INDEX
Introduction Recording the NABBA Universe, first on film and then on video, has been an important part of my life for the last 32 years. It all started for me back in 1970 at the NABBA Universe when Arnold won the Pro title and Frank Zane won the Amateur Universe.
It is with great pleasure that we publish a list of all the overall winners in all categories on our site.
I did some research, with endlessly checking for the correct spelling of names to arrive at the final lists. NABBA Historian Malcolm Whyatt gave me considerable help and prepared a synopsis which he has kindly allowed me to use.
He traces the brief history of NABBA and the Mr. & Miss Universe competitions from John Grimek in 1948 up to the present. It reads like a Who’s Who of Bodybuilding. We have on video most Universe events from 1970 to the present. In recent years we have also produced Universe Pump Room videos.
Oscar Heidenstam Foundation 2003 Awards Dinner Malcolm was also a founder member of the Oscar Heidenstam Foundation Hall of Fame with their awards dinner held in March each year.
The next big event is in Slough, England on 22nd March 2003.
This will be the 12th year of the event and the honourees are as follows: | Mickey Hargitay - USA | The Hall of Fame Award | | Joe Weider - USA | The Outstanding Services to Physical Culture Award | | Bob Kennedy - Canada | The Ambassador Award | | Joan Rhodes - England | The Special Recognition Award | | William P. Young - England | The Dr. Tom Temperley Award |
The recipient of the Gymnastics Award will be announced shortly.
GMV has videos available from all 11 previous award years. TOP ^
News Release: A Memorial Bronze Plaque to Oscar Heidenstam Malcolm also sent me the following news release about Oscar Heidenstam. Many of you may not know that Oscar ran the NABBA Universe for years and was the driving force behind it.
A Memorial Bronze Plaque to Oscar Heidenstam
We are proud to announce that a permanent memorial to Oscar is now in place “on a sunny wall” in the Putney Vale Chapel , Stage Lane, Putney, Nr. Fulham, London, England.
The plaque reads: Oscar F. J. G. Heidenstam
27/2/1911 – 21/3/1991
who served his fellow man
as
The greatest pioneer of Physical Culture in Britain
Oscar’s funeral took place at Putney Vale which is the resting place of many famous people and not least, Eugen Sandow. The chapel is open 365 days per year.
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A Synopsis of the History of the NABBA Mr. and Miss Universe Contests
by Malcolm Whyatt D.Phy., M.A.I.C. NABBA Historian From Malcolm Whyatt's forthcoming book "Physical Culture - A Body to be Proud Of".
You can contact Malcolm at 12 Nimrod Drive, Hereford, Herefordshire HR1 1UG England.
Tel & Fax (01432) 358 339 Tel & Fax Int. +44 1432 358 339 | Year | Event | | 1898 | The Health & Strength magazine (H&S) is the oldest and regularly published physical culture magazine in the world. | | 1906 | H&S founded the Health & Strength League. | | 1930 | H&S founded the Mr & Miss Britain Contests and, up to 1947, these were known as Physical Excellence Contests. They were organised by H&S and staged by its Health & Strength League. | | 1937 | H&S started to send British bodybuilders to compete in the Mr. 'Europe' & Mr. 'World'; ie: Plus Bel Athlete du Europe & Plus Bel Athlete du Monde. These contests were staged in France, by the Federation International du Culture Physique Athletique et Sportive (F.I.C.P.A.S), founded in 1934. Oscar Heidenstam was the first British bodybuilder ever to compete in these contests. | | 1938 | Oscar won the Mr Britain. | | 1939 | Oscar won the 'Mr Europe', the first British bodybuilder ever to win. Commissioned by the Daily Mirror (national newspaper) to write about physical fitness, he highlighted the benefits of bodybuilding. From this, Oscar became famous and later, world famous and synonymous with NABBA and its contests. | | 1947 | The first ever Mr. Universe contest was staged in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, an was won by Steve Stanko. With the forthcoming 1948 Olympic Games (London) in mind, Health & Strength decided to stage 'The First British Empire Weightlifting Championships' and the 'First Mr. Universe Contest' in U.K.. The front cover of the programme featured Steve Stanko. David G. Johnson (editor of Health & Strength), sought the opinions of Laurie Webb (secretary of the Healthy & Strength League), Oscar State (secretary of the B.A.W.L.A. - British Amateur Weightlifting Association), George Greenwood (H&S 'Bodybuilding Advisor' and master photographer), Bob Woolger, Oscar Heidenstam and other notable personalities. Oscar Heidenstam was, at the time, a Captain in the APTC and was serving in the Middle East. His advice was sought throughout. | | 1948 | The first UK Amateur Mr Universe was won by John C. Grimek. The contest was held on Friday, August 13th at the Scala Theatre in London, as a salute to the 1948 Olympic Games in London. Health & Strength sponsored both contests (the Weightlifting and the Universe). The proceeds were donated to the B.A.W.L.A. Olympic Fund. Permission to stage this Mr Universe for Amateurs only was given by the then ruling body, The Federation International Halterophile et Culturists (FHIC). | | 1949 | In early 1949, following the success of the 1948 Universe contest and recognising the popularity of the Health & Strength League and the ever increasing number of physical culturists in Great Britain; Health & Strength decided that a new self-contained associated would be an advantage in representing the interests of 'bodybuilders'. In May 1949, the new association (Body-Builders Association Ltd.) was founded and a separate company formed. The National Amateur Bodybuilding Association Ltd., under the auspices of the H&S League was officially announced on June 2nd, 1949. This was simply known as NABBA. NABBA's Headquarters was an office within the Health & Strength Publishing Company Ltd. The address was: Link House, 24 Store Street, London, WC1. H&S decided that NABBA should be governed by five permanent executive members. These were: - David G. Johnson - Editor of H&S'
- Laurie Webb, H&S League Secretary and organiser
- George Greenwood, H&S Technical Adviser
- John Mendes, H&S Assistant Editor
- Gregory Burt, Link House Publications
Oscar Heidenstam was, by this time, a Major in the APTC and still serving in the Middle East. Again, his advice was sought throughout. He became an employee of H&S in 1953 and, in 1956, was appointed Secretary of NABBA. He held this post and many others until he died on the 21st of March, 1991. He served as President of NABBA from 1980 - 1986. H&S decided to elect four honorary members for one year (1950 - 1951). These were: - Bob Woolger (South Britain)
- Bert Loveday (North Britain)
- Emlyn Jenkins (Wales)
- John McRobbie (Scotland)
Annual NABBA Membership fees were set at 25 pence. By the time of the first Annual General Meeting held on Sunday, October 30th, 1949, there were more than 500 members. No Universe contest was held in 1949. | | 1950 | January 1st - NABBA was officially launched Ken Webster was the first NABBA Secretary. NABBA's first contest was held in Scotland on January 18th, where Ian Clark of Helensburgh was the first NABBA member to win a NABBA award. June 24th - NABBA held its FIRST MR UNIVERSE CONTEST at the Scala Theatre in London. The FIRST winner of the NABBA Mr. Universe was Steve Reeves, who defeated Reg Park. |
TOP ^ NABBA Universe Roll of Honour NABBA Pro-Am Mr Universe This category was introduced in 1999 for Amateur and Professional competitors. | Year | Winner | | 1999 | Eddy Ellwood, England | | 2000 | Eddy Ellwood, England | | 2001 | Eddy Ellwood, England | | 2002 | Gary Lister, England | | Notes: | In 1999, the judging of this category was between the professional winner and the winner of Amateur Class 1-2-3-4.
| | In 2000, between the professional winner and runner-up and the winners of Amateur Class 1-2-3-4.
| | In 2001, between the professional winner, the runner-up and 3rd place competitor and the winners of Amateur Class 1-2-3-4.
| | In 2002, between the 8 professionals and the Overall Amateur Mr Universe winner. | The NABBA Masters Mr Universe (Over 40 years old) This category was introduced in 1991 open to both Amateurs and Professionals. It is judged as one height class. | Year | Winner | Class | | 1991 | Graeme Lancefield, Australia | | | 1992 | Roy Duval, England | Professional | | 1993 | Bernard Bryan, England | | | 1994 | John Citrone, England | Professional | | 1995 | John Citrone, England | Professional | | 1996 | Walter Engelskircher, Germany | | | 1997 | John Citrone, England | Professional | | 1998 | John Citrone, England | Professional | | 1999 | Peter Andreas, Germany | | | 2000 | Carl Rung, England | | | 2001 | Terry Fisher, England | Professional | | 2002 | Rob Van Der Dussen, Holland | | The NABBA Masters Mr Universe (Over 50 years old) This category was introduced in 2002 open to both Amateurs and Professionals. It is judged as one height class. The first winner was Ian Lawrence of Scotland. The NABBA Junior Mr Universe (Under 21 years old) 1985 - 1987 Qualifier NABBA introduced a Junior Universe category in 1985. This was staged as part of the NABBA Universe contests. Judged as one height class for six UK competitors only, it was a qualifier for the NABBA International Mr World contests. The winners of these qualifiers were: | Year | Winner | | 1985 | Tony Francis, Scotland | | 1986 | Andy Hornby, England | | 1987 | Steve Avery, England | 1988 to Present NABBA staged its first NABBA Junior Mr Universe as an International Contest in 1988. This is Judged as one height class and forms part of the NABBA Universe contests. The contest was discontinued between the years 1990 and 1999, but resumed in 2000. | Year | Winner | | 1988 | Ian Harrison, England | | 1989 | Michael Melksham, Australia | | 2000 | Stuart Craig Core, England | | 2001 | David Dahan, France | | 2002 | Eduardo Correa, Brazil | |
