In spite of its mixed reviews, "I See the Light" has garnered numerous awards and accolades. The song was nominated for the Academy and Golden Globe awards for Best Original Song in 2011, losing both, the former to "We Belong Together" from "Toy Story 3" (2010) and the latter to "You Haven't Seen the Last of Me" from "Burlesque" (2010). Subsequently, "I See the Light" won both the Las Vegas Film Critics Society Award for Best Song and the Grammy Award for Best Song Written for Visual Media. Since its release, the song has been recorded and covered by various musical artists, including musical theatre performers David Harris and Lucy Durack, and classical singer Jackie Evancho.