Tips on Presenting Awards

Presenting awards can make you nervous, even if you do it often. Most of us don’t present them often enough to get comfortable behind the lectern. Remember first of all, that it’s not a life or death situation. Secondly, just a little bit of preparation and your self-confidence will improve. There are a few tips for presenting awards that may be able to help you be more at ease.

Make an Impact

In most situations, the way an award is presented is nearly as important as the award is. Sloppy presentations can take away from the prestige of the award and reduce the positive impact. The way it is presented informs the recipient as well as the audience of its importance. Think about the award, and what it represents as well as what you can do to ensure the presentation is meaningful and memorable.

Be Prepared for Preparing the Award

Award presentation may require some research including knowing how to pronounce the recipient’s name correctly. Don’t ruin the moment with such a simple, fixable mistake. It’s important to make it a memorable moment that gives value to both the award and recipient. Do some research so you can effectively share the key value behind the award. Here are a few questions you’ll want to answer:

What is the meaning of the award, what does it stand for?
Does it have an important tradition associated with it?
Is there something you know about the recipient in relation to the award that the audience might also find interesting or inspiring?
Can you describe the reasons why this recipient was chosen for the award?

Tell a Great Story

Interesting stories are what people want to hear and it can keep them in the moment. Certainly, use an award presentation to tell a good story with the recipient being the central focus, or hero. By making sure the audience understands the importance of the award, the story behind why it is being given and its significance, you’ll make a lasting impression on the audience as well as the recipient.

Things to Know in Advance

There is some logistical information you’ll need to know prior to the award ceremony. Here are a few of the things you need to find out beforehand.

How much time are you allotted and is there time for recipients to deliver acceptance speeches? If so, how much time are they allowed?
How many awards are to be given? How much total time do you have to present awards?
Are the awards large in size?? Where will they be placed? Will you need an assistant to help handle the awards?

Research questions to find out about awards and recipients:

What did the recipient do to get the award? (Give examples/accomplishments/achievements)
What’s the actual name of the award or trophy?
Were there specific criteria for winning it?
Are there any previous notable winners that need to be mentioned?
What was the process of choosing the winner(s)?
Will the recipient get to keep the award for a designated time period, or is it theirs to keep?
Was there a sponsor for the award that needs to be acknowledged?

Prepare Your Script

After you’ve done all your research and gathered all the pertinent information, get a script, or at least a solid outline together. You don’t want to read it of course, but it’s good to be prepared. Just some notes may be adequate for keeping you on track and getting everything covered. Also, remember that your notes are for you, not for the audience.

Presenting the Award

Once it’s time to present the award, make the person getting the award feel special. For just a few moments, they should be the most important person in the world. Introduce the background and significance of the award and what the winner did to receive it. Once the background is covered, then acknowledge the recipient. Let the crowd have time to clap after announcing their name. Finally, remember that it is all about them, it’s their moment – make it special for them.

If you need help choosing a trophy, plaque or award for an upcoming special occasion, contact us.