| Year | Nat. | Winner | Sport | Rationale | Note |
| 1999 | | | Horse racing | for "one of national hunt's greatest trainers" who retired earlier in 1999 after suffering from cancer. | |
| 2000 | | | Athletics | for winning "gold in the 100 m, 200 m, 400 m and 800 m events" at the 2000 Summer Paralympics. | |
| 2001 | | | Sailing | for her courage in becoming fastest woman to circumnavigate the globe. | |
| 2002 | | | — | for completing "the London Marathon, a triathlon and the Great North Run" and raising money for Cancer Research, after being diagnosed with breast cancer. | |
| 2003 | | | Boxing | for completing the London Marathon and "raising millions of pounds for the Brain and Spine Foundation", despite being told previously that "he would never walk again". | |
| 2004 | | | — | for raising money for poorly children in Francis House hospice through Kirsty's Appeal, despite having an inoperable heart condition. | |
| 2005 | | | Football | for raising "more than £150,000 for the Leukaemia Research charity" by cycling, following his own battle with the disease. | |
| 2006 | | | Snooker | awarded posthumously "in recognition of his bravery and determination to continue playing while trying to beat ." | |
| 2007 | | | Athletics | for his fight to be allowed to "race in both the Olympics and the Paralympics" in 2008. | |
| 2008 | | | Cricket, Rugby union | for fundraising and raising awareness of multiple sclerosis since being diagnosed with the disease in 1999. | |
| 2009 | | Major | — | for fundraising over £1.2 million for the Help for Heroes charity, despite being paraplegic since sustaining injuries in the Iraq War. | |
| 2010 | | | Formula One | for founding the Williams Formula One team which has so far won nine constructors' titles and seven drivers' championships despite himself suffering an accident in 1986 in which he sustained a severe spinal cord injury. | |
| 2011 | | | Horse racing | for beating cancer then winning the 1981 Grand National on Aldaniti, then raising money for The Bob Champion Cancer Trust. | |
| 2012 | | | Sitting volleyball | for achieving selection for GB Sitting Volleyball team at the 2012 Summer Paralympics, having been "the most seriously injured person to survive" the 7/7 bombings the day after London was announced as host of those Games. | |
| 2013 | | Anne Williams | — | awarded posthumously for campaigning for justice for Hillsborough victims. | |
| 2014 | 14 countries | Invictus Games Competitors | Disability sport | awarded for central contribution to the success of inaugural multi-sport event for injured military | |
| 2015 | | Bailey Matthews | Triathlon | 8 year old Bailey, who has cerebral palsy, completed his first triathlon earlier in the year, throwing away his walking frame to complete the last 20 yards of the final running event on his own | |
| 2016 | | Ben Smith | Running | for running 401 marathons in 401 days in order to raise funds and awareness for two anti bullying charities, Kidscape and Stonewall, inspiring thousands of people along the way including school children to whom he spoke and people who ran with him. | |
| 2017 | | Bradley Lowery | — | awarded posthumously, accepted by the Lowery family. | |
| 2018 | | Billy Monger | Motorsport | For returning to racing after a double leg amputation following a crash. | |
| 2019 | | Doddie Weir | Rugby union | For raising awareness of motor neurone disease through his charitable foundation. | |
