| Awardee | Date of Award | Category |
| 1. Fernando Amorsolo (++) | 1972 | Painting |
| 2. Francisca R. Aquino (+) | 1973 | Dance |
| 3. Carlos V. Francisco (++) | 1973 | Painting |
| 4. Amado V. Hernandez (++) | 1973 | Literature |
| 5. Antonio J. Molina (+) | 1973 | Music |
| 6. Juan F. Nakpil (+) | 1973 | Architecture |
| 7. Guillermo E. Tolentino (+) | 1973 | Sculpture |
| 8. Jose Garcia Villa (+) | 1973 | Literature |
| 9. Napoleon V. Abueva | 1976 | Sculpture |
| 10. Lamberto V. Avellana (+) | 1976 | Theater and Film |
| 11. Leonor O. Goquingco (+) | 1976 | Dance |
| 12. Nick Joaquin (+) | 1976 | Literature |
| 13. Jovita Fuentes (+) | 1976 | Music |
| 14. Victorio C. Edades (+) | 1976 | Painting |
| 15. Pablo S. Antonio (++) | 1976 | Architecture |
| 16. Vicente S. Manansala (++) | 1981 | Painting |
| 17. Carlos P. Romulo (+) | 1982 | Literature |
| 18. Gerardo de Leon (++) | 1982 | Cinema |
| 19. Honorata “Atang” dela Rama (++) | 1987 | Theater and Music |
| 20. Antonino R. Buenaventura (+) | 1988 | Music |
| 21. Lucrecia R. Urtula (+) | 1988 | Dance |
| 22. Lucrecia R. Kasilag (+) | 1989 | Music |
| 23. Francisco Arcellana (+) | 1990 | Literature |
| 24. Cesar F. Legaspi (+) | 1990 | Visual Arts |
| 25. Leandro V. Locsin (+) | 1990 | Architecture |
| 26. Hernando R. Ocampo (++) | 1991 | Visual Arts |
| 27. Lucio D. San Pedro (+) | 1991 | Music |
| 28. Lino Brocka (++) | 1997 | Cinema |
| 29. Felipe P. de Leon (++) | 1997 | Music |
| 30. Wilfrido Ma. Guerrero (++) | 1997 | Theater |
| 31. Rolando S. Tinio (++) | 1997 | Theater & Literature |
| 32. Levi Celerio (+) | 1997 | Music & Literature |
| 33. N.V.M. Gonzales (++) | 1997 | Literature |
| 34. Arturo R. Luz | 1997 | Visual Arts |
| 35. Jose M. Maceda (+) | 1997 | Music |
| 36. Carlos Quirino (+) | 1997 | Historical Literature |
| 37. J. Elizalde Navarro (++) | 1999 | Painting |
| 38. Prof. Andrea Veneracion (+) | 1999 | Music |
| 39. Edith L. Tiempo (+) | 1999 | Literature |
| 40. Daisy H. Avellana (+) | 1999 | Theater |
| 41. Ernani J. Cuenco (++) | 1999 | Music |
| 42. F. Sionil Jose | 2001 | Literature |
| 43. Ang Kiukok (+) | 2001 | Visual Arts |
| 44. Ishmael Bernal (++) | 2001 | Cinema |
| 45. Severino Montano (++) | 2001 | Theater |
| 46. Jose T. Joya (++) | 2003 | Visual Arts (Painting) |
| 47. Virgilio S. Almario | 2003 | Literature |
| 48. Alejandro R. Roces (+) | 2003 | Literature |
| 49. Eddie S. Romero (+) | 2003 | Cinema & Broadcast Arts |
| 50. Salvador F. Bernal (+) | 2003 | Theater Design |
| 51. Benedicto R. Cabrera | 2006 | Visual Arts |
| 52. Abdulmari Asia Imao | 2006 | Visual Arts |
| 53. Dr. Bienvenido Lumbera | 2006 | Literature |
| 54. Ramon Obusan (+) | 2006 | Dance |
| 55. Fernando Poe Jr. (++) | 2006 | Cinema |
| 56. Archt. Ildefonso P. Santos, Jr. (+) | 2006 | Landscape Architecture |
| 57. Ramon O. Valera (++) | 2006 | Fashion Design |
| 58. Manuel Conde (++) | 2009 | Film |
| 59. Lázaro Francísco (++) | 2009 | Literature |
| 60. Federico Aguilar Alcuaz (+) | 2009 | Visual Arts |
| 61. Alice Reyes | 2014 | Dance |
| 62. Francisco V. Coching (++) | 2014 | Visual Arts |
| 63. Cirilo F. Bautista | 2014 | Literature |
| 64. Francisco F. Feliciano | 2014 | Music |
| 65. Ramon P. Santos | 2014 | Music |
| 66. Jose Maria V. Zaragoza (++) | 2014 | Architecture |
Legend: (+) deceased; (++) posthumous conferment.
