based on FIghtMetrix, they took the entire year and division and came to the conclusion from 1993 to 2011.
1993: Royce Gracie -------Runner Up : Ken Shamrock
1994: Ken Shamrock -----Runner Up: Royce Gracie
1995: Ken Shamrock------Runner Up: Bas Rutten
1996: Bas Rutten-----------Runner Up: Jay R. Palmer (look him up his career is funny)
1997: Masakatsu Funaki----Runner Up: Bas Rutten
1998: Frank Shamrock------Runner Up: Semmy Schilt
1999: Semmy Schilt--------Runner Up: Kazushi Sakuraba
2000: Nate Marquardt------Runner Up: Alexandre Noguiera
2001: Antonio Rodrigo Noguiera------Runner up: Tito Ortiz
2002: Matt Hughes----------Runner Up: ANtonio ROdrigo Noguiera
2003: Fedor------------------Runner Up: Randy Couture
2004: BJ Penn---------------Runner up: Fedor
2005: Takanori Gomi-------Runner Up: Shogun Rua
2006: Chuck Liddell---------Runner Up: Fedor
2007: Anderson Silva-------Runner Up : Rampage Jackson
2008: Anderson Silva-------Runner Up: Miguel Torres
2009: GSP--------------------Runner Up: Lyoto Machida
2010: GSP-------------------Runner Up: Jose Aldo
2011: Jon Jones--------------Runner Up: Anderson Silva
Order of who appeared on the list most
3 timesAnderson Silva (2 first place, 1 Runner Up)
Ken Shamrock (2 first place, 1 runner up)
Bas Rutten (1 first place, 2 runner up)
Fedor (1 first place, 2 runner up)
2 timesGSP (2 first place)
Royce Gracie (1 first place, 1 runner up)
Big Nog (1 first place, 1 runner up)
Semmy Schilt (1 first place, 1 runner up)
1 timeEveryone else
http://www.fightmatrix.com/fightmatrix-awards/