Keane is a four-time recipient of the National Cartoonists Society's Award for Best Syndicated Panel, winning in 1967, 1971, 1973 and 1974. Then in 1982, Keane was named the Society's Cartoonist of the Year and received its top honor, the Reuben Award.
He also received the [[Reuben Award#Elzie Segar Award|Elzie Segar Award]] in 1982 for his unique contribution to the cartooning profession. Keane was honored with the [[Reuben Award#Silver T-Square Award|Silver T-Square Award]] from the National Cartoonist Society in 2002 for "outstanding dedication" to the NCS and the cartooning profession.
In 1998, he became the tenth recipient of the Arizona Heritage Award, joining – among others – Barry Goldwater, Sandra Day O'Connor, Mo Udall and Erma Bombeck.