Avis Higgs has been the recipient of many awards throughout her life as an artist and designer:
1937: Second place in League of Nations' national poster design competition for the best poster symbolising peace.
1945: Commonwealth Government commendation from the Australian Federal Treasurer and Prime Minister Ben Chifley, received for her work designing textiles for the war effort with Victory Loan campaign slogans.
1964: Winner of the National Bank of New Zealand Art award for watercolour painting.
1968: Special Merit prize from the National Bank of New Zealand for watercolour painting.
1985: Winner of the IBM New Zealand Fine Arts Award.
2006: Governor General Art Award for 'the long service of an outstanding artist', received at a retrospective exhibition of her works where she was also honoured with Fellowship of the New Zealand Academy of Fine Arts.
2010: Inducted into Massey’s College of Creative Arts 'Hall of Fame'.