The Hubert H. Humphrey First Amendment Freedoms Prize is presented annually to an institution or individual who has made significant and lasting contributions to the preservation and advancement of the cherished ideals embodied in the First Amendment of the Constitution.  Indeed, each year's presentation, it is hoped, will serve to renew public support for these ideals.

Hubert H. Humphrey (1911 – 1978) is remembered for his passion for freedom, a passion that drove him to greatness. In a long career of public service, he became the voice of the voiceless, the champion of the deprived, the defender of the American faith in freedom and social justice.

He spoke for his own generation, but he has left a legacy for generations to come. He met the challenges to freedom of his day, but these challenges must be met in turn by each generation.

His guiding star was the First Amendment to the Constitution. Preserve freedom of speech, freedom of belief, freedom to challenge, and you will preserve democracy and justice in America. That was his message all the days of his life -- as Mayor of Minneapolis, as Senator from Minnesota, as Vice President of the United States -- as the inspiring voice of the American legacy.

Accepting that legacy and responding to those challenges, eminent Americans who followed his leadership and fought at his side established this award in his name.

The award is endowed by Dwayne Andreas, President of the Andreas Foundation, as a special tribute to his close friend.

Award Recipients:
2009 – Nat Hentoff
2009 – Clarence Page
2008 – Tim Rutten
2007 -  Jon E. Meacham
2006 – Charles Krauthammer
2005 – Fareed Zakaria
2003 – Floyd Abrams 
2003 – Bernard Lewis
2003 – Daniel Pearl (posthumously)
2002 – Bob Schieffer
2001 – Bernard Shaw
2000 – Wolf Blitzer
1999 – Lesley Stahl
1999 – Marvin Kalb
1998 – Arthur Miller
1998 - Meet The Press
1997 - Dr. Seuss (Posthumously)
1997 - C-SPAN
1997 - Ranan Lurie
1996 - Dan Rather
1996 - Mortimer Zuckerman
1995 - Larry King
1994 – Charles Kuralt
1993 – David Kaplan (posthumously) and CNN
1992 - Bill Moyers
1991 - The MacNeil/Lehrer NewsHour
1990 - Martin Peretz
1990 - A.M. Rosenthal
1989 – George F. Will
1988 - Fred W. Friendly
1987 – William Safire
1986 -  This Week with David Brinkley
1985 – The Wall Street Journal
1983 - Dial Torgerson (Posthumously)
1982 - Max M. Kampelman and the U.S. Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe
1981 – Dore Schary (Posthumously)
1979 - Jacobo Timerman
1978 - John Chancellor, Walter Cronkite, Barbara Walters
1977 – Hubert H. Humphrey