What is the 2026 World Snooker Championship prize money, how much does the Crucible winner get?
The World Snooker Championship is the most important event on the sport’s calendar, and it remains its most lucrative, too.
Snooker’s blue riband tournament also takes the longest to complete, with nearly a month’s worth of green baize action if you include its different phases.
The 2026 World Snooker Championship consists of the qualifying rounds held at the English Institute of Sport between April 6-15, and the main draw, televised stages at the Crucible Theatre between April 18-May 4 with both parts staged in Sheffield.
Prize money breakdown for the tournament
There is a total regular prize fund of £2,395,000 for the 2026 World Snooker Championship, this is slightly more than the second richest tournament on the professional circuit at the moment, the Saudi Arabia Masters (£2,302,000 fund in 2025).
This year’s world champion at the Crucible will win £500,000, with the runner-up collecting £200,000.
All 32 players in the main draw are guaranteed at least £20,000.
There are also payouts for the qualifying phase, which increase by £5,000 each round. However, losers in the opening qualifying round receive no prize.
Professional snooker’s world ranking list is based on prize money won by players. Therefore, the champion will have £500,000 added to their rolling two-year total (although with the way the system works, whatever they earned at the 2024 event will come off, too).
However, as the competition features a tiered system, players must come through their opening match otherwise their prize money doesn’t get added to their ranking. For example, if a top 16 seed loses their first round match at the Crucible (last 32), they will take the actual prize money, but it doesn’t get added to their ranking tally.
Neil Robertson and Zhao Xintong can mathematically overtake Judd Trump and become the world number one at the end of this year’s competition.
- Champion: £500,000
- Runner-up: £200,000
- Losing semi-finalists: £100,000 (each)
- Losing quarter-finalists: £50,000 (each)
- Losers in the last 16: £30,000 (each)
- Losers in the last 32: £20,000 (each) - opening round at the Crucible
- Losers in the last 48: £15,000 (each) - final qualifying round
- Losers in the last 80: £10,000 (each)
- Losers in the last 112: £5,000 (each)
- Highest tournament break: £15,000
What is the highest break prize?
There is a £15,000 bonus prize on offer for the highest break made at the 2026 World Snooker Championship.
This purse counts across all the rounds of the competition, both the qualifying and main draw, with all players eligible to collect it.
If the highest break is made more than once, then this prize will be equally shared amongst those who achieved the feat.
Is there a prize for a maximum 147 break?
Yes there is, but there are a few different prize amounts on offer.
For any player completing a perfect frame at the qualifying rounds, there is a £10,000 bonus. Should there be more than one 147 at the EIOS, the purse would be shared equally.
There is a £40,000 prize on offer for making a maximum at the Crucible Theatre. Again, should more than one be made in front of the television cameras, the bonus would be evenly split.
Throughout the season, the World Snooker Tour has also run a special bonus prize for any player that can make two maximum 147 breaks across its four biggest events - Saudi Arabia Masters, UK Championship, Masters, World Championship (available across all rounds, including qualifying).
There is a seasonal kitty of £441,000 allocated to this, with three shares of £147,000.
At last year’s World Championship qualifiers, Jackson Page created history by making two 147s in the same match, therefore unlocking a £147k payday for himself.
Earlier this season, snooker’s greatest breakbuilder of all-time Ronnie O’Sullivan produced another signature moment as he fashioned an unprecedented pair of maximums within the same session of snooker at the Saudi Arabia Masters. The feat scooped him a £147,000 share.
Heading into the 2026 World Snooker Championship, there are still two shares remaining for this term. Thepchaiya Un-Nooh (Saudi Arabia Masters), Liam Pullen (UK Championship) and Chang Bingyu (UK Championship) have each crafted one maximum in the other three ‘majors’, meaning they are in pole position and potentially one more away from pocketing a six-figure prize.
They would also be eligible for the highest break and separate 147 bonuses, too - should someone get their second 147 at the Crucible, one frame of perfection could be worth over £200,000.
Money earned from break bonuses do not count towards rankings.
UPDATE: Chang Bingyu made a 147 during his penultimate qualifying round match with Luca Brecel and therefore collected a share of £147,000 from the bonus pot.