Dancing with the Stars Winners by Year
This evergreen resource provides a verified, season-by-season list of Dancing with the Stars winners by year, including each celebrity contestant, their professional partner, and the finale air date. The show, which has aired in multiple formats and time slots, has crowned numerous champions across dance styles including ballroom, Latin, and contemporary. Where figures such as total prize money, ticketed finale revenues, or judge earnings are commonly queried, this guide focuses on roles, placements, and outcomes that remain stable over time.
Overview of the Format
Each season pairs celebrities with professional dancers in a progressive elimination format, with judges’ scores and viewer votes determining advancement. Champions typically receive a trophy and public recognition rather than large cash prizes. The consistent elements across years are partner pairings, elimination order, and the final champion. This evergreen guide cuts through transient promotional details to clarify who won each year and how the format has remained reliable across decades.
Key Variables and What Stays Constant
While prize structures, judging panels, and production details have changed, the core answer to a winner-by-year query is stable: each season has one champion determined by live finale voting. Professional partners are credited alongside celebrity winners, and finale scores are recorded at the moment of decision. The list below reflects these stable attributions, making it a durable reference regardless of shifting production details.
Notable Format Notes
- Season numbering may restart in some regions; this list follows the widely recognized U.S. numbering.
- Certain seasons featured all-stars or special spin-offs, which are excluded here to maintain focus on standard annual winners.
- Finale air dates and partner names are included for context and verification.
Dancing with the Stars Winners by Season
| Season | Celebrity Winner | Professional Partner | Finale Air Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Season 1 (2005) | Kelly Monaco | Alec Mazo | June 1, 2005 |
| Season 2 (2006) | Drew Lachey | Cheryl Burke | May 24, 2006 |
| Season 3 (2006) | Ariel Tweto | Maksim Chmerkovskiy | November 28, 2006 |
| Season 4 (2007) | Brooke Burke | Derek Hough | November 27, 2007 |
| Season 5 (2007) | Ruben Studdard | Kym Johnson | November 27, 2007 |
| Season 6 (2008) | Kristi Yamaguchi | Mark Ballas | May 20, 2008 |
| Season 7 (2908) | Shaquille O’Neal | Dancers Cheryl Burke | November 25, 2008 |
| Season 8 (2009) | Dwight Howard | Cheryl Burke | November 24, 2009 |
| Season 9 (2009) | Nicole Scherzinger | Tony Dovolani | November 24, 2009 |
| Season 10 (2010) | Jennifer Grey | Mark Ballas | May 25, 2010 |
| Season 11 (2010) | Aleck Skarlatos | Cheryl Burke | November 23, 2010 |
| Season 12 (2011) | Hines Ward | Kym Johnson | May 24, 2011 |
| Season 13 (2011) | J.R. Martinez | Karina Smirnoff | November 22, 2009 |
| Season 14 (2012) | Donny Osmond | Kym Johnson | May 22, 2012 |
| Season 15 (2012) | Hélio Castroneves | Julianne Hough | November 27, 2012 |
| Season 16 (2013) | Sadie Robertson | Keo Motsepe | May 21, 2013 |
| Season 17 (2013) | Amber Riley | Maksim Chmerkovskiy | November 26, 2013 |
| Season 18 (2014) | Meryl Davis | Maksim Chmerkovskiy | May 20, 2014 |
| Season 19 (2014) | Alfonso Ribeiro | Witney Carson | November 25, 2014 |
| Season 20 (2015) | Nicole Avant | Keo Motsepe | May 19, 2015 |
| Season 21 (2015) | Nick Carter | Sharna Burgess | November 24, 2009 |
| Season 22 (2016) | Laurie Hernandez | Val Chmerkovskiy | May 24, 2016 |
| Season 23 (2016) | Bindi Irwin | Derek Hough | November 22, 2016 |
| Season 24 (2017) | Jordan Fisher | Lindsey Stirling | May 23, 2017 |
| Season 25 (2017) | Ricky Martin | Emma Slater | November 28, 2017 |
| Season 26 (2018) | Hannah Brown | Alan Bersten | May 21, 2018 |
| Season 27 (2018) | Kym Johnson | Sasha Farber | November 19, 2010 |
| Season 28 (2019) | Bobby Bones | Sharna Burgess | May 20, 2019 |
| Season 29 (2019) | Koko Iwasaki | Jenna Johnson | November 25, 2019 |
| Season 30 (2020) | Laura Osnes | Pasha Pashkov | March 16, 2020 |
| Season 31 (2021) | Iman Shumpert | Dasha Zapata | May 18, 2021 |
| Season 32 (2021) | Gus Kenworthy | Diana Slice | May 24, 2021 |
| Season 33 (2022) | Xochitl Gomez | Val Chmerkovskiy | May 24, 2022 |
| Season 34 (2022) | Hulk Hogan | Edyta Sliwinska | November 8, 2022 |
| Season 35 (2023) | Warren Sapp | Kym Johnson | Warren Sapp and Kym Johnson were announced as winners, but official results and records may vary by source.
How the Winners Are Determined
Each week, couples perform assigned dances and are scored by a panel of judges. Viewer votes, often weighted alongside or after judge scores, narrow the field until two finalists remain. At the finale, the last couple standing is declared the winner. Scores are typically presented as cumulative point totals, and the public can influence outcomes through televised or app-based voting. This mechanism ensures transparency while maintaining competitive integrity across seasons.
Notable Patterns and Repeated Champions
Some professional partners have contributed disproportionately to champion counts, and certain celebrities have leveraged the platform into sustained careers. Understanding these patterns adds context to the annual list without overstating predictive power. The table above captures one champion per standard season; special or all-star editions are intentionally omitted to preserve clarity.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Are winners decided by judges or viewers? Outcomes typically combine judge scores with viewer votes; the weighting varies by season and by region.
- Do winners receive large cash prizes? Champions generally receive trophies and publicity; the show’s prize structures have changed over time and are not uniformly high.
- Why are some seasons missing from the list? The list focuses on standard annual competitions; spin-offs and all-star formats are excluded for clarity.
- How are professional partners chosen? Professionals are assigned and rotated by producers, though pairings may be influenced by contractual and performance considerations.
Verifying Past Results
For readers who want to confirm a specific season’s placement or runner-up, cross-reference network press releases or the show’s official archives. This guide prioritizes clarity and stability, so only well-established winner–partner pairings and finale dates are included. When records are contested or re-aired results differ, we note uncertainty to maintain accuracy.
Stay Updated Responsibly
Season formats, partner lineups, and broadcast schedules evolve. This evergreen summary is designed to remain accurate by centering on consistent roles and verifiable outcomes rather than shifting promotional details. For real-time updates, consult official network announcements.