Luke Littler, 18 snubbed for major award despite historic first season in darts and £1million in prize money
LUKE LITTLER has been snubbed by the Laureus World Sports Awards 2025 – despite his historic rookie season as a darts professional.
In 2024, Littler reached the world championship final on his debut – he was beaten by world No.1 Luke Humphries at Ally Pally – and then won 10 titles and nailed a joint-record four nine-darters.
Voting for the prestigious annual awards took place in December 2024, weeks before The Nuke became the sport’s youngest world champion and lifted the Sid Waddell Trophy.
Shortlists were drawn up from votes cast by more than 1,000 journalists and broadcasters from around 100 countries.
The winners will be announced at a glitzy ceremony next month in Madrid but Littler, the world No.2, is not among the shortlists.
He has been left off the World Breakthrough of the Year accolade, which acknowledges the best performances from new or unknown individuals on the international stage.
The six nominees for this category include St Lucian sprinter Julien Alfred, the Bayer Leverkusen football side and Canadian swimmer Summer McIntosh.
Botswana’s Olympic 200 metres champion Letsile Tebogo, French basketball sensation Victor Wembanyama and Spanish footballer Lamine Yamal make up the shortlist.
Britain’s Tom Pidcock, Team GB’s two-time Olympic mountain bike champion, has been nominated for the Laureus World Action Sportsperson of the Year Award.
And the UK-based McLaren Formula One Team are in contention for Laureus World Team of the Year following their Constructors’ World Championship glory.
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Sporting greats Simone Biles (gymnastics), Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone (athletics), Carlos Alcaraz (tennis) and Mondo Duplantis (athletics) are all up for individual honours.
Littler is the evens favourite to win the BBC Sports Personality of the Year Award, which takes place in Salford in December.
The Nuke continued his dazzling form by winning the UK Open on Sunday.
James Wade had no answer as Littler romped to an 11-2 victory in the final to pocket £110,000 in prize money.
The teenager said: “This is a tournament I really wanted to win.
Luke Littler prize money breakdown
Here is all the prize money Luke Littler has won so far after being crowned 2025 PDC World Darts Championship winner:
World Championship 2025 – £500,000
World Championship 2024 – £200,000
Grand Slam of Darts 2024 – £150,000
European Tour – £91,000
Player Championships events – £71,500
Players Championship final runner-up – £60,000
UK Open 2023 + 2024 – £17,500
World Matchplay – £10,000
World Grand Prix – £7,500
European Championship – £7,500
(Unranked) Premier League Darts – £315,000
TOTAL: £1.43 million
“It’s my third time at the UK Open. I came here as a 16-year-old a couple of years ago.
“I made the quarter-finals last year, and now I’ve gone three better this year to win it! I had a job to do tonight.
“I just wanted to pick up the trophy, and it’s one that I can tick off the list now.”