Ronnie O’Sullivan has been named the Cazoo WST Player of the Year after winning five titles during the 2023/24 season.
O’Sullivan kick started his prolific campaign with a record-extending fifth success at the Shanghai Masters in September, where he beat Luca Brecel in the final.
Not long after, the Rocket triumphed at the UK Championship for a record eighth time before taking his tally of Masters crowns to the same total in January.
At the UK Championship, O’Sullivan overcame Ding Junhui in the final and he then beat Ali Carter to claim the prestigious Masters at the Alexandra Palace.
The 48 year-old’s rich period of form continued when he subsequently landed the World Grand Prix title at Judd Trump’s expense.
Victory in the inaugural Riyadh Season World Masters, where he again denied Brecel glory, gave O’Sullivan a fifth piece of silverware.
Englishman Trump also won five titles during a strong 2023/24 season but was ultimately pipped to the Player of the Year award by his esteemed countryman, who takes the annual honour for the first time since 2014.
WST Player of the Year
2011: John Higgins
2012: Ronnie O’Sullivan
2013: Mark Selby
2014: Ronnie O’Sullivan
2015: Stuart Bingham
2016: John Higgins
2017: Mark Selby
2018: Mark Williams
2019: Judd Trump
2020: Judd Trump
2021: Judd Trump
2022: Neil Robertson
2023: Mark Allen
2024: Ronnie O’Sullivan
Ronnie O’Sullivan was also won the Strachan Fans’ Player of the Year and Star Xingpai Journalists’ Player of the Year categories.
The seven-time world champion spent most of the season as the world number one, although he relinquished that status after losing in the quarter-finals of this year’s World Championship and was replaced by Mark Allen.
Elsewhere, Kyren Wilson won the Castore Performance of the Year for his tremendous display at the World Snooker Championship.
The 32 year-old emerged with a maiden world crown at the Crucible Theatre in Sheffield, beating qualifier Jak Jones 18-14 in the final earlier this week.
He Guoqiang was awarded the Nongfu Spring Rookie of the Year after reaching as high as number 66 on the official world rankings list during his debut campaign.
The Laithwaites Wine Magic Moment of the Year award went to Shaun Murphy for his incredible 147 at the Snooker Shoot Out in December.
Murphy became the first player to compile a maximum break in the quick-fire event that incorporates a shot clock format.
The 2005 world champion beat off competition for the Magic Moment of the Year from Mark Williams and John Higgins.
The fabled Class of ’92 graduates had been in the running for their respective match-winning breaks against Tom Ford at the Tour Championship and Mark Allen at the World Championship.
Zhang Anda won the Verisure Breakthrough Player of the Year award for making a significant leap forward in his career, highlighted by victory at the International Championship.
Two players join the Johnstone’s Paint WST Hall of Fame, which recognises the great players from snooker history and those who have made a significant contribution to the sport.
Luca Brecel joins this elite club having won the World Snooker Championship in 2023
Daniel Blunn also enters the Hall of Fame as the most successful ever player from the World Disability Billiards and Snooker Tour with 16 titles to his name.
Featured photo credit: WST
I sent Dave Hendon an email that he read out detailing my awards for the season. One quibble I have is that these awards should include the word season as opposed to year.
O’Sullivan did get my vote for the main award. A number of the other winners were the same. I also selected Wilson for best overall tournament performance, Murphy’s 147 for Magic Moment and Zhang Anda for Most Improved Player.
I also handed out best Single Match Performance to O’Sullivan for his devastating 6-1 blitz of Ding in the World Grand Prix semis. Shaun Murphy received my Analyst award and John Higgins v Mark Allen, at the World Championship, was selected as my Match of the Season.
I’ve met Daniel Blunn at my local college in Sutton Coldfield. It was over a decade ago now and he was by chance sitting next to me at a computer. He came across as very self-assured.
Agreed, Player of the Season would make a lot more sense. I used to do my own set of “awards” around this time with Fin Ruane, who is now a WPBSA coach, and Irish amateur Johnny Williams. I’ll bring it back one of these years.
I remember you saying when I asked why you only did Review of the Year!
Another award I announced was Best Achievement to Judd Trump for his ranking treble. I created it partly as felt Trump’s stellar campaign needed acknowledging in some way.