Recognition for Mr. Mortilla's work includes multiple commissions from the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, The Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences, The American Music Center, Meet the Composer, The National Endowment for the Arts, The Massachusetts Council on the Arts, Ensoniq Corporation, The Helena Rubinstein Foundation, and private individuals.

He has received artistic recognition awards from Backstage West Magazine (shown below), The LA Weekly, The Santa Barbara Independent, The County of Santa Barbara Arts Fund (COSBA) & The Silent Society, among others.

Michael Mortilla won a Garland Award (above)

from Backstage West Magazine in 2003

for Johnny Got His Gun