The 1965 winners, the fifteenth recipients of the awards, were divided into six categories, open only to English and Filipino [Tagalog] short story, poetry, and one-act play:
- First Prize: Nick Joaquin, "Doña Jeronima"
- Second Prize: Bienvenido N. Santos, "The Enchanted Plant"
- Third Prize: Almatita Tayo, "Naked Song"
- First Prize: Epifanio San Juan Jr., "Godkissing Carrion"
- Second Prize: Emmanuel Torres, "A Group of Poems"
- Third Prize: Valdemar Olaguer, "A Group of Poems"
- First Prize: Nestor Torre Jr., "No Sadder Race"
- Second Prize: Jesus T. Peralta, "The Mouth is an Open Wound"
- Third Prize: Mar V. Puatu, "Lust is a Four-letter Word"
- First Prize: Benjamin P. Pascual, "Landas sa Bahaghari"
- Second Prize: Eli Ang Barroso, "Kamatayan sa Dilim at Ulan"
- Third Prize: Bayani De Leon, "Mga Luha ni Leila"
- First Prize: Ruben Vega, "Sa Pagkaparool"
- Second Prize: Teo S. Baylen, "Mga Sugat ng Siglo"
- Third Prize: Gonzalo Flores, "Makiling"
- First Prize: Edgardo M. Reyes, "Mga Yagit"
- Second Prize: Pablo M. Cuasay, "Maskara"
- Third Prize: Agapito M. Joaquin, "Ang Taksil"