In addition to regular participation in national and international conferences, festivals, and other new music venues, students and alumni of the UNT composition program have been recognized with a number of honors and distinctions for their work:
American Bandmasters Association Sousa/Ostwald Award
• Yo Goto, 2010
• Michael Daugherty, 2007
• Fisher Tull, 1970
ASCAP Foundation Morton Gould Young Composer Awards
• Cody Forrest, 2014
• Kendall Prinz, 2000 (Finalist)
• David Shipps, 1998 (Finalist)
• Steven Bryant, 1996 (Finalist)
• Mikel Kuehn, 1989
• Michael Daugherty
ASCAP Foundation Rudolf Nissim Prize
• Daniel Chan, 2009 (Special Distinction)
• Cary Boyce, 2006 (Special Distinction)
• Alfred Lee, 2003 (Special Distinction)
ASCAP/SEAMUS Student Composer Commission
• Eli Fieldsteel, 2012 (First Prize)
• Elainie Lillios, 1999 (First Prize)
Aspen Music Festival Scholarship
• Hideko Kawamoto, 1996
Athena Festival Chamber Music Composition Competition
• Hsiao-Lan Wang, 2007 (First Prize)
Atlantic Center for the Arts Resident Fellowship
• Hideko Kawamoto, 1996
• Jing Wang, 2005
Bandmasters Academic Society of Japan Composition Award
• Eli Fieldsteel, 2010 (First Prize)
Barlow Endowment Commission Awards
• Joshua Harris, 2009
• Stephen Anderson, 2009
• Stephen Anderson, 2003
• James Worlton, 2003
• Lisa DeSpain, 2001
• Henry Wolking, 1991
BMI Young Composer Awards
• Joseph Lyszczarz, 2012
• Derek Charke, 1993
• Mikel Kuehn, 1988
• Deric D. Marshall, 1986
• Kevin M. Walczyk, 1986
• Greg Sanders, 1982
Bourges International Competition of Electroacoustic Music and Sonic Art
• Elainie Lillios, 2009 (Prize Winner, Trivium 3)
• Henry Vega, 2009 (Finalist, Quadrivium 5)
• Dave Gedosh, 2009 (Finalist, Residence Category)
• Elainie Lillios, 2008 (Finalist, Trivium 3)
• Yu-Chung Tseng, 2005 (Mention, Quadrivium 4)
• Elainie Lillios, 2004 (Mention, Quadrivium 6)
• Chapman Welch, 2003 (Mention, Residence Category)
• Hideko Kawamoto, 2003 (Finalist, Trivium 3)
• Douglas Holmes, 2002 (Finalist, Quadrivium 5)
• Hideko Kawamoto, 2000 (Mention)
• Yu-Chung Tseng, 1999 (Mention)
• Elainie Lillios, 1998 (Mention)
• Yu-Chung Tseng, 1998 (Mention)
British and international Bass Forum Composition Competition
• Todd Markey, 1999 (First Prize)
CBDNA Young Band Composition Competition
• Kevin Walczyk, 2011 (honorable mention)
• Christopher Tucker, 2003
Civic Orchestra of Chicago Young Composers Reading Session
• Robert Frank, 1988
Concurso Internacional de Música Eletroacústica de São Paulo
• Elainie Lillios, 2000 (Honorable Mention)
Concorso Internazionale "Luigi Russolo" di musica elettroacustica
• Hideko Kawamoto, 2001 (First Prize, Category A)
• Hideko Kawamoto, 2000 (Finalist)
• Hideko Kawamoto, 1999 (Finalist)
• Elainie Lillios, 1999 (Finalist)
• Elainie Lillios, 1998 (Finalist)
Craig and Janet Swan Composer Prize
• Hsiao-Lan Wang, 2004 (Finalist)
Federation of Music Clubs Victor Herbert/ASCAP Young Composers Awards
• Melissa McBride, 1987
Gaudeamus Foundation International Composition Competition
• Henry Vega, 2004 (Finalist)
John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Fellowship
• Mikel Kuehn, 2014
International Alliance for Women in Music (IAWM) — Libby Larsen Prize
• Hsiao-Lan Wang, 2004 (First Prize)
International Alliance for Women in Music (IAWM) — Pauline Oliveros Prize
• Jing Wang, 2006 (First Prize)
• Hsiao-Lan Wang, 2003 (First Prize)
International Competition of Electronic Music Composition "Pierre Schaeffer"
• Elainie Lillios, 2005 (Finalist)
• Yu-Chung Tseng, 2003 (First Prize)
• Jon Anderson, 2003 (Finalist)
• Hsiao-Lan Wang, 2001 (Second Prize)
• Hideko Kawamoto, 1999 (Second Prize)
International Computer Music Association Commission Competition
• Elainie Lillios, 2002
• Michael Matthews, 1994
International Contemporary Music Competition "Città di Udine"
• Yu-Chung Tseng, 2003 (Special Mention)
International Frank Ticheli Composition Competition
• Mark Scott, 2009 (Finalist, Category 1)
• Michael Cortes, 2009 (Finalist, Category 2)
• Eli Fieldsteel, 2009 (Finalist, Category 2)
International Society of Bassists Composition Competition
• Stephen Anderson, 2002 (Honorable Mention)
International Society of Contemporary Music World Music Days
• Richard Daskas, 2009
• Michael Daugherty, 1982
International Society of Music Educators (ISME) DEXIA Composition Prize
• Jon Anderson, 2003 (First Prize)
Ithaca College/Theodore Presser Co. Choral Composition Contest
• Robert Frank, 1993 (First Prize)
Ithaca College Walter Beeler Memorial Composition Prize
• Fisher Tull, 1980
La Muse en Circuit Radiophonic Competition
• Elainie Lillios, 2003
Musica Nova International Electroacoustic Music Competition
• Henry Vega, 2006 (First Prize)
• Yu-Chung Tseng, 2005 (Finalist)
National Band Association/William Revelli Memorial Composition Competition
• Kevin Walczyk, 2011 (First Prize)
• Steven Bryant, 2008 (First Prize)
• Steven Bryant, 2007 (First Prize)
• Joseph Spaniola, 2001 (First Prize)
• Gordon Ring, 1989 (First Prize)
National Endowment for the Arts Composers Fellowship
• Samuel Headrick, 1989-90
National Opera Association Chamber Opera Composition Competition
• Gordon Ring, 2002 (Finalist)
Percussive Arts Society Composition Competition
• Peter Saleh, 2007 (Second Prize, Ensemble Division)
• Da Jeong Choi, 2005 (Second Prize, Solo Division)
• Eric Rodis, 2002 (Third Prize, Solo Division)
• William Steinhort, 1974 (Second Prize, Ensemble Division)
Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia Composition Competition
• Kevin Walczyk, 1994 (First Prize)
Raymond and Beverly Sackler Music Composition Prize
• Kevin Walczyk, 2012
SCI/ASCAP Student Commissioning Project
• Jon Anderson, 2003 (Finalist)
Sigma Alpha Iota Composition Competition
• Hideko Kawamoto, 1995 (Grand Prize)
Turner Classic Movies Young Film Composers Competition
• Daniel Chan, 2005 (Fourth Prize)
USA International Harp Competition Composition Contest
• Yo Goto, 2006 (Second Prize)
Voices of Change Russell Horn Young Composers Competition
• Daniel Sabzghabaei, 2014 (Second Prize)
• Ryan Taycher, 2010 (Second Prize)
• Kohsuke Tajima, 2009 (First Prize)
• Kris Peysen, 2008 (First Prize)
• Da Jeong Choi, 2008 (Honorable Mention)
• Chien-Wen Cheng, 2007 (First Prize)
• Ryan Manchester, 2007 (Honorable Mention)
• Terry Lee, 2005 (Honorable Mention)
• Gabriel Lit, 2005 (Honorable Mention)
• Jon Anderson, 2003 (Third Prize)
• John Dribus, 2003 (Honorable Mention)
• Mark Feezell, 2002 (First Prize)
• Jeffrey Morris, 2002 (Finalist)
• Kazuaki Shiota, 2002 (Finalist)
• Kendall Prinz, 1998 (Second Prize)