Nick Walker is officially Mr. Olympia.
After years of chasing bodybuilding’s biggest prize, Walker finally reached the summit in Las Vegas, winning the 2026 Mr. Olympia title and lifting the Sandow Trophy for the first time in his career.
It completed a remarkable turnaround for Walker, who had finished sixth just one year earlier.
And while a new champion was being crowned in the Men’s Open division, Andrea Shaw continued a reign that nobody has been able to stop since the return of Ms. Olympia.
Shaw claimed an incredible seventh consecutive title, moving past six-time champion Cory Everson and further establishing herself among the most successful Olympia competitors of all time.
The 62nd edition of the Olympia took place in Las Vegas from September 24 to 27, with the Men’s Open finals closing out the weekend at the Orleans Arena on September 26.
Walker arrived following victory at the Tampa Pro and with a point to prove after his sixth-place Olympia finish the previous year.
The competition around him was formidable.
Derek Lunsford entered as the defending and two-time Mr. Olympia champion, while 2024 champion Samson Dauda had recently won the Europa Pro on September 13. Andrew Jacked was also carrying serious momentum after finishing third the previous year and subsequently winning the Romania Pro, Arnold Classic and Arnold Classic UK.
Hadi Choopan, who had finished runner-up in 2025, withdrew in August.
Once the finalists hit the stage, Walker made his opportunity count.
The leading contenders were put through their mandatory poses before the posedown, with Walker ultimately emerging as the judges’ choice to take bodybuilding’s most prestigious title.
He finished ahead of Dauda, who secured second place, while defending champion Lunsford dropped to third.
Andrew Jacked took fourth and Tonio Burton completed the top five.
Walker collected a huge $600,000 for his victory, while Dauda received $200,000 and Lunsford earned $100,000.
Jacked and Burton received $40,000 and $30,000 respectively.
The rest of the top 10 featured Michal Krizo in sixth, Regan Grimes in seventh, Behrooz Tabani Abarghani in eighth, Brandon Curry in ninth and James Hollingshead in tenth.
| Place | Athlete | Prize Money |
|---|---|---|
| 1st | Nick Walker | $600,000 |
| 2nd | Samson Dauda | $200,000 |
| 3rd | Derek Lunsford | $100,000 |
| 4th | Andrew Jacked | $40,000 |
| 5th | Tonio Burton | $30,000 |
| 6th | Michal Krizo | — |
| 7th | Regan Grimes | — |
| 8th | Behrooz Tabani Abarghani | — |
| 9th | Brandon Curry | — |
| 10th | James Hollingshead | — |
But Walker didn’t leave Las Vegas with only the Sandow.
He was also named the 2026 Olympia People’s Champion, meaning the biggest weekend of his bodybuilding career came with recognition from both the judges and the fans.
From sixth place in 2025 to first place and $600,000 in 2026, Walker had completed his climb to the top.
While the Men’s Open division produced a new champion, the story in Ms. Olympia could hardly have been more different.
Andrea Shaw simply kept winning.
The 42-year-old captured her seventh consecutive Ms. Olympia championship on September 25, maintaining an extraordinary undefeated run that stretches all the way back to the division’s return in 2020.
Ms. Olympia had been on hiatus between 2015 and 2019.
Since its comeback, every single edition has ended with Shaw as champion.
Her latest victory earned her another $50,000 and also pushed her beyond one of the biggest names in the history of the competition.
Shaw entered the weekend level with Cory Everson on six Ms. Olympia championships. Title number seven moved her clear into outright third on the all-time list.
| Place | Athlete | Prize Money |
|---|---|---|
| 1st | Andrea Shaw | $50,000 |
| 2nd | Ashley Lynnette Jones | $20,000 |
| 3rd | Leyvina Rodrigues Barros | $12,000 |
| 4th | Paula Ranta | $7,000 |
| 5th | Meghan Morrison | $6,000 |
| 6th | Alida Opre | — |
| 7th | Desunka Dawson | — |
| 8th | Nadia Capotosto | — |
| 9th | Barbara De Freitas Moojen | — |
| 10th | Martina Lopez | — |
Only Iris Kyle, with 10 titles, and Lenda Murray, with eight, have now won more.
Ashley Lynnette Jones finished runner-up to Shaw for the second consecutive year and collected $20,000, while Leyvina Rodrigues Barros claimed third place and $12,000.
Paula Ranta took fourth and $7,000, with Meghan Morrison rounding out the top five and receiving $6,000.
Alida Opre finished sixth, Desunka Dawson seventh, Nadia Capotosto eighth, Barbara De Freitas Moojen ninth and Martina Lopez tenth.
Shaw’s seven championships have all arrived consecutively, leaving her with an uninterrupted grip on the title since 2020.
Only Kyle has produced a longer winning streak in Ms. Olympia history, having won nine consecutive championships before the competition was cancelled after 2014.
The wider 2026 Olympia weekend delivered plenty of movement elsewhere, too.
Keone Pearson secured a fourth consecutive 212 Olympia title, while Ryan Terry won his fourth straight Men’s Physique championship, matching Jeremy Buendia’s division record.
There were also six first-time Olympia champions across the event, including Shealynn Burnett, who became the inaugural Fit Model champion.
Featured image credit: Instagram/MrOlympia (screenshots)
