! Work
|-
| [[1955]]
| [[माखनलाल चतुर्वेदी]]
| ''Him Tarangini'' (Poetry)
|-
| [[1956]]
| [[Vasudevasaran Agrawal]]
| ''Padmavat Sanjivani Vyakhya'' (Commentary)
|-
| [[1957]]
| आचार्य नरेन्द्र देव
| ''Bauddha Dharma Darshan'' (Philosophy)
|-
| [[1958]]
| राहुल सांकृत्यायन
| ''Madhya Asia Ka Itihas'' (History)
|-
| [[1959]]
| [[रामधारी सिंह "दिनकर"]]
| ''Sanskriti Ke Char Adhyaya'' (A Survey of Indian culture)
|-
| [[1960]]
| [[सुमित्रानंदन पंत]]
| ''Kala aur Burha Chand'' (Poetry)
|-
| [[1961]]
| [[भगवतीचरण वर्मा]]
| ''Bhoole Bisre Chitra'' (Novel)
|-
| [[1962]]
| No Award <ref name=sahitya/>
|
|-
| [[1963]]
| Amrit Rai
| ''Premchand: Kalam Ka Sipahi'' (Biography)
|-
| [[1964]]
| [[अज्ञेय]]
| ''Aangan Ke Par Dvar'' (Poetry)
|-
| [[1965]]
| Nagendra
| ''Rasa Siddhanta'' (Treatise on poetics)
|-
| [[1966]]
| [[Jainendra Kumar]]
| ''Muktibodh'' (Novelette)
|-
| [[1967]]
| [[Amritlal Nagar]]
| ''Amrit Aur Vish'' (Novel)
|-
| [[1968]]
|[[हरिवंशराय बच्चन]]
| ''Do Chattanen'' (Poetry)
|-
| [[1969]]
| [[Shrilal Shukla]]
| ''Rag Darbari'' (Novel)
|-
| [[1970]]
| [[राम विलास शर्मा]]
| ''Nirala Ki Sahitya Sadhana'' (Biography)
|-
| [[1971]]
| Namwar Singh
| ''Kavita Ke Naye Pratiman'' (Literary criticism)
|-
| [[1972]]
| [[भवानीप्रसाद मिश्र]]
| ''Buni Huyi Rassi'' (Poetry)
|-
| [[1973]]
| [[Hazari Prasad Dwivedi]]
| ''Alok Parva'' (Essays)
|-
| [[1974]]
| [[शिवमंगल सिंह सुमन]]
| ''Mitti Ki Baraat'' (Poetry)
|-
| [[1975]]
| [[Bhisham Sahni]]
| ''[[Tamas (book)|Tamas]] '' (Novel)
|-
| [[1976]]
| [[Yashpal]]
| ''Meri Teri Uski Baat'' (Novel)
|-
| [[1977]]
| [[शमशेर बहादुर सिंह]]
| ''Chuka Bhi Hun Nahin Main'' (Poetry)
|-
| [[1978]]
| [[भारतभूषण अग्रवाल]]
| ''Utna Vah Suraj Hai'' (Poetry)
|-
| [[1979]]
| [[धूमिल]]
| ''Kal Sunana Mujhe'' (Poetry)
|-
| [[1980]]
| [[Krishna Sobti]]
| ''Zindaginama - Zinda Rukh'' (Novel)
|-
| [[1981]]
| Trilochan
| ''Tap Ke Taye Hue Din'' (Novel)
|-
| [[1982]]
| [[Harishankar Parsai]]
| ''Viklang Shraddha Ka Daur'' (Satire)
|-
| [[1983]]
| [[सर्वेश्वरदयाल सक्सेना]]
| ''Khutiyon Par Tange Log'' (Poetry)
|-
| [[1984]]
| [[रघुवीर सहाय]]
| ''Log Bhool Gaye Hain'' (Poetry)
|-
| [[1985]]
| [[Nirmal Verma]]
| ''Kavve Aur Kala Pani'' (Short stories)
|-
| [[1986]]
| [[केदारनाथ अग्रवाल]]
| ''Apurva'' (Poetry)
|-
| [[1987]]
| [[श्रीकांत वर्मा]]
| ''Magadh'' (Poems)
|-
| [[1988]]
| [[नरेश मेहता]]
| ''Aranya'' (Poems)
|-
| [[1989]]
| [[केदारनाथ सिंह]]
| ''Akaal Mein Saras'' (Poetry)
|-
| [[1990]]
| Shiv Prasad Singh
| ''Neela Chand'' (Novel)
|-
| [[1991]]
| Girija Kumar Mathur
| ''Main Vaqt Ke Hun Samne'' (Poetry)
|-
| [[1992]]
| Giriraj Kishore
| ''Dhai Ghar'' (Novel)
|-
| [[1993]]
| [[Vishnu Prabhakar]]
| Ardhanarishwar (Novel)
|-
| [[1994]]
| Ashok Vajpeyi
| ''Kahin Nahin Wahin'' (Poetry)
|-
| [[1995]]
| Kunwar Narain
| ''Koi Doosra Nahin'' (Poetry)
|-
| [[1996]]
| Surendra Verma
| ''Mujhe Chand Chahiye'' (Novel)
|-
| [[1997]]
| Leeladhar Jagoori
| ''Anubhav Ke Aakash Mein Chand'' (Poetry)
|-
| [[1998]]
| Arun Kamal
| ''Naye Ilake Mein'' (Poetry)
|-
| [[1999]]
| Vinod Kumar Shukla
| ''Deewar Main Ek Khirkee Rahathi Thi'' (Novel)
|-
| [[2000]]
| Manglesh Dabral
| ''Hum Jo Dekhte Hain'' (Poetry)
|-
| [[2001]]
| Alka Saraogi
| ''Via Bypass'' (Novel)
|-
| [[2002]]
| [[Rajesh Joshi]]
| ''Do Panktiyon Ke Beech'' (Poems)
|-
| [[2003]]
| [[Kamleshwar]]
| ''Kitne Pakistan'' (Novel)
|-
| [[2004]]
| Viren Dangwal
| ''Dushchakra Mein Srista'' (Poetry)
|-
| [[2005]]
| [[Manohar Shyam Joshi]]
| Kyap (Novel)
|-
| [[2006]]
| Gyanendrapati
| ''Sanshyatma'' (Poetry)
|-
| [[2007]]
| Amar Kant
| ''Inhin Hathiyaron Se'' (Novel)
|}