Axel Zwingenberger earned recognition not only for his music but also for his photographs:
- German Record Award
1978 (Traditional Jazz Category) for the album "Let's Boogie Woogie All Night Long" with the legendary blues singer Big Joe Turner
- European Newspaper Award
2000 (Category: Photography) for the cover of the weekend edition of the *Hamburger Abendblatt* on September 23, 2000, featuring photographs from Axel Zwingenberger’s book "Vom Zauber der Züge"
- Boogie Woogie Hall of Fame
In 2007, Axel Zwingenberger was inducted into the Boogie Woogie Hall of Fame in the U.S.
- Satorius Medal and Senator of Photography
In 2017, Axel Zwingenberger was honored by the Austrian Photo Association and named Senator of Photography
- Blues Louis
In 2018, Axel Zwingenberger received this Lifetime Achievement Award at the Lahnstein Blues Festival