 In November 2000, Kopanja was awarded the International Press Freedom Award of the US-based Committee to Protect Journalists, which recognizes journalists who show courage in defending press freedom despite facing attacks, threats, or imprisonment.In the same year, Human Rights Watch awarded him one of its Hellman/Hammett grants, which recognize "writers around the world who have been targets of political persecution and are in financial need".Kopanja's widow is Croatian.