| Year | Composer | Performance | |
|---|
| 2009 | John Corigliano | Mr. Tambourine Man: Seven Poems of Bob Dylan performed by JoAnn Falletta | |
| 2008 | Joan Tower | Made in America performed by Leonard Slatkin & Nashville Symphony Orchestra | |
| 2007 | Osvaldo Golijov | Ainadamar: Fountain Of Tears performed by Robert Spano | |
| 2006 | William Bolcom | Bolcom: Songs Of Innocence And Of Experience performed by Leonard Slatkin | |
| 2005 | John Adams | On the Transmigration of Souls performed by Lorin Maazel, the Brooklyn Youth Chorus, New York Choral Artists & the New York Philharmonic | |
| 2004 | Dominick Argento | "Argento: Casa Guidi" performed by Frederica von Stade, Eiji Oue & the Minnesota Orchestra | |
| 2003 | Steve Barnett, Preston Smith, John Tavener, Joseph Jennings, Society of Boston Chanticleer and the Handel and Haydn | Tavener: Lamentations and Praises | |
| 2002 | Christopher Rouse, Muhai Tang, Sharon Isbin and the Gulbenkian Orchestra for Concert de Gaudi | Guitar and Orchestra | |
| 2001 | George Crumb and Thomas Conlin | Crumb: Star-Child | |
| 2000 | Pierre Boulez and the Ensemble Inter-Contemporain | Boulez: Repons | |
| 1999 | Krzysztof Penderecki , Anne-Sophie Mutter and the London Symphony Orchestra | Penderecki: Violin Concerto No. 2, Metamorphosen | |
| 1998 | John Adams, Kent Nagano and the Hall2 Orchestra | Adams: El Dorado | |
| 1997 | John Corigliano and the Cleveland Quartet | Corigliano: String Quartet | |
| 1996 | Olivier Messiaen and Myung-Whun Chung | Messiaen: Concert a Quatre | |
| 1995 | Stephen Albert, David Zinman and Yo-Yo Ma | Albert: Cello Concerto | |
| 1994 | Elliott Carter, Oliver Knussen and the London Symphony Orchestra | Carter: Violin Concerto | |
| 1993 | Samuel Barber, Andrew Schnenck and the Chicago Symphony Orchestra | Barber: The Lovers | |
| 1992 | John Corigliano, Daniel Barenboim and the Chicago Symphony Orchestra | Corigliano: Symphony No. 1 | |
| 1991 | Leonard Bernstein, Judy Kaye and William Sharp | Bernstein: Arias & Barcarolles | |
| 1990 | Steve Reich and the Kronos Quartet | Reich: Different Trains | |
| 1989 | John Adams, Edo de Waart and the San Francisco Symphony | Adams: Nixon in China | |
| 1988 | Krzysztof Penderecki, Mstislav Rostropovich and the Philharmonia Orchestra | Penderecki: Cello Concerto No. 2 | |
| 1987 | Witold Lutosrawski and Esa-Pekka Salonen | Lutoslawski: Symphony No. 3 | |
| 1986 | Andrew Lloyd Webber, Sarah Brightman and Placido Domingo | Lloyd Webber: Requiem | |
| 1985 | Samuel Barber and Christian Badea | Antony and Cleopatra | |
| 1966 | Charles Ives | Ives: Symphony No. 4 conducted by Leopold Stokowski | |
| 1965 | Samuel Barber | Concerto performed by John Browning | |
| 1964 | Benjamin Britten and the London Symphony Orchestra | Britten: War Requiem | |
| 1963 | Igor Stravinsky | Stravinsky: The Flood | |
| 1962 | Igor Stravinsky | Stravinsky: Movements for Piano and Orchestra | |
| 1962 | Laurindo Almeida | Discantus | |
| 1961 | Aaron Copland and the Boston Symphony Orchestra | Orchestral Suite from The Tender Land Suite | |