K. C. Nicolaou has received numerous awards and honors including:
* 2021 Robert Koch Gold Medal (Germany)
* 2016 Wolf Prize in Chemistry (Israel)
* 2011 Benjamin Franklin Medal in Chemistry (Franklin Institute USA)
* 2005 Arthur C. Cope Award (USA)
* 2003 Nobel Laureate Signature Award in Graduate Education (with Phil S. Baran)
* 2002 Tetrahedron Prize
* 2001 Ernst Schering Prize (Germany)
* 2000 Paul Karrer Gold Medal (Switzerland)
* 1998 Esselen Award (USA)
* 1996 Linus Pauling Award (USA)
* 1996 William H. Nichols Medal (USA)
* Aspirin Prize (Spain)
* Max Tishler Prize Lecture (Harvard)
* Yamada Prize (Japan)
* Janssen Prize (Belgium)
* Nagoya Medal (Japan)
* Centenary Medal (Royal Society UK)
* Inhoffen Medal (Germany)
* ACS Award for Creative Work in Synthetic Organic Chemistry (USA)
* ACS Guenther Award in Natural Products Chemistry (USA)
* Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences
* Member of the National Academy of Sciences
*Member of the American Philosophical Society
* Foreign Member of the Royal Society (2013)
* Several honorary degrees