
NDEA fellow, 1974
Obie Award
Outer Critics Circle Award
Audience Development Committee (Audelco) Award
Mademoiselle Award
Frank Silvera Writers’ Workshop Award, 1978
Los Angeles Times Book Prize for Poetry, 1981 (for Three Pieces)
Guggenheim fellowship, 1981
Medal of Excellence, Columbia University, 1981
Obie Award, 1981, for Mother Courage and Her Children
Nori Eboraci Award
Barnard College, 1988
Lila Wallace-Reader’s Digest Fund annual writer’s award, 1992
Paul Robeson Achievement Award, 1992
Arts and Cultural Achievement Award
National Coalition of 100 Black Women (Pennsylvania chapter), 1992
Taos World Poetry Heavyweight Champion, 1992, 1993, 1994
Living Legend Award, National Black Theatre Festival, 1993
Claim Your Life Award
WDAS-AM/FM, 1993
Monarch Merit Award
National Council for Culture and Arts
Supersisters trading card set (one of the cards featured Shange’s name and picture), 1979
Pushcart Prize
St. Louis Walk of Fame inductee
Proclamation of “Ntozake Shange Day” (Borough of Manhattan, New York) by Congressman Charles Rangel on June 14, 2014
Nominations
Tony Award, 1977
Grammy Award, 1977
Emmy Award nominations (all for for colored girls who have considered suicide / when the rainbow is enuf)