Rajkumar received numerous state, national and international awards. He received an honorary doctorate from Mysore University in 1976. He won ten Filmfare awards for the best actor category which happens to be the second highest in the history of Indian films. He won 9 state awards in the best actor category.state awards for films was constituted by karnataka government in 1967 when rajkumar’s half the career was over .But still he managed to win 9 awards which happens to be the highest in the kannada film industry. He also won a National award in best singer category. He received the Padma Bhushan award from the Government of India in 1983 and the Dadasaheb Phalke Award in 1995, in recognition of his contributions to the Kannada film industry.

He was rewarded Karnataka Ratna in the year 1993 by the Government of Karnataka. In the year 1985, Dr. Rajkumar had also won the prestigious Kentucky Colonel award presented in Bangalore by the then Governor of Kentucky state, USA. His fans have conferred him the title “Nata Saarvabhowma” (The Emperor of Acting).