| 2023 | James Brown |
| 2022 | Ryan Seacrest |
| 2021 | Gordon Smith |
| 2020 | Jim Henson |
| 2019 | Alan Alda |
| 2018 | Robin Roberts |
| 2017 | David Hartman and Joan Lunden |
| 2016 | Bob Woodruff |
| 2015 | Jerry Lewis |
| 2014 | Jorge Ramos |
| 2013 | Bob Schieffer |
| 2012 | The E.W. Scripps Company |
| 2011 | Eddie Fritts |
| 2010 | Michael J. Fox |
| 2009 | Mary Tyler Moore |
| 2008 | Charles Osgood |
| 2007 | David L. Wolper |
| 2006 | Tom Brokaw Peter Jennings Dan Rather |
| 2005 | Lowry Mays |
| 2004 | Oprah Winfrey |
| 2003 | Cokie Roberts |
| 2002 | Richard E. Wiley |
| 2001 | Catherine L. Hughes |
| 2000 | Frank Bennack |
| 1999 | The Cox Family |
| 1998 | James Dowdle |
| 1997 | Barbara Walters |
| 1996 | Charles Kuralt |
| 1995 | Stanley Hubbard |
| 1994 | James Quello |
| 1993 | Dick Clark |
| 1992 | Ronald Reagan |
| 1991 | Thomas Murphy |
| 1990 | William Smullin |
| 1989 | James Duffy |
| 1988 | Mark Fowler |
| 1987 | Martin Umansky |
| 1986 | Grant Tinker |
| 1985 | Wilson Wearn |
| 1984 | Elton Rule |
| 1983 | Vincent Wasilewski |
| 1982 | Walter Cronkite |
| 1981 | Arch Madsen |
| 1980 | Donald Thurston |
| 1979 | Jack Harris |
| 1978 | J. Leonard Reinsch |
| 1977 | Harold Krelstein |
| 1976 | Julian Goodman |
| 1975 | George Storer |
| 1974 | Richard Chapin |
| 1973 | Ward Quaal |
| 1972 | Billy Graham |
| 1971 | Neville Miller |
| 1970 | Rosel Hyde |
| 1969 | John Fetzer |
| 1968 | Lowell Thomas |
| 1967 | Chet Huntley David Brinkley |
| 1966 | Sol Taishoff |
| 1965 | Leonard Goldenson |
| 1964 | Donald McGannon |
| 1963 | Bob Hope |
| 1962 | Edward R. Murrow |
| 1961 | Justin Miller |
| 1960 | Clair McCollough |
| 1959 | Robert Sarnoff |
| 1958 | Frank Stanton |
| 1957 | Herbert Hoover |
| 1956 | Robert Kitner |
| 1955 | Mark Ethridge |
| 1954 | William Paley |
| 1953 | David Sarnoff |
