Anaward, sometimes called adistinction, is given to a recipient as a token ofrecognition of excellence in a certain field.[1][2] When the token is a medal, ribbon or other item designed for wearing, it is known as adecoration.
An award may be described by three aspects: 1) to whom it is given to 2) what 3) by whom, all varying according to purpose.
The recipient is often awarded to an individual, a student, athlete or representative of a group of people, be it anorganisation, asports team or a wholecountry. The award item may be a decoration or an insignia suitable for wearing, such as amedal,badge,award pin orrosette. It can also be a token object such as acertificate,diploma,championship belt,trophy orplaque. The award may also be accompanied by atitle of honor, and an object of direct cash value, such asprize money or ascholarship.
Furthermore, anhonorable mention is an award given, typically ineducation, that does not confer the recipient(s) a higher standing but is considered worth mentioning in anhonourable way. An award may be conferred as astate decoration by asovereignstate,dynasty or otherpublic authority (seefount of honour), or a private organisation or individual. The latter may also include ecclesiastical authorities, such as in the case ofecclesiastical awards.
For example, theNobel Prize recognizes contributions to society, while thePulitzer Prize honors literary achievements. An award may be a public acknowledgment of excellence without any tangible token or prize.
Awards forsports tournaments often take the form ofcups, following a tradition harking back to the ancient Greek tripod given to winners in athletic contests.[3] TheStanley Cup is a modern example. In contrast, awards for employee recognition often take the form of plaques or crystal pieces.[4] An award may carry a monetaryprize given to the recipient.
Finally, an award may recognize participation rather than victory. There is controversy regarding the appropriateness of participation awards for students inUnited States schools.[5]
A relative field to awards isphaleristics, anauxiliary science of history andnumismatics which studiesorders,fraternities andaward items, such asmedals and other decorations.
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