During his lifetime, Wilbur received numerous awards in recognition of his work, including:
- Guggenheim Fellowship for Creative Arts (1952, 1963)[17]
- Poetry Society of America Millay Award (1957)[18]
- National Book Award for Poetry (1957) for Things of This World[19]
- Pulitzer Prize for Poetry (1957, 1989) for Things of This World, New and Collected Poems[20]
- Bollingen Prize for Poetry (1971)[21]
- Shelley Memorial Award (1973) [22]
- New York Drama Critics' Circle Award for Best Musical (1973–1974) for Candide[23]
- Outer Critics Circle Award for Best Musical (1973–1974) for Candide[24]
- Drama Desk Special Award (1983) for translation of The Misanthrope[25]
- United States Poet Laureate (1987–1988)[26]
- Laurence Olivier Award for Musical of the Year (1988) for Candide[27]
- St. Louis Literary Award from the Saint Louis University Library Associates[28][29]
- American Academy of Arts and Letters Gold Medal in Poetry (1991)[30]
- Golden Plate Award of the American Academy of Achievement (1995)[31]
- PEN/Ralph Manheim Medal for Translation (1994)[32]
- Frost Medal (1996)[33]
- Wallace Stevens Award (2003)[34]
- Ruth Lilly Poetry Prize (2006)[35]
- Edward MacDowell Medal (1992)[36]
