Nineteen men have won the Mr. Olympia title. Sixty-one competitions, six decades, and a title that has only changed hands eighteen times since Joe Weider first displayed it in a Brooklyn theater.

Here are all the champions, plus the records, streaks, and nights that marked a turning point in this sport.

Every Mr. Olympia Winner, Year by Year

Most Titles

Haney and Coleman share the record with eight titles, and both achieved it consecutively. That’s the number against which all champions have been compared since, and no one has come close to fewer than seven.

Where the Champions Come From

Only eight of the nineteen champions have not been American: Sergio Oliva (Cuba), Arnold Schwarzenegger (Austria), Franco Columbu (Italy), Samir Bannout (Lebanon), Dorian Yates (England), Big Ramy (Egypt), Hadi Choopan (Iran), and Samson Dauda (United Kingdom).

However, the trend has shifted. Four of the last six champions were not American, a higher proportion than in the previous four decades combined.

The Contests That Mattered

1965 — the first one. It was held on September 18th at the Brooklyn Academy of Music in New York City. Joe Weider created it to give amateur winners of the Mr. Universe competition a place to continue competing and a way to earn money. Larry Scott won the first two editions and then retired.

1969 — Arnold’s only loss. Sergio Oliva beat Schwarzenegger four judges to three. Arnold never lost another Olympia.

1971 — a walkover. Schwarzenegger was the only competitor.

1975 — the film. Pumping Iron documented the build-up to this contest in Pretoria, South Africa, and launched the acting careers of Schwarzenegger, Lou Ferrigno and Franco Columbu. Arnold announced his retirement after winning.

1976 — the trophy arrives. The Sandow Trophy was awarded for the first time, named for Eugen Sandow, the father of modern bodybuilding.

1980 — the controversy.  Schwarzenegger returned from retirement as an unexpected, last-minute entrant and won his seventh title. Most competitors and observers felt he lacked the muscle mass and conditioning to beat Chris Dickerson or Mike Mentzer. Athletes threatened a boycott. Mentzer retired for good.

1990 — the only tested Olympia. Following the Anabolic Steroid Control Act, this remains the sole drug-tested Mr. Olympia. Haney won it.

1998 — the leap. Ronnie Coleman placed ninth in 1997. He returned a year later with a transformed physique and won the first of eight straight titles.

2006 — the changing of the guard. Jay Cutler beat Coleman after finishing second to him four years running.

2018 — the streak breaks. Shawn Rhoden ended Phil Heath’s run at seven.

Quirks Worth Knowing

The weight-class years.  Between 1974 and 1979, the competition was divided into heavyweight (over 200 pounds) and lightweight (under 200 pounds), and the two winners faced off in a final posing round to decide the overall champion.

The youngest competitor ever was Harold Poole, who was 21 at the first Olympia in 1965. He’s also the only man to compete in all three of the opening contests.

Sergio Oliva’s nickname was “The Myth.” At 5’10” and 240 lbs, he showed a level of mass and taper nobody had seen, and his overhead victory pose is still the sport’s most recognisable image.

Dorian Yates changed the standard. He paired more mass than anyone before him with what got called “granite hardness” — the combination every champion since has chased.

Derek Lunsford did something nobody else has. He won the 212 Olympia in 2021, then the Open in 2023 — the first man to take both titles.

The Modern Era Is Different

Look at the last six years and one thing stands out: the title keeps moving.

Curry, Big Ramy, Big Ramy, Choopan, Lunsford, Dauda, Lunsford. That’s five different champions in seven contests, and only one successful defence in the whole stretch.

Compare that with the eras that came before — Haney’s eight straight, Yates’ six straight, Coleman’s eight, Heath’s seven. From 1984 to 2017, four men held the title for 29 of 34 years.

Lunsford will try to break the pattern on September 26, 2026, at the Orleans Arena. Nobody has gone back-to-back since Big Ramy in 2021.

Quick Answers

Who has won the most Mr. Olympia titles? Lee Haney and Ronnie Coleman are tied at eight each; both won consecutively.

Who is the current Mr. Olympia? Derek Lunsford, who reclaimed the title in 2025 after Samson Dauda won in 2024.

How many Mr. Olympia champions have there been? Nineteen men have won the title across 61 contests since 1965.

Who was the first Mr. Olympia? Larry Scott, who won the inaugural contest in New York on 18 September 1965.

How many titles did Arnold Schwarzenegger win? Seven — six in a row from 1970 to 1975, then a controversial comeback win in 1980.

Has anyone beaten Arnold Schwarzenegger at the Olympia? Only Sergio Oliva, in 1969, by a four-to-three judging decision.

Champion records verified against contest archives and historical reporting. This page is updated after every Olympia — the 62nd edition takes place 24–27 September 2026 in Las Vegas.