Honorary Doctorates
- 1989 – Estonian Academy of Music
- 1996 – University of Sydney, Australia
- 1998 – University of Tartu, Estonia
- 2002 – University of Durham, United Kingdom
- 2003 – National University of General San Martín, School of Humanities, Argentina
- 2007 – University of Freiburg, Faculty of Theology, Germany
- 2009 – University of Liège, Belgium
- 2010 – University of St Andrews, United Kingdom
- 2011 – Pontifical Institute for Sacred Music, Vatican
- 2012 – University of Lugano, Faculty of Theology, Switzerland
- 2014 – St Vladimir’s Orthodox Theological Seminary, USA
- 2016 – University of Oxford, United Kingdom
- 2018 – Fryderyk Chopin University of Music, Poland
Honorary Memberships
- 1991 – Royal Swedish Academy of Music, Stockholm, Sweden
- 1996 – American Academy of Arts and Letters, New York, USA
- 2001 – Royal Academy of Sciences, Letters and Fine Arts of Belgium
- 2003 – Royal School of Church Music, Salisbury, United Kingdom
- 2004 – Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia, Rome, Italy
- 2014 – International Society for Contemporary Music (ISCM)
- 2019 – Autism Foundation, I Support a Special Life, Estonia
- 2022 – Estonia Society, Estonia
Memberships
- 2009 – Foreign member of Serbian Academy of Sciences and Arts
- 2011 – Member of the Pontifical Council for Culture, Vatican
- 2011 – Member of the Estonian Academy of Sciences, Academician for Music, Tallinn, Estonia
Grammy Nominations
- 1989 – Passio – Best Contemporary Composition (ECM New Series 1370)
- 1991 – Miserere – Best Contemporary Composition (ECM New Series1430)
- 1994 – Te Deum – Best Performance of a Choral Work (ECM New Series 1505)
- 1998 – Kanon Pokajanen – Best Classical Contemporary Composition (ECM New Series 1654/55)
- 2002 – Orient & Occident – Best Classical Contemporary Composition (ECM New Series 1795)
- 2002 – Orient & Occident – Best Classical Album (ECM New Series 1795)
- 2006 – Da Pacem – Best Choral Performance (Harmonia Mundi HMU 097401)
- 2009 – In Principio – Best Classical Contemporary Composition (ECM New Series 2050)
- 2010 – Symphony No. 4 – Best Classical Contemporary Composition (ECM New Series 2160)
- 2013 – Adam’s Lament – Best Contemporary Classical Composition (ECM New Series 2225)
- 2013 – Adam’s Lament – Best Choral Performance (ECM New Series 2225)
* Twice albums with Arvo Pärt’s music have received a Grammy Award:
- 2007 – Da Pacem – Paul Hillier, conductor (Estonian Philharmonic Chamber Choir; Harmonia Mundi HMU 097401) for the Best Choral Performance
- 2014 – Adam’s Lament – Tõnu Kaljuste, conductor (Sinfonietta Riga, Latvian Radio Choir, Vox Clamantis, Tallinn Chamber Orchestra, Estonian Philharmonic Chamber Choir, soloists Tui Hirv and Rainer Vilu; ECM New Series 2225) for the Best Choral Performance
Other awards, decorations
- 1962 – First Prize for cantata “Our Garden”, Composers Forum Moscow, Russia
- 1978 – Estonian SSR annual music award for “Tabula rasa”
- 1981 – DAAD fellowship (German Academic Exchange Service), Berlin, Germany
- 1989 – Edison Classical Music Award for CD “Passio” (ECM New Series 1370)
- 1995 – Honorary Citizen of Rakvere, Estonia
- 1997 – Independent Russian Arts Award “Triumph”, Moscow, Russia
- 1998 – Culture Award of the Republic of Estonia
- 1998 – Order of the National Coat of Arms, 2nd class, Estonia
- 2000 – Herder Prize, Germany
- 2001 – Commander of the Order of Arts and Letters of the French Republic
- 2002 – Annual Award of the Cultural Endowment of Estonia
- 2003 – C. A. Seghizzi Composition Award for choral work, Gorizia, Italy
- 2003 – Honorary title “Borderlander” given by the Borderland Foundation, Sejny, Poland
- 2003 – Classic BRIT Award – Contemporary Music Award for “Orient & Occident”, United Kingdom
- 2005 – Composer of the Year, Musical America, USA
- 2005 – European Church Music Prize, Germany
- 2005 – Order of Most Reverend Sergius of Radonezh, 2nd degree, Russia
- 2006 – Order of the National Coat of Arms, 1st class, Estonia
- 2007 – International Prize “Baltic Star”, St Petersburg, Russia
- 2007 – International Brückepreis Award of the European City of Görlitz / Zgorzelec
- 2008 – Léonie Sonning Music Prize, Denmark
- 2008 – Austrian Cross of Honour for Science and Art First Class
- 2009 – Lifelong Achievement Award of the Republic of Estonia
- 2009 – Honorary Citizen of Paide, Estonia
- 2010 – Lifetime Achievement Award of 38th International Istanbul Music Festival
- 2010 – Baltic Image Enhancement Award, USA
- 2010 – Coat of Arms of Lääne-Viru County, Estonia
- 2011 – Homage to Arvo Pärt by Konrad Adenauer Foundation, Germany
- 2011 – Coat of Arms of Tallinn
- 2011 – Knight of the National Order of the Legion of Honour, France
- 2011 – Classic Brit Award – Composer of the Year for Symphony No. 4, United Kingdom
- 2012 – Prize of the International Festival Cervantino, Mexico
- 2012 – Estonian Music Council Composition Award
- 2013 – Order of St Anthony and St Theodosius of Pechersk, 2nd degree, Ukraine
- 2013 – Orlando-di-Lasso-Medaille, Germany
- 2013 – Archon of the Ecumenical Patriarchate
- 2014 – Lifetime achievement award by the Estonian American National Council, USA
- 2014 – Praemium Imperiale, Japan
- 2015 – Coat of Arms of Järva County, Estonia
- 2015 – Estonian Evangelical Lutheran Church Cross of Merit, 1st class
- 2015 – Austrian Decoration for Science and Art
- 2015 – Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival (PÖFF) Lifetime Achievement Award, Estonia
- 2016 – Annual award of the Cultural Endowment of Estonia for outstanding contributions to the musical culture of the world in 2015
- 2016 – Honorary Citizen of Keila Parish, Estonia
- 2016 – Medal of the Pontifical Council for Culture “Per Arte ad Deum”, Poland
- 2016 – Cultural Merit Order of Romania in the Category of Music
- 2017 – Edison Classical Music Award for the best choral performance – album “Kanon Pokajanen”(Harmonia Mundi HMC 905274), Netherlands
- 2017 – Ratzinger Prize, Vatican
- 2017 – Honoured Artist of Music, International Association of People in Music, Russia
- 2018 – Commander in the Order of Orange-Nassau, Netherlands
- 2018 – Golden Medal for Merit to Culture — Gloria Artis, Poland
- 2019 – Honorary Citizen of Harju County, Estonia
- 2019 – SMR (Semana de Música Religiosa de Cuenca) Honorific Award, Spain
- 2019 – The German Music Authors’ Prize
- 2019 – Cross of Recognition 2nd Class (Grand Officer), Latvia
- 2020 – Frontiers of Knowledge Award, BBVA Foundation, Spain
- 2021 – Grand Cross of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany
- 2022 – Officer grade of the Order of the Oak Crown of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg
- 2022 – Cross of Merit of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, First Class, Estonia
- 2023 – Commander Grand Cross of the Order of the Polar Star, Sweden
- 2023 – Polar Music Prize, Sweden
- 2024 – Royal Philharmonic Society Gold Medal, Great Britain
- 2024 – Commander of the Order of Cultural Merit, Principality of Monaco