Ævar has won numerous awards for his work.

Here are some of them:
 

• Iceland's first goodwill ambassador for the United Nations children’s agency, UNICEF (2021-2023). Ambassadors choose their own specialist area, with Ævar choosing to concentrate on children’s rights to education and culture. Renewed in spring of 2023 for two years.

• Selected on the IBBY Honour List 2022 for Your Very Own Underwater Adventure.

• Selected for the Hay Festival's Aarhus39-list: A collection of the 39 best emerging writers for young people from across Europe.

• The Melvin Jones Fellowship from Lions Club -O for promotion of reading.

• JCI Outstanding Person of the Year in 2017.

• A finalist for the In Other Words-prize (Dinosaurs in Reykjavík).

• A special prize from Iceland-division of IBBY (International Board on Books for Young People) in 2022 for the reading promotion, Last Day of School.

• A special prize from Iceland-division of IBBY (International Board on Books for Young People) in 2017 for the reading promotion, The Reading Challenge of Ævar the Scientist.

• Nomination for the ALMA-Awards 2018, as a Promoter of reading.

• Nominated for the Icelandic Literary Prize for Children and YA Books 2017 (Your Very Own Fairy Tale)

• Nominated for the Icelandic Literary Prize for Children and YA Books 2016 (The Robot Attack)

• Finalist and first International Selection of the DeBary Outstanding Children’s Book Awards 2016 (Dinosaurs in Reykjavik)

• Special Award from the Icelandic government in the autumn of 2016, for contribution to the Icelandic language

• The Icelandic Booksellers’ Prize 2016 (2nd place) for the Best Children’s Book of the Year (Your Very Own Spooky Story)

• The Icelandic Booksellers’ Prize 2015 (3rd place) for the Best Children’s Book of the Year (Your Very Own Nordic Mythology)

• The Children’s Choice Book Prize 2015 as the Best Children’s Book of the Year (Your Very Own Fable)

• The Icelandic Booksellers’ Prize 2014 for the Best Children’s. Book of the Year (Your Very Own Fable)

• Edda Awards Winner - Best Children’s Programme, 2015 (Aevar the Scientist)

• Edda Awards Winner - Best Children’s Programme, 2016 (Aevar the Scientist)

• Edda Awards Winner - Best Entertainment Programme, 2016 (Aevar the Scientist)

• Edda Award s Winner - Best Children’s Programme, 2017 (Aevar the Scientist)