| Year | Special Jury Award Winner / Special Mention |
| 2010 | 1. A. Sreekar Prasad(Editor) - Kaminey / Kutty Srank / Keralavarma Pazhassiraja - Hindi / Malayalam / Malayalam 2. Padmapriya Janakiraman(Actress) - Various Movies - Multiple Languages |
| 2009 | 1. National Film Development Corporation(Producer) - Bioscope - Malayalam 2. K.M.Madhusudhanan(Director) |
| 2008 | 1. Anil Kapoor(Producer) - Gandhi, My Father - Hindi 2. Feroz Abbas Khan(Director) |
| 2007 | 1. Vishal Bharadwaj(Director) - Omkara - Hindi 2. Thilakan(Actor) - Ekantham - Malayalam 3. Prasenjit Chatterjee(Actor) - Dosar - Bengali |
| 2006 | Anupam Kher(Actor) - Maine Gandhi Ko Nahin Mara - Hindi |
| 2005 | 1. J. Phillip(Actor / Dancer) - Dancer - Tamil 2. Pradeep Nair(Director) - Oridam - Malayalam 3. Gurdas Maan(Actor) - Des Hoyaa Pardes - Punjabi |
| 2004 | 1. H.S. Dattatreya(Actor) - Mouni - Kannada 2. Manoj Bajpai(Actor) - Pinjar - Hindi / Urdu 3. Nedumudi Venu(Actor) - Margam - Malayalam |
| 2003 | 1. Prakash Raj(Actor) - Various Movies - Multiple Languages 2. Jyorthirmayi(Actress) - Bhavam - Malayalam |
| 2002 | 1. Janaki Vishwanathan(Director) - Kutty - Tamil 2. M.G. Dilip Doley & Narayan Seal(Directors) - Panoi-Jongki - Miri |
| 2001 | Soumitra Chatterjee(Actor) - Dekha - Bengali |
| 2000 | 1. Kalabhavan Mani(Actor) - Vasantiyum Lakshmiyum Pinne Njanum - Malayalam 2. Kavita Lankesh(Director) - Deveeri - Kannada 3. Manju Borah(Director) - Baibhab - Assamese 4. Mohan Joshi(Actor) - Gharabaher - Marathi |
| 1999 | 1. Ashoke Viswanathan(Director) - Kitchhu Sanlap Kitchhu Pralap - Bengali 2. Dasari Narayana Rao(Director & Producer) - Kante Koothurne Kanu - Telugu 3. Manju Warrier(Actress) - Kannezhuthi Pottum Thottu - Malayalam 4. Prakash Raj(Actor) - Anthahpuram - Telugu |
| 1998 | 1. Akkineni Nagarjuna(Actor) - Annamayya - Telugu 2. Jayamala(Actress) - Thaayi Saheba - Kannada 3. Jomol(Actress) - Ennu Swantham Janakikutty - Malayalam |
| 1997 | 1. Amol Palekar(Director) - Daayraa - Hindi 2. Kiron Kher(Actress) - Sardari Begum - Hindi |
| 1996 | 1. Benaf Dadachandji(Child Actor) - Halo - Hindi 2. Rohini(Actress) - Stri - Telugu |
| 1995 | 1. Bishnu Kharghoria(Actor) - Hkhagoroloi Bohu Door - Assamese 2. Radhu Karmakar(Cinematographer) - Param Vir Chakra - Hindi 3. Shaji N. Karun(Director) - Swaham - Malayalam |
| 1994 | 1. Mahesh Bhatt(Director) - Hum Hain Rahi Pyar Ke - Hindi 2. Pallavi Joshi(Actress) - Woh Chokri - Hindi 3. Shashi Kapoor(Actor) - Muhafiz (In Custody) - Hindi 4. Sushant Misra(Director) - Indra Dhanura Chhai - Oriya |
| 1993 | 1. Sivaji Ganesan(Actor) - Thevar Magan - Tamil 2. Ketan Mehta(Director) - Maya Memsaab - Hindi |
| 1992 | 1. Mamata Shankar(Actress) - Agantuk - Bengali 2. Ravindran(Composer) - Bharatham - Malayalam 3. Soumitra Chatterjee(Actor) - Antardhan - Bengali |
| 1991 | 1. Anoubham Kiranmala(Actress) - Ishanou (The Chosen One) - Manipuri 2. Jayabharathi(Actress) - Marupakkam - Tamil 3. Pankaj Kapoor(Actor) - Ek Doctor Ki Maut - Hindi 4. Sunny Deol(Actor) - Ghayal - Hindi |
| 1990 | 1. Amitabh Chakraborty(Director) - Kaal Abhirati - Bengali 2. Anupam Kher(Actor) - Daddy - Hindi 3. Mohanlal(Actor) - Kireedam - Malayalam |
| 1989 | 1. Aamir Khan(Actor) - Raakh - Hindi 2. Ashok Ahuja(Director) - Vasundhara - Hindi |
| 1988 | No Award |
| 1987 | John Abraham(Director) - Amma Ariyan - Malayalam |
| 1986 | Sudha Chandran(Actress) - Mayuri - Telugu |
| 1985 | T.S. Ranga(Director) - Giddh - Hindi |
| 1984 | 1. Kumar Shahani(Director) - Tarang - Hindi 2. Mankanda Ravi Varma(Director) - Nokkukuthi - Malayalam |
| 1983 | No Award |
| 1982 | Satyajit Ray(Director) - Sadgati - Hindi |
| 1981 | No Award |
| 1980 | No Award |
| 1979 | 1. Mrinal Sen(Director) - Parashuram - Bengali 2. Muzaffar Ali(Director) - Gaman - Hindi |