European of the Year (Reader's Digest award)

• 1996: Roman Catholic Father Imre Kozma, chairman of the Hungarian Malteser Caritas-Service.
• 1997: Norwegian Frederic Hauge, founder of the environmental group Bellona.
• 1998: British Solo-Skipper Pete Goss, who saved his French friend Raphael Dinelli during a solo yachting competition.
• 1999: Danish Inge Genefke, for her commitment to the treatment and rehabilitation of torture victims.
• 2000: Paul van Buitenen, who uncovered mismanagement within the European Commission.
• 2001: Linus Benedict Torvalds, the inventor of Linux.
• 2002: Eva Joly, former Adjudicator in France.
• 2003: Šimon Pánek, founder of People in Need.
• 2004: German jurist Peter Eigen, founder of Transparency International.
• 2005: Russian doctor Leonid Roshal, who mediated in the Beslan school hostage crisis.
• 2006: Ayaan Hirsi Ali, for her support of Muslim females threatened by religious fanatics.
• 2007: Swiss Professor Ruedi Lüthy, for his support of African AIDS victims.
• 2008: French economist Maria Nowak, for her micro-credit program.
• 2009: German athlete Joachim Franz, for his global efforts against AIDS.
• 2010: Romanian Iana Matei, for her work to fight forced prostitution in Romania.
• 2011: Doctor Monika Hauser, for her work with sexual-assault victims in war zones.
• 2012: Bulgarian sailor Petar Petrov, who saved 500 people during the Costa Concordia disaster.
• 2013: Polish Director of Belsat TV, Agnieszka Romaszewska-Buzy, for providing a voice for Belarus.
• 2014: Swiss entrepreneur and politician Thomas Minder.
• 2015: Felix Finkbeiner Founder of the international children and youth initiative Plant-for-the-Planet, to mitigate effects of climate change.
• 2016: Laura Codruța Kövesi current chief prosecutor of Romania's National Anticorruption Directorate.
• 2017: Boyan Slat Dutch inventor, entrepreneur and founder of The Ocean Cleanup.
• 2018: Edit Schlaffer, founder and chairwoman of Women without Borders
• 2019: Óscar Camps, Sea Rescue and founder of Proactiva Open Arms
• 2020: Selina Juul, Danish Founder and Chairman of the Board of Stop Wasting Food movement.