Details of the winners from the 2019 PDC Annual Awards Dinner, as Michael van Gerwen and Gary Anderson won two of the big prizes.
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The PDC celebrated an unforgettable year for darts at The Dorchester on Monday night as a number of awards were handed out to the likes of Michael van Gerwen, Gary Anderson and Daryl Gurney.
Below we list all the winners from the glittering ceremony, the nominees for each category and a range of video highlights for you to relive the drama of 2018.
π― It's PDC Awards night in celebration of an unforgettable 2018
— Sporting Life (@SportingLife) January 21, 2019
π MVG on top of the world
π Anderson's Matchplay
π Two nine-darters
π€ Wade a winner again
π‘ Gerwyn Price
πͺ Gurney's Minehead magic
What a year...pic.twitter.com/i4dbgoaeED
2019 PDC Annual Awards Results
PDC Player of the Year
Winner: Michael van Gerwen
Nominated: Gary Anderson, Michael Smith, James Wade
As if there was any doubt as to who would win this top honour for the fourth year in a row.
MVG's dominance may have been strangely questioned at points during a year where he didn't win quite as much as previous seasons - although the 19 he did scoop prior to the World Championship is still many more than a lot of players manage in a career - but he roars into 2019 well clear at the very top of the sport having triumphed so emphatically at Alexandra Palace.
The manner of his demolition jobs over Gary Anderson and Michael Smith in the semi-final and final respectively were ominous to say the least as he got his hands on the Sid Waddell Trophy for the third time in his incredible career.
Among the world number one's other successes in 2018 were the Premier League, Masters and the World Grand Prix while he also collected eight titles on the European Tour.
ππ― Michael van Gerwen is a three-time world darts champion!
— Sporting Life (@SportingLife) January 1, 2019
πππ 2019, 2017, 2014pic.twitter.com/xlGDngOUv0
"To win these two awards is a phenomenal achievement, along with winning my third World Championship a few weeks ago," said Van Gerwen. "Other players are getting better and better every week so I have to be at my best all the time. I love playing darts and I'm going to come back even stronger next year.
"Darts is growing bigger and bigger and is being watched by more and more people around the world, so it's amazing to beΒ World Champion and win this award as the sport continues to grow."
ππͺπ Michael van Gerwen has won 117 titles including three world titles and 33 of the big PDC majors.
— Sporting Life (@SportingLife) January 3, 2019
π² All by the age of just 29.
π€ This dominance in a sport with so many dedicated and talented players is unfathomable. So how does @MvG180 do it?https://t.co/Kr5x5VvUel
Televised Performance of the Year
Winner: Daryl Gurney (Players Championship Finals Final v Michael van Gerwen)
Nominated: Michael van Gerwen (Premier League Final v Michael Smith), Gary Anderson (World Matchplay Quarter-Final v Joe Cullen), Michael Smith (World Championship Semi-Final v Nathan Aspinall), Luke Humphries (World Championship Fourth Round v Rob Cross)
Daryl Gurney's battling spirit to beat Michael van Gerwen 11-9 in a thrilling climax to the Players Championship Finals saw him land this honour.
Van Gerwen was hot favourite to follow up his epic semi-final triumph over Gary Anderson earlier in the evening by winning this event for the fifth time in six years and fourth in a row but found the Northern Irishman in inspired form at the Butlin's Minehead Resort.
The 2017 World Grand Prix champion averaged 96 compared to MVG's 100 but he showed superb resilience to stay in touch before his superior finishing and nerves of steel in the closing stages proved decisive in a thoroughly entertaining final.
"Around a year ago I was questioning whether I could still play at the top level, but that Players Championship Finals win showed I can still do it," said Gurney. "For that reason that performance was a huge one for my career and I hope I can add many more titles to my honours list and keep making young Daryl proud."
π― INCREDIBLE SCENES! π
— Sporting Life (@SportingLife) November 25, 2018
πͺπ Daryl Gurney hits the bullseye to beat Michael van Gerwen and win the Players Championship Finals!
π That's how to become a crowd favourite! What drama! @Superchin180 pic.twitter.com/vd6goWbfdC
Fans' Player of the Year
Winner: Gary Anderson
Runner-up: Michael van Gerwen
Gary Andersonβs glittering career reached new highs in 2018 as he won the World Matchplay for the first time to complete the Triple Crown of Darts as well as the UK Open and Champions League of Darts among his eight titles.
His World Matchplay triumph was sealed so memorably with a 21-19 victory over Mensur Suljovic in a pulsating final while he'd also hit a nine-dart finish in a thriller against Joe Cullen. Even in the events he didn't win such as the Grand Slam of Darts and the World Championship, he gave the fans no end of drama and excitement.
Gary Anderson officially the people's champ of 2018. Gave all darts fans so many thrills - even in the events he didn't win - claimed his first World Matchplay in unforgettable fashion, gave 'that' interview and hit 'this' nine-darter...pic.twitter.com/zIjM9XVPAG
— Chris Hammer (@ChrisHammer180) January 21, 2019
PDPA Players' Player of the Year
Winner: Michael Smith
Runner-up: Michael van Gerwen
Michael Smith enjoyed a breakthrough year which saw him reach finals of the World Championship, Premier League and World Series of Darts Finals.
Bully Boy was unable to lift the trophies in any of them but he did win three other titles, including the televised Shanghai Masters, and his performances overall showed he's on the brink of being a serial champion.
π―π What a finish to an incredible match!
— Sporting Life (@SportingLife) December 30, 2018
π Michael Smith hits his 17th 180s - a record for a World Championship semi-final - in the last leg and finishes it off with a 121 checkout!
π Great performance from both @BullyBoy180 and @NathanAspi! pic.twitter.com/9a87oc8NKu
ProTour Player of the Year
Winner: Michael van Gerwen
Nominated: Peter Wright, Rob Cross, Ian White
Michael van Gerwen comfortably topped the ProTour Order of Merit in 2018 thanks to winning four of the 22 Players Championship events, eight European Tour events plus two of the UK Open Qualifiers. He also hit the European Tour's first nine-dart finish...
ππππππππ Michael van Gerwen won EIGHT of this season's 13 European Tour events....
— Sporting Life (@SportingLife) October 15, 2018
ππ½οΈ...and he also hit its first ever nine-dart finish!
π @MvG180 pic.twitter.com/XzzECkGumg
Young Player of the Year
Winner: Max Hopp
Nominated: Dimitri Van den Bergh, Jeffrey de Zwaan, Luke Humphries
Rising German star Max Hopp saw off his fellow nominees thanks to winning the German Open, a Players Championship event and also breaking into the top 32 for the first time.
HE'S DONE IT!
— PDC Darts (@OfficialPDC) October 28, 2018
Max Hopp keeps his Dortmund dream alive with an impressive 10-5 win over Darren Webster. pic.twitter.com/l1via5D4lj
Best Newcomer
Winner: Luke Humphries
Nominated: Danny Noppert, Ryan Joyce, Luke Humphries, Gabriel Clemens
Luke Humphries underlined his star potential at the World Championship where he stormed into the quarter-finals with a string of superb displays - including coming from two sets down to defeat defending champion Rob Cross.
The 23-year-old from Newbury also topped the Development Tour's Order of Merit for the second year running and there's no doubt he's one to watch.
"This is a massive award and shows how far I have come over the last year," said Humphries. "To beat the reigning World Champion at Alexandra Palace was unreal for me and now my goal is to carry on my development and continue to make a name for myself."
Wow. If anyone didn't know what a talent Luke Humphries was before tonight, they do now.
— Chris Hammer (@ChrisHammer180) December 28, 2018
To go 2-0 against the defending champion and win four sets on the trot is incredible. Who needs experience?pic.twitter.com/is6YwvFVH6
PDC Hall of Fame Inductee
Rod Harrington is the latest inductee into the Hall of Fame - not only due to his success during his playing days which saw him top the world rankings in the days of Phil Taylor and win the World Matchplay - but also his role in helping the Youth, Development and European Tours to flourish.
"I have to thank everyone for making the PDC what it is today and I am privileged to have played a role in our journey," said Harrington. "When I stopped playing darts the best thing I ever did was get involved in helping to run the PDC.
"The most important thing we did, and continue to do, is to invest in young players; they are the future of our great sport. It's been an incredible journey, I've had ups and downs in my career but whenΒ I see what the PDC has become I can say it was all worth it.
"Now I am excited by the future of the company as we continue to grow around the world with more and more players taking up the sport."
Congratulations to Rod Harrington (@rod180), our newest inductee into the PDC Hall of Fame!
— PDC Darts (@OfficialPDC) January 21, 2019
A former World Number One, Two time World Matchplay Champion and the pioneer of the Youth and Development Tours, amongst other achievements! #PDCAwards pic.twitter.com/jLtGZDlIXH
PDC Nine-Dart Club
Gold Pins (Televised Perfect Legs): Gary Anderson, Dimitri Van den Bergh
Gary Anderson may have missed out on the world title but the peopleβs champ still produced the moment of 2018pic.twitter.com/TReY0EGQBe
— Chris Hammer (@ChrisHammer180) December 31, 2018
π―π NINE-DART FINISH!
— Sporting Life (@SportingLife) November 14, 2018
π ππΊ Dimitri van den Bergh hits a PERFET LEG at the Grand Slam of Darts!
βοΈ What a star! #lovethedarts pic.twitter.com/Nq2N5uOgHJ
Silver Pins (Non-televised Perfect Legs): Robbie Green, Ian White, Michael van Gerwen (x3), Peter Jacques, John Goldie, Cameron Menzies, Jamie Lewis, Noel Malicdem, Steve Hine, Stephen Bunting, Nathan Aspinall, Dawson Murschell, Dennis Nilsson, Lee Turle, Simon Preston, Adrian Lewis, Vincent van der Voort, James Wade, Krzysztof Ratajski, Rowby-John Rodriguez, George Killington, Peter Hudson, Andrew Gilding, Jimmy Hendriks, Eddie Lovely
Awards time... first up, itβs time for the Silver and Gold badges for the nine-darters hit this year! #PDCAwards pic.twitter.com/0EphjUKUv1
— PDC Darts (@OfficialPDC) January 21, 2019
Related Darts links
- Q School: Day One report & results
- Q School: Day Two report & results
- Q School: Day Three report & results
- Q School: Day Four report, results & Order of Merit standings
- 2019 BDO World Championship results
- BDO WORLD FINAL BLOG, STATS & HIGHLIGHTS
- 2019 PDC World Championship results
- PDC WORLD FINAL BLOG, STATS & HIGHLIGHTS
- PDC World Championship Reflections
- 2019 PDC event calendar & results
- 2019 Premier League darts fixtures
- 2018 PDC season results
- 2018 Premier League darts results
- Sky Bet's darts odds

