• 2015 Montreal Jazz Festival B.B. King Award
• Mississippi Arts Commission Governor’s Arts Award
• Grammy Award, 1996 for “Deep in the Blues” – Traditional Blues Album
• Inducted into the Blues Hall of Fame, Memphis, TN, 2006
• Inducted into Smithsonian Institution, 1991
• Handy Award, 2003 “35th Anniversary Jam” – Traditional Blues Album
• Handy Award, 2001, 1997 Traditional Male Artist of the Year
• Handy Award, 1997 Acoustic Album of the Year – “Deep In The Blues”
• Handy Award, 1991, 1987 Instrumentalist of the Year – Harmonica
• Handy Award, 1991 Contemporary Album of the Year – “Harp Attack”
• Premier Harmonica Player Award, 2000, 1999 Memphis Chapter of National Academy of Record Arts and Sciences
• Down Beat 45th Annual Critics Poll, 1997 “Deep in the Blues” – Blues Album of the Year
• Down Beat 62nd Annual Readers Poll, 1997 “Deep in the Blues” – Blues Album of the Year
• Lifetime Achivement Award, 2000 presented by The Pocono Blues Festival
• Blues Legend Award, 2002 presented by The New England Blues Society
• Howlin’ Wolf Award, 2002 presented by The Blues Foundation
• Theresa Needham Blues Award, 1994 for oustanding service to the Blues community
• Honorary and Lifetime Member, 1993 of the Sonny Boy Blues Society