Gerwyn Price scooped four Player of the Year trophies as he dominated the PDC annual awards, with Damon Heta, Dave Chisnall and Callan Rydz also recognised, alongside Barry Hearn OBE’s induction into the PDC Hall of Fame.
Price scooped the top honour of being named as Selco Player of the Year ahead of nominees Michael van Gerwen, Peter Wright and Jose de Sousa to mark his achievements in a memorable 12 months.
He was also voted by an overwhelming majority of his fellow professionals as the PDPA Players’ Player of the Year with over 75 per cent of the votes, with Grand Slam of Darts winner De Sousa finishing second.
The 35-year-old completed a quartet of awards by being named ProTour Player of the Year, having earned £96,750 from his five wins on the European Tour and Players Championship circuit, topping the one-year rankings ahead of Peter Wright and Van Gerwen.
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Clean sweep ? ? I want to thank everyone for voting especially the fans I was honestly shocked by winning that award it does mean a great deal to me ? now bring on the Masters @OfficialPDC @reddragondarts @TuffStuff_UK @MarshallGroup @valleywaterserv
“It means the world to have a clean sweep and to know that I have played well over the last 12 months,” said Price. “It’s been a decent year!
“The fans’ award means more to me than anything I think. I’ve had them on my back for the last two-and-a-half years but that means everything. I’ve played pretty well this year but it’s something I didn’t think I’d win and I appreciate it.
“To have the top pros all voting for you [too], showing the respect that I probably deserve for the way I’ve played over the last 12 months [is] an important one to win.
“I’ve been playing pretty consistently this year. I tapered off I think in the Grand Slam and Players Championship Finals, I wasn’t 100 percent, but I still got to the latter stages and was still playing half-decent, but overall over the 12 months, I’ve played pretty decent.
“I think I won the most tournaments this year, which if you’d told me seven years ago that I’d be doing that and getting to world number one and winning the World Championship – dreams come true. It’s something I never even thought of, let alone dreamed about.
“I need to try and back this up as well, I’m not resting now that I’ve won the worlds. I’ve reflected and it’s made me a bit hungrier.”
Heta saw his maiden season on the professional circuit recognised with the Best Newcomer award, with the Australian having won a Players Championship and reached the quarter-finals at the World Cup, Grand Slam of Darts and Players Championship Finals.
“I’m pumped – it’s ace!” said Heta. “It obviously means a lot and I believe I could have done more – and I’m going to do my best again [this year].”
Rydz was named as the Young Player of the Year following a strong debut season on the PDC ProTour, a victory on the Development Tour and runs to the last 16 of the Players Championship Finals and last 64 of the World Championship.
Really pleased to have won The Televised Performance of the Year. Thank you to those who voted, thanks to the PDC and all involved. This means alot pic.twitter.com/Sq5vbxda8b
Chisnall’s outstanding performance to defeat Michael van Gerwen 5-0 in the World Championship quarter-finals was named as the Televised Performance of the Year, recognising a stunning display in the sport’s biggest tournament.
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PDC chairman Barry Hearn OBE becomes the 17th inductee into the PDC Hall of Fame, recognising his contribution across over two decades in the sport.
Hearn’s arrival as PDC chairman in 2001 has been followed by a huge period of worldwide growth for the sport and record growth of prize funds in the professional game.
We’ve been on a wonderful journey; the journey is still in progress but we’ve changed the world of sport through darts.
Barry Hearn
“It’s lovely and as I suppose as you get older, you treasure these moments even more,” said Hearn. “I’m happy to be there with some of those legends who have already been inducted, and it gives you a good feeling.
“To stand alongside those other legends is a source of pride, of course, and I think they would agree that it’s not the individuals, it’s the collective attitude of the PDC, the family, that really believes in what we’re doing.
“If I look back on my life, my involvement in the PDC has probably been one of, if not the most successful sides of my promotional sporting life.
“To have the opportunity to take a game ridiculed in some quarters and to make it into this major international global sport, where TV viewing figures are generally only beaten by football, is huge.
“Where we’ve come from as individuals and as a sport is a testament on what hard work and discipline and sacrifice can do, and there’s a message there for everyone.
“We’ve been on a wonderful journey; the journey is still in progress but we’ve changed the world of sport through darts. Twenty years ago that journey began, and I think the induction into the PDC Hall of Fame is a pat on the back that we all share.”
The PDC Annual Awards also welcomes into the Nine-Dart Club any player to achieve a nine-darter in a PDC event during the previous year, with televised perfect legs recognised with a gold pin badge and players who hit a non-televised nine-darter receiving a silver pin badge.
Watch full coverage of every night of the Premier League on Sky Sports, and stick with us through the year as we bring you the latest darts news on skysports.com/darts, our app for mobile devices and our Twitter account @skysportsdarts
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