Williams received critical praise and recognition for her portrayal of Arya in the show. In her second year of professional acting, she was submitted in the category of Outstanding Supporting Actress for the 64th Primetime Emmy Awards by HBO, but did not make the nomination shortlist. She won the 2012 Portal Award for Best Supporting Actress – Television (at 15 years, the youngest actress ever to achieve this) and the Portal Award for Best Young Actor. In November 2013, she received the BBC Radio 1 Teen Award for Best British Actor. August 2014 she won "Best Supporting Actress, Drama" in the EWwy Awards. In 2015, she was awarded the Empire Hero Award, and the Saturn Award for Best Performance by a Young Actor in a Television Series In 2016, she was nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series. In 2019, her performance in final season of the drama resulted in her again receiving the Saturn Award for Best Performance by a Younger Actor in a Television Series, as well as nominations for the Best Hero and Best Fight in the MTV Movie & TV Awards and People's Choice Awards for The Female TV Star and The Drama TV Star. Regarding Williams' second Primetime Emmy Award nomination for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series in 2019, Daniel D'Addario from "Variety" said that Williams "entered the show as a child with minimal experience, but swiftly proved herself a very gifted performer... Millions watched her grow into her talents – and a fitting end to her very unusual journey through her first role" would be for her to win an Emmy.