Past Death Penalty Focus Honorees:

1996:

1996 Abolition Award: Rubin "Hurricane" Carter
1996 Abolition Award: Kiefer Sutherland
The Mario Cuomo Act of Courage Award: Gov. Mario Cuomo (Inaugural)

1997:

The Aline and Norman Felton Humanitarian Award: Chief Justice Rose Elizabeth Bird
1997 Abolition Award: Sean Penn
The Mario Cuomo Act of Courage Award: Rev. Jesse Jackson Sr.

1998:

1998 Abolition Award: Senator John Burton
The Mario Cuomo Act of Courage Award: Larry Fox (on behalf of the American Bar Association)
The Rose Elizabeth Bird Commitment to Justice Award: Steven Allen
The Aline and Norman Felton Humanitarian Award: Bud Welch

1999:

The Mario Cuomo Act of Courage Award: David Protess and Lawrence Marshall
The Aline and Norman Felton Humanitarian Award: Linda and Peter Biehl
The Rose Elizabeth Bird Commitment to Justice Award: Norman Jewison

2000:

2000 Abolition Award: Ossie Davis and Ruby Dee
The Aline and Norman Felton Humanitarian Award: Rabbi Leonard Beerman
The Mario Cuomo Act of Courage Award: Senator Russ Feingold
The Rose Elizabeth Bird Commitment to Justice Award: David E. Kelley and Robert Breech and the Cast of The Practice

2001:

The Aline and Norman Felton Humanitarian Award: Murder Victims' Families for Reconciliation
2001 Abolition Award: Cardinal Roger M. Mahony
The Mario Cuomo Act of Courage Award: Gov. George H. Ryan
The Rose Elizabeth Bird Commitment to Justice Award: Aaron Sorkin, Thomas Schlamme and the Cast of The West Wing

2002:

The Norman Felton and Denise Aubuchon Humanitarian Award: Rev. James Lawson
Justice and Media Award: Studs Terkel
The Mario Cuomo Act of Courage Award: Congresswomen Barbara Lee
The Rose Elizabeth Bird Commitment to Justice Award: StanleySheinbaum
2002 Abolition Award: Danny Glover

2003:

The Norman Felton and Denise Aubuchon Humanitarian Award: Patch Adams
Justice in Media and Arts Award: Jessica Blank and Erik Jensen
2003 Abolition Award: Ramona Ripston
The Mario Cuomo Acts of Courage Award: President of Mexico, Vicente Fox Quesada
The Rose Elizabeth Bird Commitment to Justice Award: Gov. George H. Ryan

2004:

The Norman Felton and Denise Aubuchon Humanitarian Award: Aqeela Sherrills
Justice in Media and Arts Award: Robert Wise
2004 Abolition Award: Bishop Gabino Zavala
The Mario Cuomo Acts of Courage Award: Harry Belafonte
The Rose Elizabeth Bird Commitment to Justice Award: First Lady Rosalynn Carter

2005:

The Norman Felton and Denise Aubuchon Humanitarian Award: Bishop Henry Williamson
Justice in Media and Arts Award: Bradley Whitford and Jane Kaczmarek
2005 Abolition Award: Senator Edward Kennedy
The Mario Cuomo Acts of Courage Award: Sister Helen Prejean
The Rose Elizabeth Bird Commitment to Justice Award: Andy and Deborah Rappaport

2006:

2006 Abolition Award: Barry Scheck
Justice in Media and the Arts Award: Carl Reiner
The Norman Felton and Denise Aubuchon Humanitarian Award: Rev. George Regas
The Mario Cuomo Acts of Courage Award: Dorothy Ehrlich
The Rose Elizabeth Bird Commitment to Justice Award:Vicki Riskin and David W. Rintels
Lifetime Achievement Award: Assemblyman Mervyn M. Dymally
Special Award to Activist Exonerees: Gloria Killian, Tom Goldstein and Greg Wilhoit
The Mike Farrell Human Rights Award: MikeFarrell (Inaugural)

2007:

The Norman Felton and Denise Aubuchon Humanitarian Award: Robert Greenwald
The Mike Farrell Human Rights Award: Senator George McGovern
The Rose Elizabeth Bird Commitment to Justice Award: Max Palevsky and Jodie Evans
Justice in the Arts: David E. Kelley
The Mario Cuomo Acts of Courage: Kamala D. Harris
2007 Abolition Award: Bishop Thomas J. Gumbleton

2008:

The Mike Farrell Human Rights Award: Sid Sheinberg
The Mario Cuomo Acts of Courage: Julian Bond
The Rose Elizabeth Bird Commitment to Justice Award: Sarah Timberman and Ed Redlich
Justice in the Arts: John Grisham
The Norman Felton and Denise Aubuchon Humanitarian Award: Azim Khamisa
2008 Abolition Award: New Jersey Governor Jon Corzine and New Jerseyans for Alternatives to the Death Penalty

2009:

The Mike Farrell Human Rights Award: New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson
The Mario Cuomo Acts of Courage Award: Jeanne Woodford
The Rose Elizabeth Bird Commitment to Justice Award: John Van de Kamp
Justice in the Arts Award: Nancy Miller
The Norman Felton and Denise Aubuchon Humanitarian Award: Bryan Stevenson
2009 Abolition Award: Nick McKeown

2010:

Justice in the Arts Award: Alec Baldwin
The Mario Cuomo Acts of Courage Award: Paul Haggis
The Rose Elizabeth Bird Commitment to Justice Award: Sherry & Leo Frumkin
The Norman Felton and Denise Aubuchon Humanitarian Award: Sister Suzanne Jabro, CSJ
2010 Abolition Award: Richard Dieter