diff --git a/doc/users/next_whats_new/widget_button_styling.rst b/doc/users/next_whats_new/widget_button_styling.rst
@@ -0,0 +1,31 @@
+Custom styling of button widgets
+--------------------------------
+
+Additional custom styling of button widgets may be achieved via the
+*label_props* and *radio_props* arguments to `.RadioButtons`; and the
+*label_props*, *frame_props*, and *check_props* arguments to `.CheckButtons`.
+
+.. plot::
+
+   from matplotlib.widgets import CheckButtons, RadioButtons
+
+   fig, ax = plt.subplots(nrows=2, ncols=2, figsize=(5, 2), width_ratios=[1, 2])
+   default_rb = RadioButtons(ax[0, 0], ['Apples', 'Oranges'])
+   styled_rb = RadioButtons(ax[0, 1], ['Apples', 'Oranges'],
+                            label_props={'color': ['red', 'orange'],
+                                         'fontsize': [16, 20]},
+                            radio_props={'edgecolor': ['red', 'orange'],
+                                         'facecolor': ['mistyrose', 'peachpuff']})
+
+   default_cb = CheckButtons(ax[1, 0], ['Apples', 'Oranges'],
+                             actives=[True, True])
+   styled_cb = CheckButtons(ax[1, 1], ['Apples', 'Oranges'],
+                            actives=[True, True],
+                            label_props={'color': ['red', 'orange'],
+                                         'fontsize': [16, 20]},
+                            frame_props={'edgecolor': ['red', 'orange'],
+                                         'facecolor': ['mistyrose', 'peachpuff']},
+                            check_props={'color': ['darkred', 'darkorange']})
+
+   ax[0, 0].set_title('Default')
+   ax[0, 1].set_title('Stylized')
diff --git a/examples/widgets/check_buttons.py b/examples/widgets/check_buttons.py
@@ -20,19 +20,23 @@
 s2 = np.sin(6*np.pi*t)
 
 fig, ax = plt.subplots()
-l0, = ax.plot(t, s0, visible=False, lw=2, color='k', label='2 Hz')
-l1, = ax.plot(t, s1, lw=2, color='r', label='4 Hz')
-l2, = ax.plot(t, s2, lw=2, color='g', label='6 Hz')
+l0, = ax.plot(t, s0, visible=False, lw=2, color='black', label='1 Hz')
+l1, = ax.plot(t, s1, lw=2, color='red', label='2 Hz')
+l2, = ax.plot(t, s2, lw=2, color='green', label='3 Hz')
 fig.subplots_adjust(left=0.2)
 
 lines_by_label = {l.get_label(): l for l in [l0, l1, l2]}
+line_colors = [l.get_color() for l in lines_by_label.values()]
 
 # Make checkbuttons with all plotted lines with correct visibility
 rax = fig.add_axes([0.05, 0.4, 0.1, 0.15])
 check = CheckButtons(
     ax=rax,
     labels=lines_by_label.keys(),
-    actives=[l.get_visible() for l in lines_by_label.values()]
+    actives=[l.get_visible() for l in lines_by_label.values()],
+    label_props={'color': line_colors},
+    frame_props={'edgecolor': line_colors},
+    check_props={'facecolor': line_colors},
 )
 
 

diff --git a/examples/widgets/radio_buttons.py b/examples/widgets/radio_buttons.py
@@ -25,23 +25,31 @@
 
 axcolor = 'lightgoldenrodyellow'
 rax = fig.add_axes([0.05, 0.7, 0.15, 0.15], facecolor=axcolor)
-radio = RadioButtons(rax, ('2 Hz', '4 Hz', '8 Hz'))
+radio = RadioButtons(rax, ('1 Hz', '2 Hz', '4 Hz'),
+                     label_props={'color': 'cmy', 'fontsize': [12, 14, 16]},
+                     radio_props={'s': [16, 32, 64]})
 
 
 def hzfunc(label):
-    hzdict = {'2 Hz': s0, '4 Hz': s1, '8 Hz': s2}
+    hzdict = {'1 Hz': s0, '2 Hz': s1, '4 Hz': s2}
     ydata = hzdict[label]
     l.set_ydata(ydata)
-    plt.draw()
+    fig.canvas.draw()
 radio.on_clicked(hzfunc)
 
 rax = fig.add_axes([0.05, 0.4, 0.15, 0.15], facecolor=axcolor)
-radio2 = RadioButtons(rax, ('red', 'blue', 'green'))
+radio2 = RadioButtons(
+    rax, ('red', 'blue', 'green'),
+    label_props={'color': ['red', 'blue', 'green']},
+    radio_props={
+        'facecolor': ['red', 'blue', 'green'],
+        'edgecolor': ['darkred', 'darkblue', 'darkgreen'],
+    })
 
 
 def colorfunc(label):
     l.set_color(label)
-    plt.draw()
+    fig.canvas.draw()
 radio2.on_clicked(colorfunc)
 
 rax = fig.add_axes([0.05, 0.1, 0.15, 0.15], facecolor=axcolor)
@@ -50,7 +58,7 @@ def colorfunc(label):
 
 def stylefunc(label):
     l.set_linestyle(label)
-    plt.draw()
+    fig.canvas.draw()
 radio3.on_clicked(stylefunc)
 
 plt.show()

diff --git a/lib/matplotlib/tests/baseline_images/test_widgets/check_radio_buttons.png b/lib/matplotlib/tests/baseline_images/test_widgets/check_radio_buttons.png
diff --git a/lib/matplotlib/tests/test_widgets.py b/lib/matplotlib/tests/test_widgets.py
@@ -992,21 +992,38 @@ def test_TextBox(ax, toolbar):
 @image_comparison(['check_radio_buttons.png'], style='mpl20', remove_text=True)
 def test_check_radio_buttons_image():
     ax = get_ax()
-    # Remove this line when this test image is regenerated.
-    plt.rcParams['text.kerning_factor'] = 6
+    fig = ax.figure
+    fig.subplots_adjust(left=0.3)
 
-    plt.subplots_adjust(left=0.3)
-    rax1 = plt.axes([0.05, 0.7, 0.15, 0.15])
-    rax2 = plt.axes([0.05, 0.2, 0.15, 0.15])
-    rb = widgets.RadioButtons(rax1, ('Radio 1', 'Radio 2', 'Radio 3'))
+    rax1 = fig.add_axes([0.05, 0.7, 0.2, 0.15])
+    rb1 = widgets.RadioButtons(rax1, ('Radio 1', 'Radio 2', 'Radio 3'))
     with pytest.warns(DeprecationWarning,
                       match='The circles attribute was deprecated'):
-        rb.circles  # Trigger the old-style elliptic radiobuttons.
-    cb = widgets.CheckButtons(rax2, ('Check 1', 'Check 2', 'Check 3'),
-                              (False, True, True))
+        rb1.circles  # Trigger the old-style elliptic radiobuttons.
+
+    rax2 = fig.add_axes([0.05, 0.5, 0.2, 0.15])
+    cb1 = widgets.CheckButtons(rax2, ('Check 1', 'Check 2', 'Check 3'),
+                               (False, True, True))
     with pytest.warns(DeprecationWarning,
                       match='The rectangles attribute was deprecated'):
-        cb.rectangles  # Trigger old-style Rectangle check boxes
+        cb1.rectangles  # Trigger old-style Rectangle check boxes
+
+    rax3 = fig.add_axes([0.05, 0.3, 0.2, 0.15])
+    rb3 = widgets.RadioButtons(
+        rax3, ('Radio 1', 'Radio 2', 'Radio 3'),
+        label_props={'fontsize': [8, 12, 16],
+                     'color': ['red', 'green', 'blue']},
+        radio_props={'edgecolor': ['red', 'green', 'blue'],
+                     'facecolor': ['mistyrose', 'palegreen', 'lightblue']})
+
+    rax4 = fig.add_axes([0.05, 0.1, 0.2, 0.15])
+    cb4 = widgets.CheckButtons(
+        rax4, ('Check 1', 'Check 2', 'Check 3'), (False, True, True),
+        label_props={'fontsize': [8, 12, 16],
+                     'color': ['red', 'green', 'blue']},
+        frame_props={'edgecolor': ['red', 'green', 'blue'],
+                     'facecolor': ['mistyrose', 'palegreen', 'lightblue']},
+        check_props={'color': ['red', 'green', 'blue']})
 
 
 @check_figures_equal(extensions=["png"])
@@ -1019,6 +1036,41 @@ def test_radio_buttons(fig_test, fig_ref):
     ax.text(.25, 1/3, "coffee", transform=ax.transAxes, va="center")
 
 
+@check_figures_equal(extensions=['png'])
+def test_radio_buttons_props(fig_test, fig_ref):
+    label_props = {'color': ['red'], 'fontsize': [24]}
+    radio_props = {'facecolor': 'green', 'edgecolor': 'blue', 'linewidth': 2}
+
+    widgets.RadioButtons(fig_ref.subplots(), ['tea', 'coffee'],
+                         label_props=label_props, radio_props=radio_props)
+
+    cb = widgets.RadioButtons(fig_test.subplots(), ['tea', 'coffee'])
+    cb.set_label_props(label_props)
+    # Setting the label size automatically increases default marker size, so we
+    # need to do that here as well.
+    cb.set_radio_props({**radio_props, 's': (24 / 2)**2})
+
+
+def test_radio_button_active_conflict(ax):
+    with pytest.warns(UserWarning,
+                      match=r'Both the \*activecolor\* parameter'):
+        rb = widgets.RadioButtons(ax, ['tea', 'coffee'], activecolor='red',
+                                  radio_props={'facecolor': 'green'})
+    # *radio_props*' facecolor wins over *activecolor*
+    assert mcolors.same_color(rb._buttons.get_facecolor(), ['green', 'none'])
+
+
+@check_figures_equal(extensions=['png'])
+def test_radio_buttons_activecolor_change(fig_test, fig_ref):
+    widgets.RadioButtons(fig_ref.subplots(), ['tea', 'coffee'],
+                         activecolor='green')
+
+    # Test property setter.
+    cb = widgets.RadioButtons(fig_test.subplots(), ['tea', 'coffee'],
+                              activecolor='red')
+    cb.activecolor = 'green'
+
+
 @check_figures_equal(extensions=["png"])
 def test_check_buttons(fig_test, fig_ref):
     widgets.CheckButtons(fig_test.subplots(), ["tea", "coffee"], [True, True])
@@ -1031,6 +1083,29 @@ def test_check_buttons(fig_test, fig_ref):
     ax.text(.25, 1/3, "coffee", transform=ax.transAxes, va="center")
 
 
+@check_figures_equal(extensions=['png'])
+def test_check_button_props(fig_test, fig_ref):
+    label_props = {'color': ['red'], 'fontsize': [24]}
+    frame_props = {'facecolor': 'green', 'edgecolor': 'blue', 'linewidth': 2}
+    check_props = {'facecolor': 'red', 'linewidth': 2}
+
+    widgets.CheckButtons(fig_ref.subplots(), ['tea', 'coffee'], [True, True],
+                         label_props=label_props, frame_props=frame_props,
+                         check_props=check_props)
+
+    cb = widgets.CheckButtons(fig_test.subplots(), ['tea', 'coffee'],
+                              [True, True])
+    cb.set_label_props(label_props)
+    # Setting the label size automatically increases default marker size, so we
+    # need to do that here as well.
+    cb.set_frame_props({**frame_props, 's': (24 / 2)**2})
+    # FIXME: Axes.scatter promotes facecolor to edgecolor on unfilled markers,
+    # but Collection.update doesn't do that (it forgot the marker already).
+    # This means we cannot pass facecolor to both setters directly.
+    check_props['edgecolor'] = check_props.pop('facecolor')
+    cb.set_check_props({**check_props, 's': (24 / 2)**2})
+
+
 @check_figures_equal(extensions=["png"])
 def test_check_buttons_rectangles(fig_test, fig_ref):
     # Test should be removed once .rectangles is removed