 Dingo is a prominent supporter of Australian rules football, and in particular the Australian Football League's West Coast Eagles

Ernie Dingo was made a Member of the Order of Australia in 1990, in recognition of his service to the performing arts.He received the AFI Award for Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Tele feature for "A Waltz Through the Hills" in 1988, after being nominated the previous year for "Tudawali".He has also been nominated for an AFI/AACTA Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role in a Television Drama in 1994 for "Heartland" and in 2013 for "Redfern Now".