diff --git a/src/transformers/utils/quantization_config.py b/src/transformers/utils/quantization_config.py
index 34f7cb799a..222ba68a6d 100644
--- a/src/transformers/utils/quantization_config.py
+++ b/src/transformers/utils/quantization_config.py
@@ -44,6 +44,16 @@ class AWQLinearVersion(str, Enum):
     GEMM = "gemm"
     GEMV = "gemv"
 
+    @staticmethod
+    def from_str(version: str):
+        version = version.lower()
+        if version == "gemm":
+            return AWQLinearVersion.GEMM
+        elif version == "gemv":
+            return AWQLinearVersion.GEMV
+        else:
+            raise ValueError(f"Unknown AWQLinearVersion {version}")
+
 
 class AwqBackendPackingMethod(str, Enum):
     AUTOAWQ = "autoawq"
@@ -566,6 +576,7 @@ class AwqConfig(QuantizationConfigMixin):
                 f"Only supported quantization backends in {AwqBackendPackingMethod.AUTOAWQ} and {AwqBackendPackingMethod.LLMAWQ} - not recognized backend {self.backend}"
             )
 
+        self.version = AWQLinearVersion.from_str(self.version)
         if self.version not in [AWQLinearVersion.GEMM, AWQLinearVersion.GEMV]:
             raise ValueError(
                 f"Only supported versions are in [AWQLinearVersion.GEMM, AWQLinearVersion.GEMV] - not recognized version {self.version}"
diff --git a/tests/quantization/autoawq/test_awq.py b/tests/quantization/autoawq/test_awq.py
index 2b3622d823..1f1b51b778 100644
--- a/tests/quantization/autoawq/test_awq.py
+++ b/tests/quantization/autoawq/test_awq.py
@@ -47,6 +47,13 @@ class AwqConfigTest(unittest.TestCase):
         with self.assertRaises(ValueError):
             AwqConfig(bits=4, backend="")
 
+        # These should work fine
+        _ = AwqConfig(bits=4, version="GEMM")
+        _ = AwqConfig(bits=4, version="gemm")
+
+        with self.assertRaises(ValueError):
+            AwqConfig(bits=4, backend="unexisting-backend")
+
         # LLMAWQ does not work on a T4
         with self.assertRaises(ValueError):
             AwqConfig(bits=4, backend="llm-awq")