# | Year | Player | Club | National titles | Provincial titles |
| 2024 | Ronan Maher[1] | Thurles Sarsfields | | |
| 2023 | Noel McGrath[2] | Loughmore-Castleiney | | |
| 2022 | Ronan Maher[3] | Thurles Sarsfields | | |
| 2021 | Séamus Callanan | Drom-Inch | | |
| 2020 | Séamus Callanan | Drom-Inch | | |
| 2019 | Séamus Callanan[4] | Thurles Sarsfields | All-Ireland Hurling Final winning captain | |
| 2018 | Pádraic Maher[5] | Thurles Sarsfields | | |
| 2017 | Pádraic Maher[5] | Thurles Sarsfields | | |
| 2016 | Brendan Maher | Borris-Ileigh | All-Ireland Hurling Final winning captain | Munster Hurling Final winning captain |
| 2015 | Brendan Maher[6] | Borris-Ileigh | | Munster Hurling Final winning captain |
| 2014 | Brendan Maher[6] | Borris-Ileigh | | |
| 2013 | Shane McGrath[7] | Ballinahinch | | |
| 2012 | Paul Curren | Mullinahone | | Munster Hurling Final winning captain | |
| 2011 | Eoin Kelly | Mullinahone | | Munster Hurling Final winning captain | |
| 2010 | Eoin Kelly | Mullinahone | All-Ireland Hurling Final winning captain | |
| 2009 | Willie Ryan | Toomevara | | Munster Hurling Final winning captain |
| 2008 | Eoin Kelly | Mullinahone | | Munster Hurling Final winning captain |
| 2007 | Benny Dunne | Toomevara | | |
| 2006 | Lar Corbett | Thurles Sarsfields | | |
| | Ger O'Grady | Thurles Sarsfields | | |
| 2005 | Benny Dunne | Toomevara | | |
| 2004 | Tommy Dunne | Toomevara | | |
| 2003 | Brian O'Meara | Mullinahone | | |
| 2002 | Tommy Dunne | Toomevara | | |
| 2001 | Tommy Dunne | Toomevara | All-Ireland Hurling Final winning captain | Munster Hurling Final winning captain |
| 2000 | Tommy Dunne | Toomevara | | |
| 1999 | Tommy Dunne | Toomevara | | |
| 1998 | Declan Ryan | Clonoulty-Rossmore | | |
| 1997 | Conor Gleeson | Boherlahan-Dualla | | |
| 1996 | Michael Cleary | Nenagh Éire Óg | |
| 1995 | Tommy Dunne | Toomevara | | |
| 1994 | George Frend | Toomevara | | |
| 1993 | Michael Cleary | Nenagh Éire Óg | | |
| | Michael O'Meara | Toomevara | | Munster Hurling Final winning captain |
| 1992 | Colm Bonnar | Cashel King Cormac's | | |
| 1991 | Declan Carr | Holycross-Ballycahill | All-Ireland Hurling Final winning captain | Munster Hurling Final winning captain |
| 1990 | Declan Ryan | Clonoulty-Rossmore | | |
| 1989 | Bobby Ryan | Borris-Ileigh | All-Ireland Hurling Final winning captain | Munster Hurling Final winning captain |
| 1988 | Nicky English | Lattin-Cullen | | |
| | Pat O'Neill | Cappawhite | | Munster Hurling Final winning captain |
| 1987 | Richard Stakelum | Borris-Ileigh | | Munster Hurling Final winning captain |
| 1986 | Tony Sheppard | Kilruane MacDonagh's | | |
| 1985 | Jack Bergin | Moycarkey-Borris | | |
| 1984 | Bobby Ryan | Borris-Ileigh | | |
| 1983 | Liam Bergin | Moycarkey-Borris | | |
| 1982 | Timmy Stapleton | Borris-Ileigh | | |
| 1981 | Peadar Quealy | Roscrea | | |
| 1980 | | | | |
| 1979 | Paddy Williams | Kilruane MacDonagh's | | |
| 1978 | | Kilruane MacDonagh's | | |
| 1977 | Noel O'Dwyer | Borris-Ileigh | | |
| 1976 | Billy Fanning | Moneygall | | |
| 1975 | Francis Murphy | Thurles Sarsfields | | |
| 1974 | Roger Ryan | Roscrea | | |
| 1973 | Francis Loughnane | Roscrea | | |
| 1972 | Mick Cowan | Moyne-Templetuohy | | |
| | Michael 'Babs' Keating | Ballybacon-Grange | | |
| 1971 | Tadhg O'Connor | Roscrea | All-Ireland Hurling Final winning captain | Munster Hurling Final winning captain |
| 1970 | Francis Loughnane | Roscrea | | |
| 1969 | Francis Loughnane | Roscrea | | |
| 1968 | Mick Roche | Carrick Davins | | Munster Hurling Final winning captain |
| 1967 | Mick Roche | Carrick Davins | | Munster Hurling Final winning captain |
| 1966 | Tony Wall | Thurles Sarsfields | | |
| 1965 | Jimmy Doyle | Thurles Sarsfields | All-Ireland Hurling Final winning captain | Munster Hurling Final winning captain |
| 1964 | Mick Murphy | Thurles Sarsfields | All-Ireland Hurling Final winning captain | Munster Hurling Final winning captain |
| 1963 | Seán McLoughlin | Thurles Sarsfields | | |
| 1962 | Jimmy Doyle | Thurles Sarsfields | All-Ireland Hurling Final winning captain | Munster Hurling Final winning captain |
| 1961 | Matt Hassett | Toomevara | All-Ireland Hurling Final winning captain | Munster Hurling Final winning captain |
| 1960 | Tony Wall | Thurles Sarsfields | | Munster Hurling Final winning captain |
| 1959 | Tony Wall | Thurles Sarsfields | | |
| 1958 | Tony Wall | Thurles Sarsfields | | Munster Hurling Final winning captain |
| 1957 | Mickey Byrne | Thurles Sarsfields | | |
| 1956 | Mickey Byrne | Thurles Sarsfields | | |
| 1955 | John Doyle | Holycross-Ballycahill | | |
| 1954 | Jimmy Finn | Borris-Ileigh | | |
| 1953 | Tommy Doyle | Thurles Sarsfields | | |
| 1952 | Pat Stakelum | Holycross-Ballycahill | | |
| 1951 | Jimmy Finn | Borris-Ileigh | All-Ireland Hurling Final winning captain | Munster Hurling Final winning captain |
| 1950 | Seán Kenny | Borris-Ileigh | All-Ireland Hurling Final winning captain | Munster Hurling Final winning captain |
| 1949 | Pat Stakelum | Holycross-Ballycahill | All-Ireland Hurling Final winning captain | Munster Hurling Final winning captain |
| 1948 | Willie Wall | Carrick Swans | | |
| 1947 | | | | |
| 1946 | | | | |
| 1945 | John Maher | Thurles Sarsfields | All-Ireland Hurling Final winning captain | Munster Hurling Final winning captain |
| 1944 | | | | |
| 1943 | | | | |
| 1942 | | | | |
| 1941 | Johnny Ryan | Moycarkey-Borris | | Munster Hurling Final winning captain |
| 1940 | John Maher | Thurles Sarsfields | | |
| 1939 | | | | |
| 1938 | Paddy Ryan | Moycarkey-Borris | | |
| 1937 | Jimmy Lanigan | Thurles Sarsfields | All-Ireland Hurling Final winning captain | Munster Hurling Final winning captain |
| 1936 | | | | |
| 1935 | | | | |
| 1934 | | | | |
| 1933 | | | | |
| 1932 | | | | |
| 1931 | Martin Kennedy | Toomevara | | |
| 1930 | John Joe Callinan | Thurles Sarsfields | All-Ireland Hurling Final winning captain | Munster Hurling Final winning captain |
| 1929 | | | | |
| 1928 | Johnny Leahy | Boherlahan | | |