| Year | Recipients | Key contributions | Affiliated institute(s) |
|---|
| 2001 | Geoffrey E. Hinton | Application of the backpropagation algorithm, Boltzmann machines | University of Toronto, Google AI, University of California, San Diego, Carnegie Mellon University, University College London |
| 2002 | Richard M. Shiffrin | Atkinson-Shiffrin memory model, Retrieving Effectively From Memory model | Indiana University |
| 2003 | Aravind Joshi | Tree-adjoining grammar formalism, Centering Theory | University of Pennsylvania |
| 2004 | John Anderson | Adaptive Control of Thought—Rational theory | Carnegie Mellon University, Yale University |
| 2005 | Paul Smolensky | Integrated Connectionist/Symbolic (ICS) architecture, Optimality Theory, Harmonic Grammar | Johns Hopkins University, Microsoft Research, University of California, San Diego |
| 2006 | Roger Shepard | Non-metric multidimensional scaling, Universal Law of Generalization, theories on mental rotation | Stanford University |
| 2007 | Jeffrey L. Elman | TRACE model, Simple Recurrent Neural Network (SRNN) | University of California, San Diego |
| 2008 | Shimon Ullman | Theories of motion perception, application of visual routines, saliency maps | Weizmann Institute of Science, Israel, Massachusetts Institute of Technology |
| 2009 | Susan Carey | Theories of conceptual development and language development, fast mapping | Harvard University, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, New York University |
| 2010 | Jay McClelland | Parallel Distributed Processing, application of connectionist models in cognition | Stanford University, Carnegie Mellon University, University of California, San Diego |
| 2011 | Judea Pearl | The probabilistic approach to artificial intelligence, belief propagation | University of California, Los Angeles, Princeton University, Electronic Memories, Inc. |
| 2012 | Peter Dayan | Application of Bayesian methods to computational neuroscience, Q-learning algorithm, wake-sleep algorithm, Helmholtz machine | Max Planck Institute for Biological Cybernetics, University College London, Massachusetts Institute of Technology |
| 2013 | Linda B. Smith | Dynamic systems approach to cognitive development, early word learning, shape bias | Indiana University |
| 2014 | Ray Jackendoff | Conceptual semantics, generative theory of tonal music | Tufts University, Brandeis University |
| 2015 | Michael I. Jordan | Latent Dirichlet allocation, variational methods for approximate inference, expectation-maximization algorithm | University of California, Berkeley, University of California, San Diego, Massachusetts Institute of Technology |
| 2016 | Dedre Gentner | Structure-Mapping Theory of analogical reasoning, theories of mental models, kind world hypothesis | Northwestern University, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Bolt Beranek and Newman, Inc, University of Washington |
| 2017 | Lila Gleitman | Theories of language acquisition and developmental psycholinguistics, notably the syntactic bootstrapping | University of Pennsylvania |
| 2018 | Michael Tanenhaus | Theories of language comprehension, notably the visual world paradigm | University of Rochester, Wayne State University |
| 2019 | Michelene Chi | Self-explanation, ICAP theory of active learning | Arizona State University, |
| 2020 | Stanislas Dehaene | Theories of numerical cognition, neural basis of reading, neural correlates of consciousness | INSERM, Collège de France |
| 2021 | Susan Goldin-Meadow | Innateness of language, gestural systems of communication | University of Chicago |
| 2022 | Michael Tomasello | Functional theories of language development, uniqueness of human social cognition, namely the collective intentionality. | Duke University, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, University of Leipzig, Emory University |
| 2023 | Nick Chater | Bayesian Models of Cognition and Reasoning, [2] Simplicity theory, [3] 'Now-or-Never' Bottleneck in Language Acquisition [4] | University of Warwick, University College London, University of Edinburgh, University of Oxford |
| 2024 | Alison Gopnik | Effect of Language on Thought, Development of a Theory of Mind, [5] Causal Learning [6] | University of California, Berkeley, University of Toronto |
