| 2025 | The Heaven & Earth Grocery Store | Dublin Literary Award source ↗ (opens in a new tab) | Longlist · Fiction | |
| 2024 | The Heaven & Earth Grocery Store | Aspen Words Literary Prize source ↗ (opens in a new tab) | Shortlist · Fiction | |
| 2024 | The Heaven & Earth Grocery Store | PEN/Faulkner Award for Fiction source ↗ (opens in a new tab) | Longlist · Fiction | |
| 2024 | The Heaven and Earth Grocery Store | Macavity Awards source ↗ (opens in a new tab) | Nominee · Sue Feder Historical Mystery | |
| 2023 | The Heaven & Earth Grocery Store | National Jewish Book Awards source ↗ (opens in a new tab) | Winner · Book Club Award | |
| 2023 | The Heaven & Earth Grocery Store | Barnes & Noble Book of the Year source ↗ (opens in a new tab) | Winner · Book of the Year | |
| 2023 | The Heaven & Earth Grocery Store | Kirkus Prize source ↗ (opens in a new tab) | Winner · Fiction | |
| 2023 | The Heaven & Earth Grocery Store | National Jewish Book Awards source ↗ (opens in a new tab) | Winner · Fiction | |
| 2023 | The Heaven & Earth Grocery Store | Goodreads Choice Awards source ↗ (opens in a new tab) | Nominee · Historical Fiction | |
| 2023 | The Heaven & Earth Grocery Store | Washington Post Best Books of the Year source ↗ (opens in a new tab) | Selection · 10 Best Books | |
| 2023 | The Heaven & Earth Grocery Store | TIME Best Books of the Year source ↗ (opens in a new tab) | Selection · 100 Must-Read | |
| 2023 | The Heaven & Earth Grocery Store | Booklist Editors' Choice source ↗ (opens in a new tab) | Selection · Adult Books: Fiction | |
| 2023 | The Heaven & Earth Grocery Store | The New Yorker Best Books of the Year source ↗ (opens in a new tab) | Selection · Also Recommended | |
| 2023 | The Heaven and Earth Grocery Store | Slate Best Books of the Year source ↗ (opens in a new tab) | Selection · Best Books | |
| 2023 | The Heaven & Earth Grocery Store | New York Public Library Best Books source ↗ (opens in a new tab) | Selection · Best Books for Adults | |
| 2023 | The Heaven & Earth Grocery Store | NPR Books We Love source ↗ (opens in a new tab) | Selection · Books We Love | |
| 2023 | The Heaven & Earth Grocery Store | Barack Obama's Favorite Books source ↗ (opens in a new tab) | Selection · Favorite Books | |
| 2023 | The Heaven & Earth Grocery Store | BookPage Best Books of the Year source ↗ (opens in a new tab) | Selection · Fiction | |
| 2023 | The Heaven & Earth Grocery Store | Kirkus Best Books of the Year source ↗ (opens in a new tab) | Selection · Fiction | |
| 2023 | The Heaven and Earth Grocery Store | The Boston Globe Best Books of the Year source ↗ (opens in a new tab) | Selection · Fiction | |
| 2023 | The Heaven and Earth Grocery Store | Publishers Weekly Best Books source ↗ (opens in a new tab) | Selection · Fiction | |
| 2023 | The Heaven & Earth Grocery Store | TIME Best Books of the Year source ↗ (opens in a new tab) | Selection · Fiction | |
| 2023 | The Heaven & Earth Grocery Store | New York Times 100 Notable Books source ↗ (opens in a new tab) | Selection · Fiction & Poetry | |
| 2023 | The Heaven & Earth Grocery Store | Library Journal Best Books source ↗ (opens in a new tab) | Selection · Literary Fiction | |
| 2023 | The Heaven & Earth Grocery Store | Chicago Public Library Best of the Best source ↗ (opens in a new tab) | Selection · Must-Read Books: Fiction | |
| 2023 | The Heaven & Earth Grocery Store | Chicago Public Library Best of the Best source ↗ (opens in a new tab) | Selection · Our Favorite Books | |
| 2023 | The Heaven & Earth Grocery Store | BookPage Best Books of the Year source ↗ (opens in a new tab) | Selection · Top 10 | |
| 2023 | The Heaven & Earth Grocery Store | Amazon Editors' Best Books of the Year source ↗ (opens in a new tab) | Selection · Top 10 | |
| 2021 | Deacon King Kong | Andrew Carnegie Medals for Excellence source ↗ (opens in a new tab) | Winner · Fiction | |
| 2021 | Deacon King Kong | Dayton Literary Peace Prize source ↗ (opens in a new tab) | Finalist · Fiction | |
| 2020 | Deacon King Kong | Kirkus Prize source ↗ (opens in a new tab) | Finalist · Fiction | |
| 2020 | Deacon King Kong | Goodreads Choice Awards source ↗ (opens in a new tab) | Nominee · Historical Fiction | |
| 2020 | Deacon King Kong | TIME Best Books of the Year source ↗ (opens in a new tab) | Selection · 100 Must-Read | |
| 2020 | Deacon King Kong | Booklist Editors' Choice source ↗ (opens in a new tab) | Selection · Adult Books: Fiction | |
| 2020 | Deacon King Kong | Chicago Public Library Best of the Best source ↗ (opens in a new tab) | Selection · Best Books | |
| 2020 | Deacon King Kong | Los Angeles Times Best Books of the Year source ↗ (opens in a new tab) | Selection · Best Books | |
| 2020 | Deacon King Kong | Slate Best Books of the Year source ↗ (opens in a new tab) | Selection · Best Books | |
| 2020 | Deacon King Kong: A Novel | New York Public Library Best Books source ↗ (opens in a new tab) | Selection · Best Books for Adults | |
| 2020 | Deacon King Kong | Chicago Public Library Best of the Best source ↗ (opens in a new tab) | Selection · Best Books: Top 20 | |
| 2020 | Deacon King Kong | Oprah's Book Club source ↗ (opens in a new tab) | Selection · Book Club Selection | |
| 2020 | Deacon King Kong | Entertainment Weekly Best Books source ↗ (opens in a new tab) | Selection · Books | |
| 2020 | Deacon King Kong: A Novel | NPR Books We Love source ↗ (opens in a new tab) | Selection · Books We Love | |
| 2020 | Deacon King Kong | Barack Obama's Favorite Books source ↗ (opens in a new tab) | Selection · Favorite Books | |
| 2020 | Deacon King Kong | The Boston Globe Best Books of the Year source ↗ (opens in a new tab) | Selection · Fiction | |
| 2020 | Deacon King Kong | Kirkus Best Books of the Year source ↗ (opens in a new tab) | Selection · Fiction | |
| 2020 | Deacon King Kong | New York Times 10 Best Books of the Year source ↗ (opens in a new tab) | Selection · Fiction | |
| 2020 | Deacon King Kong | TIME Best Books of the Year source ↗ (opens in a new tab) | Selection · Fiction | |
| 2020 | Deacon King Kong | BookPage Best Books of the Year source ↗ (opens in a new tab) | Selection · Fiction | |
| 2020 | Deacon King Kong | New York Times 100 Notable Books source ↗ (opens in a new tab) | Selection · Fiction & Poetry | |
| 2020 | Deacon King Kong | Washington Post Best Books of the Year source ↗ (opens in a new tab) | Selection · Notable Fiction | |
| 2018 | Five-Carat Soul | Andrew Carnegie Medals for Excellence source ↗ (opens in a new tab) | Longlist · Fiction | |
| 2017 | Kill 'Em and Leave: Searching for James Brown and the American Soul | Andrew Carnegie Medals for Excellence source ↗ (opens in a new tab) | Longlist · Nonfiction | |
| 2017 | Five-carat Soul | Chicago Public Library Best of the Best source ↗ (opens in a new tab) | Selection · Best Books | |
| 2017 | Five-Carat Soul | NPR Books We Love source ↗ (opens in a new tab) | Selection · Books We Love | |
| 2017 | Five-Carat Soul | Barack Obama's Favorite Books source ↗ (opens in a new tab) | Selection · Favorite Books | |
| 2017 | Five-Carat Soul | Kirkus Best Books of the Year source ↗ (opens in a new tab) | Selection · Fiction | |
| 2017 | Five-Carat Soul | New York Times 100 Notable Books source ↗ (opens in a new tab) | Selection · Fiction & Poetry | |
| 2017 | Five-Carat Soul | Washington Post Best Books of the Year source ↗ (opens in a new tab) | Selection · Notable Fiction | |
| 2017 | Five-Carat Soul | Library Journal Best Books source ↗ (opens in a new tab) | Selection · Short Stories | |
| 2016 | Kill ‘Em and Leave: Searching for the Real James Brown | Los Angeles Times Book Prizes source ↗ (opens in a new tab) | Finalist · Biography | |
| 2016 | Kill ’Em and Leave: Searching for James Brown and the American Soul | Booklist Editors' Choice source ↗ (opens in a new tab) | Selection · Adult Books: Biography | |
| 2016 | Kill 'em and Leave: Searching for James Brown and the American Soul | Chicago Public Library Best of the Best source ↗ (opens in a new tab) | Selection · Best Books | |
| 2016 | Kill 'Em And Leave: Searching For James Brown And The American Soul | NPR Books We Love source ↗ (opens in a new tab) | Selection · Books We Love | |
| 2016 | Kill 'em and Leave | The Guardian Best Books of the Year source ↗ (opens in a new tab) | Selection · Music | |
| 2016 | Kill 'Em and Leave | Kirkus Best Books of the Year source ↗ (opens in a new tab) | Selection · Nonfiction | |
| 2016 | Kill 'Em and Leave: Searching for James Brown and the American Soul | The Boston Globe Best Books of the Year source ↗ (opens in a new tab) | Selection · Nonfiction | |
| 2016 | Kill 'Em and Leave | TIME Best Books of the Year source ↗ (opens in a new tab) | Selection · Nonfiction | |
| 2015 | The Good Lord Bird | Dublin Literary Award source ↗ (opens in a new tab) | Longlist · Fiction | |
| 2014 | The Good Lord Bird | Hurston/Wright Legacy Award source ↗ (opens in a new tab) | Finalist · Fiction | |
| 2014 | The Good Lord Bird | Andrew Carnegie Medals for Excellence source ↗ (opens in a new tab) | Longlist · Fiction | |
| 2013 | The Good Lord Bird | National Book Awards source ↗ (opens in a new tab) | Winner · Fiction | |
| 2013 | The Good Lord Bird | Washington Post Best Books of the Year source ↗ (opens in a new tab) | Selection · 10 Best Books | |
| 2013 | The Good Lord Bird | Booklist Editors' Choice source ↗ (opens in a new tab) | Selection · Adult Books: Fiction | |
| 2013 | The Good Lord Bird | NPR Books We Love source ↗ (opens in a new tab) | Selection · Books We Love | |
| 2013 | The Good Lord Bird | The Boston Globe Best Books of the Year source ↗ (opens in a new tab) | Selection · Fiction | |
| 2013 | The Good Lord Bird | Kirkus Best Books of the Year source ↗ (opens in a new tab) | Selection · Fiction | |
| 2013 | The Good Lord Bird | Publishers Weekly Best Books source ↗ (opens in a new tab) | Selection · Fiction | |
| 2013 | The Good Lord Bird | Financial Times Best Books of the Year source ↗ (opens in a new tab) | Selection · Fiction | |
| 2013 | The Good Lord Bird | Paste Best Books of the Year source ↗ (opens in a new tab) | Selection · Fiction | |
| 2013 | The Good Lord Bird | New York Times 100 Notable Books source ↗ (opens in a new tab) | Selection · Fiction & Poetry | |
| 2013 | The Good Lord Bird | Publishers Weekly Best Books source ↗ (opens in a new tab) | Selection · Top 10 | |
| 2009 | Song Yet Sung | Dayton Literary Peace Prize source ↗ (opens in a new tab) | Finalist · Fiction | |
| 2009 | Song Yet Sung | Hurston/Wright Legacy Award source ↗ (opens in a new tab) | Finalist · Fiction | |