Each year the WHA presents over 25 awards, fellowships, and scholarships to scholars, public historians, graduate students, and members of the historical profession. The organization has a long history of recognizing the research and teaching that strengthens the field of the North American West. Each award committee consists of at least three individuals who serve a three-year term at the request of the WHA President. Submission deadlines are in the spring and summer and award notifications are submitted in the fall. Please visit each specific award page for more deadlines, committees, and past recipients. Contact the Award Committee Chair or the WHA Office with questions and inquiries. View the 2020 award recipients or look through the 60th Annual Awards Ceremony Program (pdf version available here). (View the WHA Award recipient archive here.)

The WHA also recognizes the recipients of honors from affiliated groups and organizations. Each year at the WHA's annual "Indian Scholar's Luncheon" an individual in honored with the American Indian Lifetime Achievement Award. It recognizes superb scholarship and one's dedication for mentoring Native American and Indigenous students to advance the study of American Indian history (view a list of past honorees here). Check out the scholarly prizes from the Coalition for Western Women's History and Westerner's International to read about past award recipients. Many of these individuals are also briefly recognized at the WHA Annual Awards Banquet to highlight the dynamic scholarship and teaching the field of western history.

According to the Bylaws of the WHA Constitution, the WHA President selects all members of the WHA Award Committees. In the 2018 the WHA Council adopted a policy that all Award Committee appointees must hold current membership in the WHA.