Charlton returned to the Championship after a three year absence, following a dramatic game at Wembley on Sunday.
Patrick Bauer netted the winner deep into stoppage time to turn the game on its head.
Sunderland took the lead in bizarre fashion after just five minutes. Naby Sarr played the ball back to Phillips from the edge of the area, but the keeper missed the ball completely with his kick.
And despite his frantic attempts to chase it down, the ball rolled agonisingly slowly over the line.
The Addicks levelled things up ten minutes before the interval, following a neat move down the right.
Lyle Taylor drove in one of his trademark low crosses. It just evaded Darren Pratley but Ben Purrington was on hand at the far post to notch his first goal in senior football.
Bauer scored his winner after having his initial header saved. The ball came back to the big German, who lashed it into the net with the help of a deflection.
Pratley for Albie Morgan was the only change to the team that faced Doncaster at The Valley last Friday.
Jason Pearce came on for Sarr at the beginning of the second-half, after the Frenchman picked up a 44th minute booking.
In truth, the game was nothing special, but it contained enough drama to send fans’ blood pressure through the roof.
To win promotion was an incredible achievement for Bowyer and his team. Charlton are now back at their natural level and have an interesting summer ahead of them.
But for now, they can bask in the glory of a Wembley victory, before heading off for a well deserved break.
Here are the boss’ post match thoughts:
”It was a crazy game wasn’t it? Nothing is straight forward with us.
“Obviously the mistake early on. I can’t say I’ve really ever seen that before, especially in a final. It shows the character of the players that were put together.
“I’ve been saying all season that we’ve got a unique group of players. I’ve said it so many times. They could have easily gone under there once we gave that goal away but they didn’t, they were brave and they were men.
“Once we settled down ourselves, I thought we were really nervy at the beginning, once we settled down and tried to pass the ball I thought we controlled big parts of the game,” said Bowyer, who added the achievement ranked with his success as a player: “
It’s up there, it has to be. I got a bit emotional walking out on the pitch. This football club gave me a chance as a kid coming through the youth ranks and then working my way into the first team.
“To come back to the football club that gave me a chance in playing and then to go and manage them and walk them out at Wembley is so special for me.
“To get the result we did, them players, all my staff and those fans, to see them smiling, because the club has been through some bad times.
“But to come together and see everyone together and buy into what I was asking for, what we have done is something special.”
Charlton: Phillips; Dijksteel, Bauer, Bielik, Sarr (Pearce 46), Purrington; Cullen, Pratley (Williams 71), Aribo; Parker, Taylor.
Subs (not used): Maxwell, Solly, Lapslie, Reeves, Forster-Caskey.
Goals: Purrington 35, Bauer 90.
Booked: Sarr 44 (foul).
Sunderland: McLaughlin; Flanaghan, Ozturk, O’Nien, Oviedo; Cattermole, Leadbitter, Power (Morgan 9), Maguire (Grigg 57), Honeyman; Wyke.
Subs (not used): Stryjek, Matthews, Gooch, McGeady, Dunne.
Goal: Sarr 5 (own goal).
Booked: Grigg 65 (foul ), O’Nien 73 (foul), Leadbitter 83 (foul), Flanagan 90 (foul).
Referee: Andy Madley (West Yorkshire).
Attn: 76,155.