1996 Awards Dinner:

1996 Abolition Award: Rubin “Hurricane” Carter

1996 Abolition Award: Kiefer Sutherland

The Mario Cuomo Act of Courage Award: Gov. Mario Cuomo (Inaugural)

1997 Awards Dinner:

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 Awards Dinner:

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 Awards Dinner:

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 Awards Dinner:

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 Awards Dinner:

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 Awards Dinner:

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: Stanley Sheinbaum

2002 Abolition Award: Danny Glover

2003 Awards Dinner:

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 Awards Dinner:

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 Awards Dinner:

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 Awards Dinner:

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: Mike Farrell (Inaugural)

2007 Awards Dinner:

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 Awards Dinner:

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

Special Recognition for Outstanding Achievement on behalf of Social Justice: Melody Ermachild, Henry Weinstein, and Dr. Arthur Zitrin

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 Awards Dinner:

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 Awards Dinner:

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

2011 Awards Dinner:

Justice in the Arts Award: Hilary Swank

The Mario Cuomo Acts of Courage Award: Lance Lindsey

The Rose Elizabeth Bird Commitment to Justice Award: Thomas Schlamme

The Norman Felton and Denise Aubuchon Humanitarian Award: The Sisters of St. Joseph of Orange

Abolition Award: Death Penalty Clinic at University of California, Berkeley, School of Law (Elisabeth Semel & Ty Alper)

Human Rights Award: Stephen Bright

Courageous Leadership Award: The Honorable Pat Quinn, Governor of Illinois

2012 Awards Dinner:

Justice in the Arts Award: MC Hammer

The Rose Elizabeth Bird Commitment to Justice Award: Denise Foderaro Quattrone

The Norman Felton and Denise Abuchon Humanitarian Award: Father Gregory Boyle

The 2012 Abolition Award: The West Memphis 3: Jason Baldwin, Damien Echols, Jessie Misskelley

The 2012 Abolition Award: The West Memphis 3 Defense Team: Patrick Benca, Stephen Braga, Michael Burt, Blake Hendrix, Donald Horgan, John Phillipsborn, Dennis Riordan, Jeff Rosenzweig, Deborah Sallings, Lonnie Soury and Lorri Davis, leader of the movement to free the West Memphis 3

2013 Awards Dinner:

Human Rights Award: Norman Felton (posthumously)

The Norman Felton and Denise Abuchon Humanitarian Award: Javier Stauring

The 2013 Abolition Award: Proposition 34 Leaders, represented by: Natasha Minsker, Obie Anthony, Arnold & Porter, LLP/ Steven L. Mayer, Ron Briggs, California Catholic Conference, Franky Carrillo, Gil Garcetti, Miriam Gerace, Donald Heller, Paula Mitchell, SEIU Local 721, Steve Smith, Bethany Webb

Justice in the Arts Award: James Cromwell

2014 Awards Dinner:

Mario Cuomo Acts of Courage Award: The Honorable Martin O’Malley, Governor of Maryland

Human Rights Award: Juan E. Mendez, United Nations Special Rapporteur on Torture

Lifetime Achievement Award: Michael Millman, Executive Director of the California Appellate Project

Justice in the Arts Award: Peter Sarsgaard and Veena Sud, on behalf of The Cast and Crew of “The Killing”

2015 Awards Dinner:

Justice in the Media Award: Alex Gibney, Bred Hebert, Laura Michalchyshyn on behalf of Death Row Stories

2015 Abolition Award: Dale Baich, Assistant Federal Public Defender

Lifetime Achievement Award: Rabbi Leonard Beerman

The Rose Elizabeth Bird Commitment to Justice Award: Death row exonerees Kwame Ajamu, Wiley Bridgeman, and Ricky Jackson along with their attorneys Terry Gilbert, Mark Godsey, Brian Howe and David Mills.

2016 Awards Dinner:

2016 Abolition Award: Sir Richard Branson / Presented by Van Jones

Norman Felton and Denise Abuchon Humanitarian Award: Dolores Huerta

Justice in the Arts and Media: Jackson Browne / Presented by Joan Baez

2017 Awards Dinner

2017 Abolition Award: Senator Bernie Sanders / Presented by: Jane Sanders

Mario Cuomo Acts of Courage of Award: Judy Clarke and Speedy Rice / Presented by: Sr. Helen Prejean

Justice in the Arts Award: Joan Baez / Presented by: Mike Farrell

2018 Awards (daytime event)

Lifetime Achievement Award: Rev. James Lawson

2019 Awards Dinner:

The Mario Cuomo Acts of Courage Award: Mike Farrell / Presented by Peggy Farrell

Abolition Award: Hon. Renny Cushing / Presented by Beth Webb

Lifetime Achievement Award: Anthony Amsterdam / Presented by: Seth Waxman and Ed Redlich

The Rose Elizabeth Bird Commitment to Justice Award: The late Justice Stevens / Accepted by Larry Marshall

2020 – Due to pandemic, no awards event was held.

2021 Awards (virtual)

Abolition Award: Michael Radelet / Presented by Sr. Helen Prejean

The Rose Elizabeth Bird Commitment to Justice Award: Bryan Stevenson / Presented by Mike Farrell

Human Rights Award: Rabbi Sharon Brous / Presented by Rep. Karen Bass

2022 Awards Event (virtual)

Abolition Award: Virginia Abolition Movement Leaders / Presented by Joe Giarratano

Gov. Ralph Northam

State Senator Scott Surovell

Delagate Mike Mullin

Joe Giarratano

Virginians for Alternatives to the Death Penalty in recognition of Michael Stone and Dale Brumfield

VA Interfaith Center for Public Policy in recognition of Rev. Dr. LaKeisha Cook

8^th Amendment Project in recognition of Laura Porter, Stefanie Faucher and Furonda Brasfield

VA Capital Representation Resource Center

Virginia Indigent Defense Commission, Reginal Capital Defender Offices

The Mario Cuomo Acts of Courage Award: Sen. Dick Durbin & Rep. Ayanna Pressley / presented by Sen. Bernie Sanders

International Abolition Award: The Hon Robert Badinter / Presented by the Consul General of France Julie Duhaut-Bedos

2023 Awards Dinner:

The Mario Cuomo Acts of Courage Award: PA Gov. Josh Shapiro / Presented by Reiss Clauson-Wolf

The Abolition Award: Diann Rust-Tierney / Presented by Mike Farrell

The Rose Elizabeth Bird Commitment to Justice Award: Paula Mitchell, Andy Wilson, and Maurice Hastings / Presented by Mike Farrell

The Justice in the Arts Awards: Elizabeth Bruenig / Presented by Caitlin Flanagan