* National Medal of Arts (2000)
* Spingarn Medal (1994) from the NAACP
* National Book Award for Poetry (1993) for "I Shall Not Be Moved"
* Grammy Award (1995) for "A Song Flung Up to Heaven"
* Presidential Medal of Freedom (2010)
* The National Humanities Medal (2010)
* The National Medal of Arts (2010)
* The Pulitzer Prize (1995) for her poem "A Song Flung Up to Heaven"
This is not an exhaustive list, but it highlights some of the most prestigious awards she received.