 He was awarded a Leverhulme Trust Prize in 1952, as well as the "Daily Express" Young Painters' Prize (1955) and an Arts Council Purchase Award (1969).After a successful solo show at the Whitechapel Gallery in 1966, Kneale became the first abstract sculptor to be elected a Royal Academician in 1974.He accepted the honour only on the condition that he be allowed to curate a show of contemporary sculpture which resulted in a groundbreaking survey of some of the period's most exciting sculptors.