The award was given by a five-person jury, consisting of three representatives from the largest creative unions, a critic, and a representative of the ministry, all chosen by the current Minister of Religious Affairs and Public Education.
[3] In 1933, the award was modified to recognize an author's entire body of work, with special attention to the last five years.
[5][6] The first recipient of the award (18 January 1925) was Stefan Żeromski (for Wiatr od morza [pl] [The Wind from the Sea]).
The last laureate of the award during the Second Polish Republic was Artur Górski [pl], who was honored in December 1938 for his long-standing literary work.
[5] The Minister of Religious Affairs and Public Education also awarded similar prizes in the fields of fine arts and music.