 Montebello was named a Gold Medal Honoree of the National Institute of Social Sciences in 1989.Montebello was made a Chevalier de la Légion d'Honneur in 1991 (he was promoted to the rank of Officier in 2007).His adopted home country followed suit by awarding him the National Medal of Arts in 2002, the National Humanities Medal in 2010, and the Mayor's Arts Award in 2007.