click the above link to read more!

Authors
Kenneth Mwenda photo
Kenneth Mwenda
Kenneth Mwenda is a business and sports writer with over five years of experience. At Sportsbrief, he contributes to writing biographies and listicles.