| Recipient | Award Year  | Notability | References | 
  | 1981–82 North Carolina Tar Heels men's basketball team | 1982 | 1982 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament National Champions; Atlantic Coast Conference Tournament Champions and Regular Season Co-champions | [1] | 
  | Charles W. Albertson |  | North Carolina Senate |  | 
  | Elreta Alexander-Ralston | 1995 | Trial attorney and North Carolina District Court Judge |  | 
  | Gordon P. Allen | 2010 | North Carolina Senate |  | 
  | Jo Allen | 2024 | President of Meredith College | [3] | 
  | American Red Cross | 1982 | Humanitarian organization |  | 
  | Maya Angelou | 1992 | Poet, author, and civil rights activist | [4][5] | 
  | Balsam Range | 2015 | Bluegrass band | [6] | 
  | William Barber II | 2010 | Minister and political activist |  | 
  | Harry Belafonte |  | Calypso singer and actor | [7][1] | 
  | Jack Betts | 2006 | Journalist and associate editor of The Charlotte Observer |  | 
  | Dan Blue | 2003 | Speaker of the North Carolina House of Representatives and North Carolina Senate |  | 
  | Blue Angels | 2003 | United States Navy flight demonstration squadron | [7] | 
  | John Baker | 1971, 1987, 2004 | Professional football player and Wake County Sheriff |  | 
  | George W. BonDurant | 2009 | Founder and first president of Atlanta Christian College and Mid-Atlantic Christian University |  | 
  | Charlie Boney | 2014 | Architect |  | 
  | Rod Brind'Amour | 2024 | Professional hockey player and coach | [8] | 
  | Jim Broyhill | 1992 | United States House of Representatives and United States Senate |  | 
  | Peter S. Brunstetter | 2016 | North Carolina Senate |  | 
  | Wanda G. Bryant | 1980 | Associate judge on the North Carolina Court of Appeals |  | 
  | Shirley Caesar | 1979, 1995, 2016 | Grammy Awards winning Gospel singer | [7] | 
  | Isabella Cannon | 1999 | First female Mayor of Raleigh, North Carolina |  | 
  | Rod Carew | 1984 | Baseball player and coach | [7] | 
  | Fred Chappell | 2003 | North Carolina Poet Laureate |  | 
  | Richard Childress | 1994 | NASCAR race car driver and businessman | [9]: 634 | 
  | Shirley Chisholm |  | First Black woman to be elected to the United States Congress | [7][1] | 
  | Janice Cole | 2001 | United States Attorney for the United States District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina | [10] | 
  | Linda Combs | 2022 | Comptroller of the Office of Management and Budget |  | 
  | Bonnie Ethel Cone | 2003 | Founder of the University of North Carolina at Charlotte |  | 
  | Janet Cowell | 2017 | North Carolina State Treasurer and North Carolina Senate |  | 
  | David Crabtree | 2022 | Journalist and lead anchor of WRAL-TV |  | 
  | Joan Crawford |  | Actress | [7][1] | 
  | Paul R. Cunningham | 2016 | Dean of The Brody School of Medicine at East Carolina University |  | 
  | Charlie Daniels | 1984 | Singer, musician, and songwriter | [7] | 
  | Frank A. Daniels Jr. | 1995 | Publisher of The News and Observer | [1][11] | 
  | Chuck Davis | 2007 | Dancer |  | 
  | Crash Davis | 1979 | Minor League Baseball player |  | 
  | Claude DeBruhl | 1981 | North Carolina House of Representatives and veterans advocate |  | 
  | Ruby Dee | 2000 | Actress |  | 
  | Walter Dellinger | 2010 | Acting United States Solicitor General and law professor |  | 
  | Walter DeVries | 1998 | Political consultant and founder of the North Carolina Institute of Political Leadership |  | 
  | James Dodson | 2012 | Sports writer |  | 
  | Phil Donahue | 1982 | Talk show host and writer | [7] | 
  | Philip L. Dubois | 2020 | President of the University of Wyoming and chancellor of the University of North Carolina at Charlotte |  | 
  | Dale Earnhardt | 1994 | NASCAR stock car racing driver and racing team owner | [9]: 634 | 
  | Dale Earnhardt Jr. | 2018 | NASCAR stock car racing driver, team owner, and broadcaster |  | 
  | Thereasea Elder | 2001 | First African American public health nurse in Charlotte, North Carolina |  | 
  | Karl Eikenberry | 2016 | United States Army lieutenant general  and former U.S. Ambassador to Afghanistan |  | 
  | Myrlie Evers-Williams | 1995 | Civil rights activist |  | 
  | S. Scott Ferebee Jr. | 2001 | Architect |  | 
  | Tom Fetzer | 1992 | Mayor of Raleigh, North Carolina and chairman of the North Carolina Republican Party |  | 
  | Gerald Ford |  | President of the United States | [7][1] | 
  | John Hope Franklin | 1995 | Historian and writer | [7] | 
  | William C. Friday | 2004 | Head of the University of North Carolina system from 1956 to 1986 | [5] | 
  | Shirley Fulton | 2011 | First African American female judge in the North Carolina Superior Court |  | 
  | Roman Gabriel | 1988 | Professional football player | [7] | 
  | Norman C. Gaddis | 2023 | United States Air Force Brigadier General |  | 
  | Clarence Gaines | 1979, 1988, 1993 | Mens basketball coach at Winston-Salem State University |  | 
  | Harvey Gantt | 1984 | Architect and the first black Mayor of Charlotte, North Carolina |  | 
  | John Glenn | 1979 | NASA astronaut and United States Senate | [7] | 
  | Danny Glover | 2003 | Actor | [10] | 
  | Jeff Gordon | 2016 | NASCAR stock car racing driver and stock car racing executive | [9]: 654 | 
  | Tipper Gore | 1997 | Second Lady of the United States and co-founder of the Parents Music Resource Center | [7] | 
  | Billy Graham | 1996 | Evangelist, Southern Baptist minister, and civil rights advocate | [4][5] | 
  | Franklin Graham | 2015 | Christian Evangelist and missionary |  | 
  | William A. Griffin | 2010 | Preacher and president of Mid-Atlantic Christian University |  | 
  | Andy Griffith | 2012 | Actor | [12] | 
  | Philip F. Gura | 2019 | Cultural historian and academic | [13] | 
  | Lloyd V. Hackley | 1992 | Chancellor of Fayetteville State University and president of the North Carolina Community College System | [14] | 
  | Bob Hall | 2017 | Executive Director of Democracy North Carolina |  | 
  | Mia Hamm | 1995 | Professional soccer player | [7] | 
  | Bob Harris | 2017 | Sportscaster |  | 
  | Fletcher L. Hartsell Jr. | 1992 | North Carolina Senate |  | 
  | Nathan O. Hatch | 2021 | President of Wake Forest University | [15] | 
  | Merlin Hay, 24th Earl of Erroll | 1986 | Earl of Erroll |  | 
  | Rick Hendrick | 1996 | NASCAR racing driver and team owner | [4][9]: 654 | 
  | George M. Holmes | 1992 | North Carolina House of Representatives |  | 
  | James Holshouser | 1983 | Governor of North Carolina |  | 
  | Jonathan Howes | 1997 | Secretary, North Carolina Department of Environment and Natural Resources | [16] | 
  | Engelbert Humperdink |  | Pop singer | [7][1] | 
  | Catfish Hunter |  | Professional baseball player | [7] | 
  | William E. Ingram Jr. | 1995 | Lieutenant General and director of the Army National Guard |  | 
  | Jesse Jackson | 1982 | Civil rights activist and shadow congressperson for Washington, D.C. | [7] | 
  | J. Charles Jennette | 2020 | Nephropathologist, academic, and author |  | 
  | George Jessel | 1979 | Vaudeville performer and actor | [7] | 
  | Junior Johnson | 1984 | NASCAR stock car racing driver and team owner | [7] | 
  | George Jones | 1970 | Country musician |  | 
  | Wilbur D. Jones Jr. | 2023 | Author, military historian, and preservationist | [17] | 
  | Michael Jordan | 1985 | College and professional basketball player | [18][5] | 
  | Alexander Julian | 1980 | Fashion designer | [7] | 
  | Ralph Ketner | 2015 | Founder of Food Lion | [19] | 
  | Jean-Claude Killy |  | Olympic Alpine skier | [7] | 
  | Coretta Scott King | 2002 | Civil rights leader and wife of Martin Luther King Jr. | [10] | 
  | Earline Heath King | 2003 | Sculptor | [20] | 
  | Fred Kirby | 1980 | Singer-songwriter | [7] | 
  | Mike Krzyzewski | 2022 | College basketball coach | [21] | 
  | I. Beverly Lake Jr. | 2006 | Chief justice of the North Carolina Supreme Court | [10] | 
  | Bill Leslie | 2018 | News anchor for WRAL-TV and New-age music recording artist | [22] | 
  | William Ivey Long | 2001 | Costume designer | [10] | 
  | Betty Lynn | 2016 | Actress |  | 
  | Doug Marlette | 2007 | Pulitzer Prize-winning editorial cartoonist |  | 
  | John C. Martin | 2014 | Chief Judge of the North Carolina Court of Appeals |  | 
  | David T. McCoy | 2000 | N.C. State Controller and Secretary of the North Carolina Department of Transportation | [23] | 
  | Scotty McCreery | 2017 | Country music singer | [24] | 
  | Mike McIntyre | 2014 | U.S. House of Representatives | [25] | 
  | Kenneth Merritt |  | Parachutist |  | 
  | Mary Lee Mills |  | Nurse | [26][27] | 
  | Ronnie Milsap | 1984 | Country music singer | [7] | 
  | Michael A. Milton | 2018 | Minister, theologian, and singer-songwriter |  | 
  | Burley Mitchell | 1992 | Chief Justice of the North Carolina Supreme Court |  | 
  | Jerry Moore | 2012 | Football player and coach |  | 
  | Hugh Morton | 1984 | Photographer and conservationist who developed Grandfather Mountain | [7] | 
  | Wendell H. Murphy | 1992 | North Carolina House of Representatives and North Carolina Senate |  | 
  | Bess Myerson | 1979 | Miss America, model, and television actress | [7] | 
  | Hal Needham | 1983 | Stunt performer and film director | [7] | 
  | Leslie Nielsen |  | Actor | [7][1] | 
  | Virginia Newell | 2017 | Mathematics educator, author, and politician |  | 
  | Edward Francis North, Earl of Guilford | 1982 | 9th Earl of Guilford | [1] | 
  | Margaret Nygard | 1995 | Educator and conservationist |  | 
  | Carmen Hooker Odom | 2007 | Secretary of the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services |  | 
  | Benny Parsons | 2007 | NASCAR driver and pit reporter |  | 
  | Itzhak Perlman | 1983 | Violinist | [7] | 
  | Gaylord Perry |  | Professional baseball player | [7] | 
  | Richard Petty | 1988 | NASCAR stock car racing driver | [12] | 
  | Gary Player | 1983 | Professional golfer | [7] | 
  | Sidney Poitier | 1993 | Actor and diplomat | [7] | 
  | Art Pope | 1992 | North Carolina House of Representatives and businessman | [7] | 
  | Colin Powell | 1993 | United States secretary of state |  | 
  | Marc Pruett | 2015 | Bluegrass banjo player | [6] | 
  | Nido Qubein | 2005 | Businessman and motivational speaker |  | 
  | André Raphel | 2001 | Conductor, Boston Symphony Orchestra | [28][29] | 
  | James E. Ramsey | 2012 | Speaker of the North Carolina House of Representatives |  | 
  | Robert Redford | 1984 | Actor and filmmaker |  | 
  | John Shelton Reed | 2023 | Sociologist, essayist, and author |  | 
  | William Rehnquist | 1994 | Chief Justice of the United States | [7] | 
  | Gene Roberts | 2015 | National and executive editor of The New York Times |  | 
  | Kenny Rogers | 1982 | Country music singer and songwriter | [7] | 
  | Thomas Warren Ross | 1999 | President of the University of North Carolina system |  | 
  | Robert W. Scott | 1971 | Governor of North Carolina |  | 
  | Earl Scruggs | 1984 | Bluegrass musician | [7] | 
  | Hugh Shelton |  | Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff | [7][1] | 
  | Claude Sitton | 1985 | The New York Times reporter and editor, The News & Observer editor |  | 
  | Enos Slaughter | 1983 | Professional baseball player | [7] | 
  | Arthur "Guitar Boogie" Smith | 1984 | Composer, musician, and record producer | [7] | 
  | Dean Smith | 1988 | College basketball coach | [12] | 
  | James Smith | 1993, 1995 | Boxer and World Boxing Association heavyweight champion | [7] | 
  | Mike Sprayberry | 1998 | North Carolina Emergency management director |  | 
  | Ted G. Stone | 1999 | Evangelist |  | 
  | Curtis Strange | 1991 | Professional golfer | [7] | 
  | Ben C. Sutton Jr. | 2014 | Investor, philanthropist, and the founder of Teall Capital |  | 
  | Wendell Tabb | 2022 | Theater teacher |  | 
  | Bob Timberlake | 2006 | Artist | [4] | 
  | Patricia Timmons-Goodson | 1999, 2005 | North Carolina Supreme Court and federal judge for the United States District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina | [10] | 
  | Randy Travis | 1987 | Country music and gospel music singer | [7] | 
  | Lanny Wadkins | 1988 | Professional golfer | [7] | 
  | George Walker | 1997 | Classical composer and the first African American to win the Pulitzer Prize for Music |  | 
  | Jerry M. Wallace | 2015 | President of Campbell University | [30] | 
  | Rusty Wallace | 2005 | NASCAR racing driver |  | 
  | Edith D. Warren | 2012 | North Carolina General Assembly | [31] | 
  | Robert D. Warren Sr. | 2005 | North Carolina Senate |  | 
  | Doc Watson | 1999 | Grammy Awards winning bluegrass singer and songwriter | [7] | 
  | Norman Adrian Wiggins | 1976, 1980, 1996, 1998 | President of Campbell University | [1] | 
  | Laura I. Wiley | 2016 | North Carolina House of Representatives |  | 
  | Harvey D. Williams | 1996 | U.S. Army major general and first African-American commander of Fort Myer |  | 
  | Ted Williams | 1981 | Professional baseball player | [7] | 
  | Tennessee Williams | 1981 | Playwright and screenwriter | [7] | 
  | Oprah Winfrey | 1987 | Talk show host, actress, producer, and author | [12] | 
  | Leslie Winner | 1999 | North Carolina Senate and general counsel and vice president for the University of North Carolina system |  | 
  | Jeremiah Wolfe | 2017 | Cherokee stonecutter, stickball caller, and storyteller | [32] | 
  | Ira David Wood III | 1994 | Actor, playwright, and executive director of Theatre in the Park |  | 
  | James Worthy | 1985 | College and professional basketball player |  | 
  | Aldona Wos | 2015 | United States Ambassador to Estonia and Secretary of the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services | [33] | 
  | Tammy Wynette | 1970 | Country music singer | [7] | 
  | Andrew Young | 2002 | Civil rights activist, U.S. Congressman, U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations, and the Mayor of Atlanta | [7] |