The medal itself was first awarded in 1979, and since UNA-Canada has been proud to honour the following recipients:

• Paul-Émile Cardinal Léger

• J. King Gordon

• Lt-Gen. E.L.M. Burns

• Hugh Llewellyn Keenleyside

• Most Reverend Georges-Henri Lévesque

• George Ignatieff

• Lois M. Wilson

• Meyer Brownstone

• Nancy Meek Pocock

• Archbishop Edward Scott

• Maurice Strong

• Murray Thomson

• Muriel H. Duckworth

• Dr. Eric Hoskins

• Escott Reid

• Martin Connell

• Gisèle Côté-Harper

• Gerry Barr

• Dr. Hanna Newcombe

• Pat Roy Mooney

• The Honourable Flora MacDonald

• Dr. Ursula M. Franklin

• Alex Morrison

• Stephen Lewis

• LGen (Ret.) Roméo Dallaire

• Ernie Regehr

• Col (Ret.) Donald S. Ethell

• Nigel Fisher 

• The Honourable Louise Arbour

• The Honourable Lloyd Axworthy

• Willy Littlechild