This is such a cool thread!
SALES
Okay, I'm such a single and album sales geek. This information is from the Recording Industry Association of Japan (RIAJ) website. The data here is certainly more reliable than those on the Oricon and Planet Chart websites, since those two charts stop counting sales numbers after the single or album has dropped out of their respective charts. The only problem is the RIAJ website is not comprehensive
The success of singles and albums are only recorded as:
gold (at least 100,000 copies sold)
platinum (at least 250,000 copies sold)
double platinum (at least 500,000 copies sold)
triple platinum (at least 750,000 copies sold)
million (at least a million copies sold)
and so on and so forth.
This is the data available on Ayu on the website:
ALBUMS
Duty - 3 million copies sold
A Best - 4 million copies sold
I Am... - 3 million copies sold
Rainbow - 2 million copies sold
A Ballads - 1 million copies sold
Memorial Ballads - 1 million copies sold
My Story - 1 million copies sold
SINGLES
Free and Easy - double platinum
H - million seller (only one of 2002!)
Voyage - triple platinum
& - double platinum
Forgiveness - platinum
No Way To Say - platinum
Moments - platinum
Inspire - platinum
Carols - platinum
Step You - platinum
Fairyland - platinum
Heaven - platinum
I'm not sure if these figures include overseas sales. Hikki's Be My Last only sold 80,000 copies during its first week on the Oricon chart, but according to the RIAJ website, it has gone double platinum!?!?!?
Source: hxxp://www.riaj.or.jp
AWARDS
Ayu has won the highest award in Japanese music, the Japan Record Award or the Nihon Record Taisho, THREE times, the only artist to do so in the award's 46-year history. Two-time winners include Akina Nakamori, Namie Amuro, and Mr. Children, last year's winner.
42nd Nihon Record Taisho:
Best Album - Duty
Other Nominees:
Shoso Strip by Shiina Ringo
Love is the Message by Misia
43rd Nihon Record Taisho:
Grand Prize - Dearest
Other Noteworthy Nominees (incomplete list):
Fragile by Every Little Thing
Shiroi Koibito something by Kuwata Keisuke (Southern All Stars)
44th Nihon Record Taisho:
Grand Prize - Voyage
Other Noteworthy Nominess (incomplete list):
something Sou Sou by Natsukawa Rimi
Amai something something by Shimatani Hitomi
45th Nihon Record Taisho:
Grand Prize - No Way To Say
Other Noteworthy Nominees (incomplete list):
Together by Exile
Yuki no Hana by Nakashima Mika
What should win the 47th Nihon Record Taisho: Heaven! Hehe
Source: hxxp://www.jacompa.or.jp
More data to come, if anyone wants it. Hope I've helped add to the databank