Stuart Bingham. Picture by Monique Limbos

LIFE just gets better and better for Stuart Bingham after the new world champion was crowned World Snooker’s Player of the Year.

Just days after winning the World Championship for the first time beating Shaun Murphy in a dramatic final, the 38-year-old received another huge prize for his mantelpiece after winning the top gong in the World Snooker Awards night.

Bingham, who has climbed to number two in the world rankings following his Crucible triumph, has enjoyed a great season which has also seen him win the Shanghai Masters, an Asian Tour event and the Championship League.

He also took home the Snooker Journalists Player of the Year award.

The annual awards ceremony was held at the Dorchester Hotel celebrated the season’s top moments and achievements and also helped raised money for Bluebell Wood Children’s Hospice – World Snooker’s official charity.

Other winners on the night included Judd Trump who followed up victories in the Australian Goldfields Open and World Grand Prix with the Fans Player of the Year award.

Five-times world champion Ronnie O’Sullivan won the season’s ‘Magic Moment’ award after his century over Marco Fu in the Masters saw him overtake Stephen Hendry as the new record maker of the number of career century breaks made – no standing past Hendry’s previous record of 775.

Performance of the Year went to Joe Perry after he won the Players Championship in March – his first major ranking event of a 24 year playing career.

A fine debut season on the main tour for Oliver Lines saw him win the award for Rookie of the Year. Lines, 19, has shown encouraging promise throughout the year including a run to the final of an Asian Tour event.

The night also saw former world champions John Parrott and Mark Selby inducted into snooker’s Hall of Fame.

LIST OF WINNERS

World Snooker Player of the Year: Stuart Bingham
Snooker Journalists Player of the Year: Stuart Bingham
Fans Player of the Year: Judd Trump
Rookie of the Year: Oliver Lines
Performance of the Year: Joe Perry
Magic Moment of the Year: Ronnie O’Sullivan
147 Club (players making a 147 during the season): Ronnie O’Sullivan, Marco Fu, Judd Trump, Aditya Mehta, Shaun Murphy, Ben Woollaston, Ryan Day, David Gilbert, Barry Hawkins
Hall of Fame inductees: John Parrott, Mark Selby