Mr. Olympia 2026 Results, Final Prize Money, Highlights for Nick Walker and Top Stars

Nick Walker is your 2026 Mr. Olympia. The 32-year-old pro from New Jersey made a memorable run at the Olympia Open, a year after a disappointing sixth-place finish.

There were signs during the IFBB season that Walker could be making his way to the top. The relatively compact (5'7") competitor showed improved definition in his midsection while notching a second-place finish at the Arnold Classic and winning the Tampa Pro.

It quickly became clear during Friday's prejudging that bringing a new and refined look to the Olympia stage. Would it be enough to unseat the reigning champion, Derek Lunsford?

By late Saturday evening, fans had their answer.

2026 Mr. Olympia Open Results and Payout

1. Nick Wakler - $600,000
2. Samson Dauda - $200,000
3. Derek Lunsford - $100,000
4. Andrew Jacked - $40,000
5. Tonio Burton - $30,000
6. Michal Krizo
7. Regan Grimes
8. Behrouz Tabani
9. Brandon Curry
10. James Hollingshead

Recap, Highlights, and 2027 Prediction

Fans got an idea of who might have a shot at the finals during Friday night's prejudging.

The first callout of the night featured Andrew Jacked, Tonio Burton, Michal Krizanek, Samson Dauda, Lunsford, and Walker. Jacked, Dauda, Walker, and Lunsford made up the final callout.

With the field narrowed to 10 finalists by Saturday, each competitor got the opportunity to impress judges with a three-minute individual routine. It became even clearer than it was on Friday that there would be no obvious winner.

Lunsford was looking to defend his crown and win his third Sandow Trophy in four years. He provided the first bar that Walker needed to clear.

Walker also had to contend with Jacked, the 2026 Arnold Classic winner, and 2024 Mr. Olympia, Dauda. The latter immediately looked to be the bigger challenge, in the literal sense.

Dauda came in off a win at the 2026 Europa Pro in Germany. However, competing just two weeks before the Olympia raised questions about his ability to arrive in peak conditioning. Nevertheless, Dauda was in championship form and easily could have taken the top spot.

More than a few fans probably came away from Saturday night believing that Dauda deserved to claim his second Olympia title in three years. An argument could certainly be made that Dauda and Jacked overshadowed most of the other competitors with size alone.

Ultimately, though, career-best conditioning from Walker was enough to win the Open, along with a strong final stage performance.

Tonio Burton, who won this year's New York Pro, rounded out the top five.

Walker will undoubtedly enjoy his victory for some time, though he and the other top competitors are likely already devising their strategies for next season. He'll look to become the first back-to-back champion since Mamdouh Elssbiay hoisted the Sandow in 2020 and 2021.