| 2013 | Behind the Beautiful Forevers: Life, Death, and Hope in a Mumbai Undercity | PEN America Literary Awards source ↗ (opens in a new tab) | Winner · PEN/John Kenneth Galbraith Award for Nonfiction | |
| 2013 | Behind the Beautiful Forevers: Life, Death and Hope in a Mumbai Undercity | Pulitzer Prize for General Nonfiction and Memoir or Autobiography source ↗ (opens in a new tab) | Finalist · General Nonfiction | |
| 2013 | Behind the Beautiful Forevers | Dayton Literary Peace Prize source ↗ (opens in a new tab) | Finalist · Nonfiction | |
| 2013 | Behind the Beautiful Forevers: Life, Death, and Hope in a Mumbai Undercity | Andrew Carnegie Medals for Excellence source ↗ (opens in a new tab) | Longlist · Nonfiction | |
| 2012 | Behind the Beautiful Forevers: Life, Death and Hope in a Mumbai Undercity | Los Angeles Times Book Prizes source ↗ (opens in a new tab) | Winner · Current Interest | |
| 2012 | Behind the Beautiful Forevers: Life, Death, and Hope in a Mumbai Undercity | National Book Awards source ↗ (opens in a new tab) | Winner · Nonfiction | |
| 2012 | Behind the Beautiful Forevers: Life, Death, and Hope in a Mumbai Undercity | National Book Critics Circle Awards source ↗ (opens in a new tab) | Finalist · General Nonfiction | |
| 2012 | Behind the Beautiful Forevers: Life, Death and Hope in a Mumbai Undercity | Baillie Gifford Prize for Non-Fiction source ↗ (opens in a new tab) | Shortlist · Non-Fiction | |
| 2012 | Behind the Beautiful Forevers | Goodreads Choice Awards source ↗ (opens in a new tab) | Nominee · Nonfiction | |
| 2012 | Behind the Beautiful Forevers: Life, Death, and Hope in a Mumbai Undercity | Washington Post Best Books of the Year source ↗ (opens in a new tab) | Selection · 10 Best Books | |
| 2012 | Behind the Beautiful Forevers | Slate Best Books of the Year source ↗ (opens in a new tab) | Selection · Best Books | |
| 2012 | Behind the Beautiful Forevers: Life, Death, and Hope in a Mumbai Undercity | Chicago Tribune Best Books of the Year source ↗ (opens in a new tab) | Selection · Best Books | |
| 2012 | Behind the Beautiful Forevers: Life, Death and Hope in a Mumbai Undercity | Vulture / New York Magazine Best Books of the Year source ↗ (opens in a new tab) | Selection · Best Books | |
| 2012 | Behind the Beautiful Forevers: Life, Death and Hope in a Mumbai Undercity | The Economist Books of the Year source ↗ (opens in a new tab) | Selection · Culture | |
| 2012 | Behind the Beautiful Forevers | Bill Gates' Summer and Holiday Books source ↗ (opens in a new tab) | Selection · Holiday Books | |
| 2012 | Behind the Beautiful Forevers: Life, Death and Hope in a Mumbai Slum | Financial Times Best Books of the Year source ↗ (opens in a new tab) | Selection · Literary Non-fiction | |
| 2012 | Behind the Beautiful Forevers | Kirkus Best Books of the Year source ↗ (opens in a new tab) | Selection · Nonfiction | |
| 2012 | Behind the Beautiful Forevers | New York Times 10 Best Books of the Year source ↗ (opens in a new tab) | Selection · Nonfiction | |
| 2012 | Behind the Beautiful Forevers | New York Times 100 Notable Books source ↗ (opens in a new tab) | Selection · Nonfiction | |
| 2012 | Behind the Beautiful Forevers: Life, Death, and Hope in a Mumbai Undercity | The Boston Globe Best Books of the Year source ↗ (opens in a new tab) | Selection · Nonfiction | |
| 2012 | Behind the Beautiful Forevers: Life, Death, and Hope in a Mumbai Undercity | Publishers Weekly Best Books source ↗ (opens in a new tab) | Selection · Nonfiction | |
| 2012 | Behind the Beautiful Forevers | Entertainment Weekly Best Books source ↗ (opens in a new tab) | Selection · Nonfiction | |
| 2012 | Behind the Beautiful Forevers | Bill Gates' Summer and Holiday Books source ↗ (opens in a new tab) | Selection · Summer Books | |
| 2012 | Behind the Beautiful Forevers: Life, Death, and Hope in a Mumbai Undercity | Amazon Editors' Best Books of the Year source ↗ (opens in a new tab) | Selection · Top 100 | |
| 2012 | Behind the Beautiful Forevers: Life, Death, and Hope in a Mumbai Undercity | Library Journal Best Books source ↗ (opens in a new tab) | Selection · Top Ten | |