Presenting an award is about honoring the recipient, not the presenter. The presenter should consider the rhetorical situation including the occasion, audience, and purpose. They should learn about the recipient and award to craft brief, focused remarks that motivate the audience to appreciate the recipient's achievement. When revealing the winner, the presenter must decide whether to surprise the audience or identify the recipient at the beginning, depending on traditions. The goal is for the audience to remember the honoree, not the presenter.

1. Chapter 8.4
Presenting an Award
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2. Introduction
• Presenting an award and accepting an award are obviously
related, but they are different in terms of presentation strategies
• Here, we focus on the central principles, strategies, and skills of
the presenter
2

3. Key Features
• Presenting an award is not about you
• Your remarks depend on what the audience knows
• Your remarks can be brief or lengthy
3

4. Consider the Rhetorical Situation
• Occasion: An award presentation is held to honor someone with a
gift or award in recognition of a specific achievement or overall
excellence
• Speaker: Keep the focus on the award winner and its sponsor
• Audience: Use audience analysis to determine what your audience
knows, believes, wants, and expects
• Purpose: Present an award to a worthy recipient
• Content: Learn as much as you can about the award recipient and
the significance of the award
• Delivery: Use a manuscript, and practice your delivery so you can
maintain eye contact with your audience
4

5. Revealing the Winner
• If the award recipients and audience members know who will be
honored at the event, presenters can prepare their remarks in
advance
• When neither the award winner nor the audience knows who will
win the award, you have to decide whether you surprise the
award winner and audience at the end of your presentation, or
you identify the award winner at the beginning
• These decisions may be determined by the traditions of the
organization
5

6. Keep in Mind . . .
• Enlist Language Strategies to Achieve Your Purpose: Make sure
every carefully chosen word and phrase contributes to achieving
its purpose
• Pay Attention to the Nature of the Occasion and the Logistics of the
Setting
• Introduce Yourself, but Keep It Simple
• Perfect the Handoff: Practice handing someone an object or
envelope, present the award with your left hand, and shake the
person’s right hand
• Make Sure They Don’t Remember You: Motivate your listeners to
appreciate the winner’s achievement and the significance of the
award, and strive to not be remembered 6

7. Credits
This concludes the Lecture PowerPoint presentation for Chapter 8.4.
For more resources, please visit The Norton Field Guide to Speaking:
http://digital.wwnorton.com/nfgspeaking.
Copyright © 2022 W. W. Norton & Company