The School of Journalism at Columbia University, which awards the Maria Moors Cabot Prize, explained its selection of Aristegui as follows: "Aristegui gives voice to Mexicans who would otherwise not be heard or seen because they criticize the country's most powerful institutions.
The heat generated by her morning talk show on W Radio, 'Hoy por Hoy,' led to Aristegui's forced departure.
Aristegui continues to explain, celebrate, and expose what is great and wrong in Mexico — and in the hemisphere — on her CNN en Español show, 'Aristegui,' and in her column in the newspaper Reforma.
Her courage serves as an example for journalists, especially women, fighting to make their voices heard."
Upon accepting the prize, she dedicated it to her son and spoke about her firing by W Radio, saying that the incident "showed just how frail a journalist can be."
Adding that "a country cannot be truly democratic when two companies control 94 %" of the media, she called Mexico "a high-risk country for our profession."

On being presented with the Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz Prize, Aristegui dedicated it to the writer Germán Dehesa, who had died the previous September, and to the 64 reporters killed in recent years for exercising their freedom of expression. "
Sor Juana Ines de la Cruz," said Aristegui, "is a key character, transcendent, transformative, a kind of myth.
Sor Juana's life was devoted to study, to the pursuit of knowledge, not only in order to understand, unravel and know, but precisely to make possible a window on liberty."

The French government awarded Aristegui the Legion of Honor in recognition of her "struggle for freedom of expression, and her commitment to the defense of those who often have no voice in the media, as well as her work for democracy and rule of law in Mexico."

Aristegui has received the following awards and honors:
2001 – National Award for Journalism (shared with Javier Solórzano)
2002 – Recognized by the Mexican Center for Philanthropy
2002 – Mexican Press Club, National Journalism Award
2003 – Named Best National Anchor
2003 – Public Image Prize for Best Journalist at National Level
2004 – Mexican Press Club, National Journalism Award
2004 – National Award for Journalism
2004 – Mont Blanc Woman of the Year
2005 – Honored by the National Institute of Indigenous Languages
2005 – National Award for Journalism
2006 - Omecihauatl Medal, from the Instituto de las Mujeres-DF
2006 - Ondas Iberoamericano Radio Prize, for the program Hoy por hoy
2006 – Mexican Journalism Prize, awarded by the Fifth National Congress of the Federation of Mexican Journalists' Associations, in the category of interviewing
2008 - María Moors Cabot Prize from the School of Journalism at Columbia University
2009 – National Award for Journalism
2010 – National Award for Journalism
2010 – Sor Juana Ines de la Cruz Prize
2012 – Named a Chevalier of the French Legion of Honor
2014 - PEN Mexico Prize
2015 - Gabriel García Marquez Prize, for research on "The White House".

2016 - Chosen as one of BBC's 100 Women
2017 - Chosen as one of 50 "World's greatest leaders" by Fortune magazine.

2018 - Received the John Peter and Anna Catherine Zenger Award for Press Freedom from the University of Arizona School of Journalism.
The School of Journalism at Columbia University, which awards the Maria Moors Cabot Prize, explained its selection of Aristegui as follows: "Aristegui gives voice to Mexicans who would otherwise not be heard or seen because they criticize the country's most powerful institutions. The heat generated by her morning talk show on W Radio, 'Hoy por Hoy,' led to Aristegui's forced departure. Aristegui continues to explain, celebrate, and expose what is great and wrong in Mexico — and in the hemisphere — on her CNN en Español show, 'Aristegui,' and in her column in the newspaper Reforma. Her courage serves as an example for journalists, especially women, fighting to make their voices heard." Upon accepting the prize, she dedicated it to her son and spoke about her firing by W Radio, saying that the incident "showed just how frail a journalist can be." Adding that "a country cannot be truly democratic when two companies control 94 %" of the media, she called Mexico "a high-risk country for our profession."
On being presented with the Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz Prize, Aristegui dedicated it to the writer Germán Dehesa, who had died the previous September, and to the 64 reporters killed in recent years for exercising their freedom of expression. "Sor Juana Ines de la Cruz," said Aristegui, "is a key character, transcendent, transformative, a kind of myth. Sor Juana's life was devoted to study, to the pursuit of knowledge, not only in order to understand, unravel and know, but precisely to make possible a window on liberty."
The French government awarded Aristegui the Legion of Honor in recognition of her "struggle for freedom of expression, and her commitment to the defense of those who often have no voice in the media, as well as her work for democracy and rule of law in Mexico."
Aristegui has received the following awards and honors:
2001 – National Award for Journalism (shared with Javier Solórzano)
2002 – Recognized by the Mexican Center for Philanthropy
2002 – Mexican Press Club, National Journalism Award
2003 – Named Best National Anchor
2003 – Public Image Prize for Best Journalist at National Level
2004 – Mexican Press Club, National Journalism Award
2004 – National Award for Journalism
2004 – Mont Blanc Woman of the Year
2005 – Honored by the National Institute of Indigenous Languages
2005 – National Award for Journalism
2006 - Omecihauatl Medal, from the Instituto de las Mujeres-DF
2006 - Ondas Iberoamericano Radio Prize, for the program Hoy por hoy
2006 – Mexican Journalism Prize, awarded by the Fifth National Congress of the Federation of Mexican Journalists' Associations, in the category of interviewing
2008 - María Moors Cabot Prize from the School of Journalism at Columbia University
2009 – National Award for Journalism
2010 – National Award for Journalism
2010 – Sor Juana Ines de la Cruz Prize
2012 – Named a Chevalier of the French Legion of Honor
2014 - PEN Mexico Prize
2015 - Gabriel García Marquez Prize, for research on "The White House".
2016 - Chosen as one of BBC's 100 Women
2017 - Chosen as one of 50 "World's greatest leaders" by Fortune magazine.
2018 - Received the John Peter and Anna Catherine Zenger Award for Press Freedom from the University of Arizona School of Journalism.
Carmen Aristegui