Luke Littler has been nominated for the prestigious Laureus World Breakthrough of the Year Award, marking the first time a darts player has been shortlisted for this honor. The nomination comes after a stellar 12 months for 'The Nuke', during which he lifted six televised major titles, became World Champion for the first time, was crowned World No.1, and defended the Sid Waddell Trophy in January 2026.
Littler will compete against other sporting icons, including Lando Norris, the reigning Formula One Driver's World Champion, for the award. The ceremony is set to take place on Monday, April 20. Whether Littler attends is uncertain, as he is scheduled to play in Liverpool in the Premier League Darts that week. However, due to his ProTour exile, he will not have to play that week, with only a European Tour the weekend before, potentially allowing him to attend the event.
He joins a prestigious shortlist that includes Paris Saint-Germain and France midfielder Désiré Doué, Brazilian tennis player Joao Fonseca, Canadian basketballer Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, and 12-year-old Chinese swimmer Yu Zidi. Previous winners of the award include tennis icons such as Rafael Nadal, Andy Murray, and Carlos Alcaraz, with Rory McIlroy among six golfers to claim the prize, and Lewis Hamilton winning in 2008. Recent winners also feature Jude Bellingham and Lamine Yamal, who play for Real Madrid and Barcelona, respectively.
This nomination adds another accolade to Littler's collection as he continues to make a stunning breakthrough in darts, further elevating the sport's profile on the global stage.
