Nick Walker is the newest Mr Olympia. He won the 2026 title in Las Vegas on 26 September, a year after finishing sixth, and became the 20th man to win bodybuilding’s biggest contest since it began in 1965. Here’s every Mr Olympia winner, who has won the most, how the prize money has changed, and the full 2026 and 2025 results.
- Current champion: Nick Walker (USA), 2026
- Most titles: Lee Haney and Ronnie Coleman, 8 each
- First winner: Larry Scott, 1965, at the Brooklyn Academy of Music, New York
- Founded by: Joe Weider
- Different winners: 20, from 1965 to 2026
- Winner’s prize: US$600,000 (2026), up from US$1,000 in 1965
Who won Mr Olympia 2026?
Nick Walker won the 2026 Mr Olympia, his first title, at the Orleans Arena in Las Vegas. He scored 18 points to Samson Dauda’s 20 and Derek Lunsford’s 24 (lower is better). Dauda won the final round outright but had finished third at prejudging, which cost him the title.
| Place | Bodybuilder | Country | Prize (US$) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Nick Walker | USA | $600,000 |
| 2 | Samson Dauda | UK | $200,000 |
| 3 | Derek Lunsford | USA | $100,000 |
| 4 | Andrew Jacked | UAE | $40,000 |
| 5 | Tonio Burton | USA | $30,000 |
| 6 | Michal Krizo | Slovakia | – |
In the other men’s divisions, Keone Pearson won his fourth straight 212 Olympia and Britain’s Niall Darwen won his first Classic Physique title.
Every Mr Olympia winner, 1965 to 2026
The Mr Olympia was created by Joe Weider to give amateur champions a professional contest to aim for. The first was held on 18 September 1965 in New York, according to Wikipedia. The last column shows which of each winner’s titles it was.
| Year | Winner | Country | Title no. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Nick Walker | USA | 1 |
| 2025 | Derek Lunsford | USA | 2 |
| 2024 | Samson Dauda | UK | 1 |
| 2023 | Derek Lunsford | USA | 1 |
| 2022 | Hadi Choopan | Iran | 1 |
| 2021 | Mamdouh Elssbiay (Big Ramy) | Egypt | 2 |
| 2020 | Mamdouh Elssbiay (Big Ramy) | Egypt | 1 |
| 2019 | Brandon Curry | USA | 1 |
| 2018 | Shawn Rhoden | Jamaica | 1 |
| 2017 | Phil Heath | USA | 7 |
| 2016 | Phil Heath | USA | 6 |
| 2015 | Phil Heath | USA | 5 |
| 2014 | Phil Heath | USA | 4 |
| 2013 | Phil Heath | USA | 3 |
| 2012 | Phil Heath | USA | 2 |
| 2011 | Phil Heath | USA | 1 |
| 2010 | Jay Cutler | USA | 4 |
| 2009 | Jay Cutler | USA | 3 |
| 2008 | Dexter Jackson | USA | 1 |
| 2007 | Jay Cutler | USA | 2 |
| 2006 | Jay Cutler | USA | 1 |
| 2005 | Ronnie Coleman | USA | 8 |
| 2004 | Ronnie Coleman | USA | 7 |
| 2003 | Ronnie Coleman | USA | 6 |
| 2002 | Ronnie Coleman | USA | 5 |
| 2001 | Ronnie Coleman | USA | 4 |
| 2000 | Ronnie Coleman | USA | 3 |
| 1999 | Ronnie Coleman | USA | 2 |
| 1998 | Ronnie Coleman | USA | 1 |
| 1997 | Dorian Yates | UK | 6 |
| 1996 | Dorian Yates | UK | 5 |
| 1995 | Dorian Yates | UK | 4 |
| 1994 | Dorian Yates | UK | 3 |
| 1993 | Dorian Yates | UK | 2 |
| 1992 | Dorian Yates | UK | 1 |
| 1991 | Lee Haney | USA | 8 |
| 1990 | Lee Haney | USA | 7 |
| 1989 | Lee Haney | USA | 6 |
| 1988 | Lee Haney | USA | 5 |
| 1987 | Lee Haney | USA | 4 |
| 1986 | Lee Haney | USA | 3 |
| 1985 | Lee Haney | USA | 2 |
| 1984 | Lee Haney | USA | 1 |
| 1983 | Samir Bannout | Lebanon | 1 |
| 1982 | Chris Dickerson | USA | 1 |
| 1981 | Franco Columbu | Italy | 2 |
| 1980 | Arnold Schwarzenegger | Austria | 7 |
| 1979 | Frank Zane | USA | 3 |
| 1978 | Frank Zane | USA | 2 |
| 1977 | Frank Zane | USA | 1 |
| 1976 | Franco Columbu | Italy | 1 |
| 1975 | Arnold Schwarzenegger | Austria | 6 |
| 1974 | Arnold Schwarzenegger | Austria | 5 |
| 1973 | Arnold Schwarzenegger | Austria | 4 |
| 1972 | Arnold Schwarzenegger | Austria | 3 |
| 1971 | Arnold Schwarzenegger | Austria | 2 |
| 1970 | Arnold Schwarzenegger | Austria | 1 |
| 1969 | Sergio Oliva | Cuba | 3 |
| 1968 | Sergio Oliva | Cuba | 2 |
| 1967 | Sergio Oliva | Cuba | 1 |
| 1966 | Larry Scott | USA | 2 |
| 1965 | Larry Scott | USA | 1 |
Most Mr Olympia wins
| Bodybuilder | Titles | Years |
|---|---|---|
| Lee Haney | 8 | 1984 to 1991 |
| Ronnie Coleman | 8 | 1998 to 2005 |
| Arnold Schwarzenegger | 7 | 1970 to 1975, 1980 |
| Phil Heath | 7 | 2011 to 2017 |
| Dorian Yates | 6 | 1992 to 1997 |
| Jay Cutler | 4 | 2006, 2007, 2009, 2010 |
| Sergio Oliva | 3 | 1967 to 1969 |
| Frank Zane | 3 | 1977 to 1979 |
| Larry Scott | 2 | 1965, 1966 |
| Franco Columbu | 2 | 1976, 1981 |
| Mamdouh Elssbiay (Big Ramy) | 2 | 2020, 2021 |
| Derek Lunsford | 2 | 2023, 2025 |
Haney and Coleman share the record with eight titles each, both won in eight straight years. Eight others have won once: Chris Dickerson, Samir Bannout, Dexter Jackson, Shawn Rhoden, Brandon Curry, Hadi Choopan, Samson Dauda and Nick Walker.
Champions have come back, too. Schwarzenegger in 1980 and Franco Columbu in 1981 won again after years away from the contest, while Jay Cutler (2009) and Derek Lunsford (2025) won the title back a year after being beaten for it.
Mr Olympia prize money
Larry Scott won US$1,000 in 1965. Since 2024 the winner has taken home US$600,000, “a 600-fold rise in 61 years”, as Fitness Volt puts it.
| Year | Winner’s prize (US$) | Champion |
|---|---|---|
| 1965 | $1,000 | Larry Scott |
| 1976 | $5,000 | Franco Columbu |
| 1979 | $25,000 | Frank Zane |
| 1984 | $50,000 | Lee Haney |
| 1990 | $100,000 | Lee Haney |
| 2005 | $150,000 | Ronnie Coleman |
| 2009 | $200,000 | Jay Cutler |
| 2012 | $250,000 | Phil Heath |
| 2024 to 2026 | $600,000 | Dauda, Lunsford, Walker |
In 2026 second place paid US$200,000, third US$100,000, fourth US$40,000 and fifth US$30,000. That’s about A$860,000 for Walker at the exchange rate on 5 October 2026. The Olympia isn’t the richest single prize in the sport: Andrew Jacked won US$750,000 at the 2026 Arnold Classic in March, with Walker second (Fitness Volt).
Who won Mr Olympia 2025?
Derek Lunsford won the 2025 Mr Olympia, his second title, at Resorts World Las Vegas in October 2025. Hadi Choopan was second, Andrew Jacked third, and Samson Dauda, the defending champion, fourth. Nick Walker was sixth (Wikipedia).
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Mr Olympia FAQ
Who is the current Mr Olympia?
Nick Walker, who won the 2026 title on 26 September in Las Vegas.
Who has won the most Mr Olympia titles?
Lee Haney (1984 to 1991) and Ronnie Coleman (1998 to 2005), with eight each. Arnold Schwarzenegger and Phil Heath won seven.
Who was the first Mr Olympia?
Larry Scott, who won the first contest in New York in 1965 and defended it in 1966.
How many times did Arnold Schwarzenegger win Mr Olympia?
Seven: six in a row from 1970 to 1975, then again in 1980.
How much does Mr Olympia win?
US$600,000 in 2026, the same as in 2024 and 2025.
Who won Mr Olympia 2025?
Derek Lunsford, ahead of Hadi Choopan and Andrew Jacked.
Where is Mr Olympia held?
Las Vegas. The 2026 contest ran from 24 to 27 September, with prejudging at the Las Vegas Convention Center and the finals at the Orleans Arena.
