1958 No Contestant
1959 Dorothy Zeigler – Lincoln
1960 No Contestant
1961 Diane Monhardt – Lincoln
1962 Marion Fisher – Lincoln
1963 Jaynanne McCreary – Lincoln
1964 Susan Diffenderfer – Lincoln
- America’s Junior Miss 4th Runner-up
- Talent Award
1965 Nancy Coufal – Seward
- Scholastic Award
1966 Carol Graham – Hastings
1967 Rebecca Glover – Grand Island
1968 Jeannie Simmons – Hastings
1969 Judy Dowding – Seward
1970 Cathy Dee Lewis – Grand Island
1971 Nancy Lee Smith – Kearney
1972 Kristine Joy Ortman – Hebron
1973 Barbara Hellwig – Grand Island
1974 Susan Stephenson – Lincoln
- America’s Junior Miss 1st Runner-up
1975 Charisse Hutton – Blair
1976 Rebecca Lyn Hanson – Blair
1977 Cindy Johnson – Potter
- Kodak Photo Award
1978 Mary Imig – Thedford
- America’s Junior Miss 3rd Runner-up
- Scholastic Award
1979 Suzanne Kennedy – Omaha
1980 Marshelle Smith – Yutan
- Kraft Hostess Award Finalist
1981 Kris Greenway – Lincoln
1982 Lisa Walker – Omaha
- America’s Junior Miss 2nd Runner-up
- Presence & Composure Award
- Fitness Award
- Simplicity Sewing Award
1983 Jenny Egerer – Elkhorn
- Simplicity Sewing Award Finalist
1984 Tami Johnson – Fort Calhoun
- Spirit of Junior Miss Award
1985 Cyndi Freymuller – Blair
1986 Jodi Miller – Columbus
1987 Laura Sambol – Omaha
1988 Lisa Kleager – Omaha
- Fitness Award
- Spirit of Junior Miss Award
1989 Becky Vinton – Blair
- Presence & Composure Award
1990 Amy Adkins – Laurel
1991 Tristana Jacob – Omaha
1992 Joanna Young – Omaha
- Young Woman of the Year Finalist
- Fitness Award
1993 Melissa Kay Connell – Omaha
1994 Stacey Olsan – Gretna
1995 Gretchen Riddell – Oakland
1996 Molly Scribner – Omaha
1997 Shelli Martin – Omaha
1998 Amanda Connell – Omaha
1999 Jennifer Bishop – Omaha
- Fitness Award
2000 Lindsey Wilkerson – Omaha
- uppseedaisees Hostess Award
2001 Molly McGrath – Omaha
2002 Christi Roach – Elkhorn
2003 Anne Wellensiek – Cook
- Tyson Chicken Recipe Award
2004 Shelby Tilts – Nebraska City
- Tyson Chicken Recipe Award
2005 Ashley Durst – Lincoln
2006 Erin Baker – Auburn
2007 Jessica White – Bellevue
2008 Madison Rezaei – Omaha
- Scholastic Award
2009 Jordan Nelson – Omaha
2010 Jenna Stecker – Columbus
- Scholastic Award
2011 Victoria Klaus – Bennington
2012 Julia Carlson – Omaha
2013 Maddy Miller – Omaha
2014 Breanna Burklund – Omaha
2015 Rachel Lee – Omaha
2016 Morgan Holen – Omaha
- DYW of America Finalist
- Self-Expression Award
2017 Haley Bonge – Omaha
2018 Simeon Saub – Omaha
2019 Hanna Pohlmann – Kennard
- Amy Osmond Has Been Award
2020 Elise Vahle – Grand Island
2021 Jessica Brown – Bennington
2022 Erin Schuette – Omaha
- Interview Award
2023 Delaney Knight – Omaha
- Dr. Richard Rogers Science Award
2024 Ruby Gutzmann – Blair
- AL.com Distinguished Diary Award
2025 Norah Armstrong – Wayne

*Distinguished Young Women was originally America’s Junior Miss. The program became Young Woman of the Year in 1989, returned to Junior Miss in 1994 and in 2011 the national program was ultimately renamed Distinguished Young Women.