Past Recipients of the James Madison Award
- 2017: Sen. Jon Tester, U.S. Senator from Montana
- 2016: Seamus Kraft, OpenGov Foundation Executive Director and Co-founder
- 2015: Sen. John Cornyn
- 2014: President Barack Obama's Review Group on Intelligence & Communications Technologies
- 2013: Aaron Swartz
- 2012: Rep. Zoe Lofgren
- 2011: Patrice McDermott
- 2010: Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington
- 2009: Meredith Fuchs & Thomas M. Susman
- 2008: Russ Feingold
- 2007: Paul K. McMasters
- 2006: Steve Aftergood
- 2005: Richard M. Schmidt
- 2004: David Sobel
- 2003: Government of Arlington County & Steve Horn
- 2002: John E. Moss & Steven Garfinkel
- 2001: John D. Podesta
- 2000: Larry Irving, Former Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Communications & Information
- 1999: President John F. Kennedy Assassination Records Review Board & Congressional Sponsors
- 1998: Wayne P. Kelley, Eliot Christian, Ben Bagdikian
- 1997: George Soros
- 1996: The National Information Infrastructure Advisory Council
- 1995: Internet Multicasting Service's Town Hall Project, Sailor Project, The Government Printing Office, Seattle (WA) Public Library
- 1994: Eileen D. Cooke & Hazel O'Leary
- 1993: Legislators who led the passage of P.L. 103-40, the GPO Access Act
- 1992: Nina Totenberg, Scott Armstrong, and Brian Lamb
- 1991: Rep. Don Edwards
- 1990: Office of Toxic Substances, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Rep. Henry Waxman, Philip Shabecoff, and Sen. Frank Lautenberg
- 1989: Sen. Patrick Leahy
