Since the Fellowship was established, the following awards have been made:
- 1959 - Ian Cross
- 1960 - Maurice Duggan
- 1961 - F.A. John Caselberg
- 1962 - Ronald A.K. Mason
- 1963 - Maurice F.R. Shadbolt
- 1964 - Maurice Gee
- 1965 - Janet Frame
- 1966 & 1967 - James K. Baxter
- 1968 - Ruth M. Dallas
- 1969 - Warren A. Dibble, Hone Tuwhare
- 1970 - O. Edward Middleton
- 1971 - Noel H. Hilliard
- 1972 - Ian C. Wedde
- 1973 - Graham J. Billing
- 1974 - Hone Tuwhare
- 1975 - Witi Ihimaera, Sam Hunt
- 1977 - Roger L. Hall, Kerry A.L. Hulme
- 1978 - Roger L. Hall, Peter Olds
- 1979 - Michael A. Noonan
- 1980 - Philip Temple
- 1981 & 1982 - William S. Sewell
- 1983 - Rawiri Paratene
- 1984 - Brian L. Turner
- 1985 & 1986 - Cilla McQueen
- 1987 - Robert Lord
- 1988 - John Dickson
- 1989 - Renee
- 1990 - David Eggleton
- 1991 - Lynley Hood
- 1992 - Owen Marshall
- 1993 - Stuart Hoar
- 1994 - Christine Johnston
- 1995 - Elspeth Sandys
- 1996 - Bernadette Hall
- 1997 - Paddy Richardson
- 1998 - Michael King
- 1999 - Michael King, Paula Boock
- 2000 - James Norcliffe
- 2001 - Joanna Randerson
- 2002 - Alison Wong
- 2003 - Nick Ascroft, Sarah Quigley
- 2004 - Katherine Duignan
- 2005 - Catherine Chidgey
- 2006 - Catherine Chidgey, Dianne Pettis
- 2007 - Laurence Fearnley
- 2008 - Sue Wootton
- 2009 - Michael Harlow
- 2010 - Michele Powles
- 2011 - Fiona Farrell
- 2012 - Emma Neale
- 2013 - David Howard
- 2014 - Majella Cullinane
- 2015 - Louise Wallace
- 2016 - Victor Rodger
- 2017 - Craig Cliff
- 2018 - Rhian Gallagher
- 2019 - Emily Duncan
- 2020 - Dr John Newton
- 2021 - Becky Manawatu
- 2022 - Albert Belz
- 2023 - Kathryn van Beek