| 2007 | Professor Peter Dicken, University of Manchester |
| 2006 | Professor Harold Brookfield, Australian National University, Canberra |
| 2005 | Professor Leszek Starkel |
| 2004 | Professor David Woodward |
| 2003 | Professor Doreen Massey, The Open University 2004 |
| 2002 | Professor David W. Harvey BA PhD |
| 2001 | Professor Anne Buttimer |
| 2000 | Professor Michael F. Thomas |
| 1999 | Professor Chalmers Clapperton |
| 1998 | Professor David Livingstone, Queen's University, Belfast |
| 1997 | Professor Paul Claval |
| 1996 | Professor Billie Lee Turner II |
| 1995 | Rear Admiral Nigel Essenhigh |
| 1994 | Professor Akin L. Mabogunje, former President, International Geographical Union |
| 1993 | Professor Peter Odell |
| 1992 | Professor David Rhind |
| 1991 | Professor Knigo Jacobsen, President, Danish Geographical Society |
| 1990 | Dr. Ronald F. Abler, Executive Director, Association of American Geographers |
| 1989 | Professor Gilbert White, USA |
| Research Medal | |
| 1988 | Professor W.R. Mead |
| 1987 | Professor Jacqueline Beaujeu Garnier, President, French Geographical Society |
| 1984 | Donald G. Moir |
| 1979 | Dr. Bradford Washburn |
| 1972 | Dr. Correlis Koeman |
| 1969 | Dr. John B. Sissons |
| 1965 | R.A. Skelton |
| 1964 | Professor A.E. Smailes |
| 1962 | Professor J. Wreford Watson |
| 1956 | Gerald Roe Crone |
| 1954 | The Revd. James I. Macnair DD |
| 1948 | Professor Alexander Stevens MA BSc, Glasgow |
| 1946 | Marcel Aurousseau |
| 1944 | Professor Alan G. Ogilvie OBE |
| 1939 | Professor Herbert John Fleure DSc FRS, Professor of Geography and Anthropology in the University of Manchester |
| 1937 | Dr. Alexander Bremner DSc, (Aberdeen) for studies in Scottish geomorphology |
| 1936 | Clement Gillman, Chief Engineer, Tanganyika Railways |
| 1933 | Edward Heawood MA |
| 1932 | John L. Myers DSc |
| 1931 | Jules de Schokolsky DSc |