After two weeks of intense voting, the inaugural Darts Actueel Awards 2025 winners have been officially announced! This brand-new initiative celebrates the outstanding achievements of Dutch darts players and contributors throughout the past year. Gian van Veen was crowned Player of the Year, while Peter van den Broek (Manager), Jacques Nieuwlaat (Commentator), Gouwetéén-Hemeco (Team), Wesley Plaisier (Upset), and Milan Brinkman (Talent) also took home prestigious honors, recognizing their significant impact on the Dutch darts scene.
What Are the Darts Actueel Awards?
The Darts Actueel Awards represent a fresh and exciting endeavor by Darts Actueel, designed to acknowledge and honor Dutch darts players and key figures for their exceptional performances and contributions over the past year. This very first edition of the awards presented physical trophies across six distinct categories:
- Manager of the Year
- Commentator of the Year
- Team of the Year
- Upset of the Year
- Talent of the Year
- Player of the Year
The Road to the Awards: Voting and Announcement
The voting phase for the six Darts Actueel Awards categories commenced on Monday, January 5, 2026, at 5:00 PM, giving fans ample time to support their favorites. The polls officially closed on Wednesday, January 21, 2026, at 11:59 PM. Following a thorough tally of all votes, the highly anticipated winners were revealed on Saturday evening, January 24, 2026, through Darts Actueel’s social media channels.
Meet the Champions: Darts Actueel Awards 2025 Winners
Manager of the Year 2025: Peter van den Broek
The prestigious award for Manager of the Year 2025 was presented to Peter van den Broek of Oranjebar Management. His pivotal role in guiding Jimmy van Schie to the coveted Lakeside title was a significant factor in his victory. Van den Broek secured 34% of the votes, narrowly edging out Klaas Koobs of KKS Management, who finished with 30% in a tightly contested race.
Commentator of the Year 2025: Jacques Nieuwlaat
A true veteran of Dutch darts commentary, Jacques Nieuwlaat, affectionately known as ‘The Human Calculator,’ claimed the Commentator of the Year 2025 award. With over 25 years of experience in the field, Nieuwlaat has become an indispensable voice in Dutch darts. The public overwhelmingly recognized his outstanding contributions, granting him 34% of the votes, well ahead of ‘newcomers’ Guy Habets (16%) and Marco Meijer (15%).
Team of the Year 2025: Gouwetéén-Hemeco
The title of Team of the Year 2025 went to Gouwetéén-Hemeco from Aalsmeer, the champions of the top division of the Dutch SuperLeague in the 2024/2025 season. This formidable team, featuring prominent players such as Wessel Nijman, Niels Zonneveld, Kim Huybrechts, and Jimmy Hendriks, demonstrated remarkable dominance by losing only one of their eighteen matches at the highest level of Dutch competition. Despite a challenging start to the new season, the Dutch darts community agreed that this award was fully deserved, with the team securing a commanding 41% of the votes, leaving teams like Oranjebar 1 / Oranjebar Lions and Goudenregenbar far behind.
Upset of the Year 2025: Wesley Plaisier
Dutch darting sensation Wesley Plaisier was honored with the Upset of the Year 2025 award, thanks to his sensational performance in the second round of the PDC World Championship. Plaisier stunned the darts world by convincingly defeating then-world number 9, Gerwyn Price, with a remarkable 3-0 victory in sets. This stunning result was highly praised by the Dutch darts public, who awarded him 34% of the votes. The competition remained fierce until the end, with Plaisier surprisingly surpassing Klaas Buijsman and Koen den Hartog, who were the winners of the Dutch Open doubles title (26%).
Talent of the Year 2025: Milan Brinkman
In a surprising turn, the award for Talent of the Year 2025 was bestowed upon the 17-year-old Milan Brinkman. This young Dutchman showcased immense promise throughout the year, notably winning the youth tournament at the WDF Egypt Open in December 2025 and securing his first NDB Ranking title early in the year (February 2025), which placed him in the top 10 of the junior rankings. These achievements proved sufficient to earn him this prestigious award with 22% of the votes, surprisingly ahead of Bradley van der Velden (18%), the junior winner of the Dutch Open Darts, and Kendji Steinbach (14%), the Dutch ranking champion and World Cup Mixed Pairs champion.
Player of the Year 2025: Gian van Veen
The coveted Player of the Year 2025 award, with a decisive margin, went to Gian van Veen, officially crowning him as the best Dutch darts player of 2025. The 23-year-old Dutchman achieved a significant milestone in October by winning his first-ever televised tournament, the European Championship. In his third appearance at the PDC World Championship, he made history as only the third Dutchman to reach the final, following impressive victories over major names like Luke Humphries and Gary Anderson. Although he ultimately faced a formidable challenge against world number one Luke Littler in the final, 2025 marked an undeniable breakthrough year for ‘The Giant.’ His incredible rise to third place in the world rankings also earned him a well-deserved debut in the Premier League. Van Veen dominated the voting with an overwhelming 61%, with Lerena Rietbergen (11%) and Jimmy van Schie (9%) completing the ‘virtual’ podium.
Source: Based on an article from Darts Actueel.
