Worldwide Recognition as Luke Littler nominated for the Breakthrough of the Year prize at the 2026 Laureus World Sports Awards

Luke Littler has been nominated for the Breakthrough of the Year prize at the 2026 Laureus World Sports Awards, following a phenomenal 12-month spell that has redefined expectations within professional darts.

The reigning two-time PDC World Darts Championship champion has enjoyed an unprecedented ascent to the summit of the sport, cementing his status as its leading figure courtesy of a record-shattering 2025 campaign.

The Warrington star captured his maiden World Championship crown in January 2025 and went on to add five televised ranking titles across the calendar year, completing one of the most trophy-laden seasons in modern darts history.

Among those triumphs were breakthrough victories at the UK Open, World Matchplay, and World Grand Prix, before successfully defending his Grand Slam of Darts title in November.

That Grand Slam success proved another historic milestone, as Littler subsequently became the youngest world number one in Professional Darts Corporation history, surpassing the previous benchmark set by Dutch icon Michael van Gerwen.

The teenage sensation’s momentum showed no sign of slowing. He stormed to victory at the Players Championship Finals just weeks later, before returning to Alexandra Palace to secure back-to-back World Championship titles — becoming only the fourth player in history to achieve the feat in the PDC era.

Off the oche, Littler’s impact has also been recognised at national level. The 19-year-old was awarded an MBE in the 2025 King’s Birthday Honours, alongside his great rival Luke Humphries, in acknowledgement of their contribution to the sport’s surging popularity.

Worldwide Recognition as Luke Littler nominated for the Breakthrough of the Year prize at the 2026 Laureus World Sports Awards

This latest nomination makes Littler the first darts player ever to be shortlisted for the Laureus World Breakthrough of the Year Award, placing him among elite global company.

He joins a distinguished shortlist that includes France and Paris Saint-Germain winger Désiré Doué, Formula One World Drivers’ Champion Lando Norris, NBA star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Brazilian tennis prospect João Fonseca, and 12-year-old swimming sensation Yu Zidi, who claimed bronze in the 4x200m freestyle relay at the World Aquatics Championships.

Previous recipients of the award underline its prestige. Tennis greats Rafael Nadal, Andy Murray, and Carlos Alcaraz have all claimed the honour, while six-time major winner Rory McIlroy is among the golfers to have secured the accolade.

Seven-time Formula One world champion Lewis Hamilton won the award in 2008, with football stars Jude Bellingham and Lamine Yamal named as the most recent winners in 2024 and 2025 respectively.

The 2026 Laureus World Sports Awards ceremony will be staged in Madrid on April 20, with the winner decided by the Laureus World Sports Academy jury — a panel comprised of some of the most decorated athletes in sporting history.

Regardless of the outcome, Littler’s nomination represents a landmark moment for darts, underlining the sport’s growing global stature and the remarkable impact of its brightest young star.