* Padma Shri: This is one of the highest civilian awards in India, and Kumaranasan was awarded it in 1971 for his contributions to Malayalam literature.
* Jnanpith Award: Kumaranasan received the Jnanpith Award, India's highest literary honor, in 1978 for his overall contribution to Malayalam literature.
* Soviet Land Nehru Award: Kumaranasan was awarded this international award in 1981 for his contributions to world literature.
* Sahitya Akademi Fellowship: This is a prestigious fellowship awarded by the Sahitya Akademi, India's National Academy of Letters, and Kumaranasan received it in 1982.
* Ezhuthachan Puraskaram: This is Kerala's highest literary honor, and Kumaranasan was posthumously awarded it in 1985 for his contributions to Malayalam literature.