Peter Fuller acted "selflessly" to save dentist Dr Sarandev Bhambra in Tesco in Mold in January 2015 which led to his attacker being jailed for life.
Mr Fuller received the bravery award at the annual ceremony in Cardiff Bay.
Wales boss Chris Coleman won the sport award for helping Wales' football team reach the Euro 2016 finals.
He is the first national boss to help his team qualify for a major tournament since Jimmy Murphy led the country to the 1958 World Cup.
The citizenship award went to Janet Williams from Porthmadog, Gwynedd, who has fostered more than 100 children over the past 35 years.
A special award went to international rugby referee Nigel Owens, from Carmarthenshire, who was described as being a "fabulous ambassador for Wales".
The full list of award winners can be viewed online.
An ex-soldier who stopped a shopper from being beheaded in a racially-motivated attack in Flintshire has been honoured in the annual St David Awards.