Where available, click on the award recipient's name to watch their acceptance remarks.
| 2023 | Nina Ginsberg | Alexandria, VA |
| 2022 | E.G. Morris | Austin, TX |
| 2021 | Barry J. Pollack | Washington, DC |
| 2020 | Theodore Simon | Philadelphia, PA |
| 2019 | Christopher A. Wellborn | Rock Hill, SC |
| 2018 | Drew Findling | Atlanta, GA |
| 2017 | George H. Newman | Philadelphia, PA |
| 2016 | Rick Jones | New York, NY |
| 2015 | Peter Goldberger | Ardmore, PA |
| 2014 | Cynthia Eva Hujar Orr | San Antonio, TX |
| 2013 | Bonnie Hoffman | Lessburg, VA |
| 2012 | Vicki Young | Palo Alto, California |
| 2011 | William R. Gallagher | Cincinnati, OH |
| 2010 | Ellen S. Podgor | Gulfport, FL |
| 2009 | Martin S. Pinales | Cincinnati, OH |
| 2008 | Jeffrey L. Fisher | Stanford, CA |
| 2007 | Jim E. Lavine | Houston, TX |
| 2006 | Joshua Dratel | New York, NY |
| 2005 | Lisa M. Wayne | Denver, CO |
| 2004 | J. Cheney Mason | Orlando, FL |
| 2003 | James A. H. Bell | Knoxville, TN |
| 2002 | John Wesley Hall, Jr. | Little Rock, AR |
| 2001 | Carmen D. Hernandez | Washington, DC |
| 2000 | Barbara E. Bergman | Albuquerque, NM |
| 1999 | Irwin H. Schwartz | Seattle, WA |
| 1998 | Lawrence S. Goldman | New York, NY |
| 1997 | Bruce M. Lyons | Ft. Lauderdale, FL |
| 1996 | Barry C. Scheck | New York, NY |
| 1995 | Albert J. Krieger | Miami, FL |
| 1994 | Judy Clarke | Spokane, WA |
| 1993 | Gerald B. Lefcourt | New York, NY |
| 1992 | Barry Tarlow | Los Angeles, CA |
| 1991 | Gerald H. Goldstein | San Antonio, TX |
| 1990 | Michael Bender | Denver, CO |
| 1989 | Neal R. Sonnett | Miami, FL |
| 1988 | James M. Russ | Orlando, FL |
| 1987 | Nancy Hollander | Albuquerque, NM |
| 1986 | Dennis N. Balske | Portland, OR |
| 1985 | Jeffrey S. Weiner | Miami, FL |
| 1984 | Ephraim Margolin | San Francisco, CA |
| 1983 | Alan Ellis | Mill Valley, CA |
| 1982 | William L. Summers | Cleveland, OH |
| 1981 | Robert C. Heeney | Rockville, MD |
