60 holiday party awards for work, plus how to vote and present them
Holiday party awards are short, kind titles your team votes on and hands out at the year-end party. Pick 8 to 12 from the 60 below, mixing real wins, funny holiday titles and team awards, and present them in about 15 minutes.
The best Christmas and holiday party awards celebrate something a person or team did this year, never how they look or what went wrong. Collect nominations with one reason each, let a small panel pick, and read that reason out with every winner’s name. Then hand the room to a game so the party keeps going.
60 holiday party award ideas
Twelve per group, each with who it goes to. None repeats our office superlatives, so you can use both lists on the same night.
Year-in-review awards
For the work people will remember from this year.
- The North Star AwardKept everyone pointed the same way all year.
- Biggest Win, WrappedClosed the project the whole company still mentions.
- The Snowplow AwardCleared the blockers so everyone else could move.
- Comeback of the YearTurned the year's toughest project around.
- Best New HabitStarted a routine the team still uses every week.
- Hardest Knot UntiedSolved the problem nobody else could crack.
- The Quiet EngineDid the unglamorous work that kept things running.
- Best First YearJoined this year and made a mark fast.
- Thank-You Note MagnetEarned the most kind words from customers.
- Biggest StretchTook on a skill or role that was brand new to them.
- Most Generous ExpertShared what they know with anyone who asked.
- Fresh Eyes AwardAsked why we do it this way, and found a better way.
Funny holiday awards (that stay kind)
Seasonal names with a real reason behind each one. They work whether or not someone celebrates.
- The Tinsel AwardAdded sparkle to every deck, doc and demo.
- Hot Cocoa AwardThe warmest person to talk to on a cold Monday.
- Sleigh the DeadlineDelivered on time through the busiest weeks.
- Snow Globe AwardStayed calm however hard the year shook things.
- Gingerbread ArchitectBuilt the template or system everyone now lives in.
- Head ElfMade a hundred small things happen behind the scenes.
- Twinkle Lights AwardBrightened the team chat all year long.
- Snowball StarterHad the small idea that rolled into something big.
- Gift Wrap AwardEvery handoff arrives neat, labeled and ready to open.
- Fireside Chat AwardGave the best one-on-one advice of the year.
- Catchphrase of the YearSaid the line the whole team started repeating.
- Peppermint AwardBrought fresh energy to every Monday meeting.
Party night awards
Voted on during the party itself, by a show of hands or a quick poll in the chat.
- Best Holiday Sweater, Opt-InOnly for people who entered the sweater contest.
- Best Gift Wrap at the SwapThe prettiest package at the gift exchange.
- Best Homemade TreatThe cookie tray that emptied first.
- Party Game ChampionsThe table or team that won tonight's game.
- Best Acceptance SpeechThe winner whose thank-you got the biggest cheer.
- Best Photo Booth ShotThe group photo everyone asked to have sent.
- Best Festive BackgroundThe most cheerful video background on the call.
- Fastest BuzzerQuickest right answer in the party game.
- Best Team NameThe funniest team name in tonight's game.
- Best Card or NoteThe written message that made someone's week.
- Most Helpful Party ElfSet up, cleaned up or kept remote guests in the loop.
- Sharpest Gift Swap GuessCorrectly guessed who their Secret Santa was.
Team awards
For whole teams, so every department hears its name at least once.
- Launch of the YearThe release, campaign or opening that defined the year.
- Best Cross-Team RescueJumped in to help another team hit its date.
- Most Cheerful InboxAnswered every request with a friendly reply.
- Best Team RitualThe standup, demo day or shout-out habit worth copying.
- Fastest TurnaroundSaid yes and delivered in days, not weeks.
- Best HandoffTwo teams that made a hard handover look easy.
- Biggest Customer SmileEarned the year's best customer feedback.
- Best Written PlaybookWrote it down so nobody had to ask twice.
- Best Team CelebrationMarked its wins in the most memorable way.
- Backstage Crew AwardThe team whose work is everywhere and rarely seen.
- Best ExperimentTried something new and shared what it learned.
- Hybrid Team of the YearKept office and remote people equally in the loop.
Heartfelt awards to end on
Save two or three of these for last. They land after the laughs.
- The Thank-You AwardNamed most often in the team's shout-outs.
- Kindness of the YearA small kind act someone still talks about.
- Best ListenerMakes people feel heard in every conversation.
- The Open Door AwardAlways found time for one more question.
- Brightest OutlookKept spirits up through the hardest stretch.
- The EncouragerBelieved in people before they believed in themselves.
- Grace Under PressureStayed kind on the very worst days.
- Best Advice of the YearSaid the thing that changed how someone works.
- The Patience AwardAnswered the same question kindly, every single time.
- Hero of the Hard WeekStepped up when a teammate needed time away.
- The Giver AwardGave time to a cause, a coworker or the community.
- Heart of the TeamThe name everyone wrote first.
Giving more than a dozen, or adding leadership and service awards? A virtual awards ceremony with a host keeps a longer program moving, with prizes shipped to every winner’s home.
Have a host run a game show around your awards
The awards fill 15 minutes. A live host runs about an hour of game show before or after them, with every guest playing from the office or home, and your team does no prep. December dates go quickly, and hosted games book about 2 weeks ahead.
Your Favorite Game Shows!Starting at $39 USD / person
Poll Points!Starting at $34 USD / person
Holiday Fun & GamesStarting at $39 USD / person
Festive Family FeudStarting at $34 USD / person
How to vote on holiday party awards
Start about two weeks before the party. The whole vote takes one form and one short meeting.
- Choose 8 to 12 awards. Enough that every team hears a name, few enough to present in 15 minutes. Mix at least one from each group above.
- Ask for nominations with a reason. One short form: the award, the person and one sentence on why. That sentence becomes the line you read on stage.
- Give it a week, then close it. Send one reminder halfway. Close nominations a few days before the party so you have time for prizes.
- Let a small panel pick. Two or three people from different teams choose from the nominations. Most votes is a guide, not the rule.
- Spread the wins. One award per person, and check the list covers remote staff, new hires and every department.
- Tell nobody until the party. Except a manager who needs to make sure the winner will be there, or online, at that hour.
Four checks before a funny award goes on a slide
- Ask the winner first if an award is even slightly teasing.
- Name what they did, never how they look, what they eat or what went wrong.
- Skip awards about drinking, dating, age, money or who leaves first.
- If one person wins every vote, give them one award and thank them in the opener.
Party night awards need a quick vote in the moment, so put them right after a game. In Poll Points, a hosted game show, players guess how the crowd answered each poll question, and the room is warmed up to vote by the time you read the winners.
How to present the awards in the room or on video
- In the office. One presenter, one mic, winners walk up. Hand over the prize, snap a photo, keep each award to a minute.
- On Zoom or Teams. Put each award on its own slide, spotlight the winner, and ask them to unmute for a 10-second thank-you.
- Hybrid. Alternate room and remote winners, read the chat cheers aloud, and point a camera at the stage, not the back of the room.
A 15-minute awards segment
- 0:00Why we do this: one sentence on the year, no slides of numbers.
- 1:00Team awards first, so every department gets its moment early.
- 5:00Year-in-review and funny awards: name the award, read the reason, then the winner.
- 11:00Party night awards voted in the room or the chat a few minutes earlier.
- 13:00Two or three heartfelt awards to close.
- 15:00Group photo or gallery screenshot, then straight into the game.
Running it for a team spread across time zones? Our virtual year-end party page has a 60-minute run of show and live prices for 50 to 180 guests. For the rest of the evening, see the holiday party agenda.
Holiday party award prizes
The reason read aloud is the real prize. Something small to hold makes it stick.
- A certificate with the reason printed on it. Free, and the line people actually keep.
- A homemade trophy. A spray-painted ornament or mug glued to a block of wood.
- First pick from the gift swap pile. Costs nothing and gets a laugh.
- Pick next month's team lunch spot. Or the playlist for the first week back.
- A chocolate gift box shipped home. Remote winners get the same prize the room does.
- A donation in their name. To a cause the winner picks.
- Coffee with a leader of their choice. Opt-in only; some people would rather have the chocolate.
- A hosted game hour for the winning team. Works well for the team awards.
For remote winners, corporate gifts under $25 ship a chocolate box to each home, so nobody on video gets a smaller prize than the room. In the US, cash and gift cards count as taxable wages at any amount, so check with payroll before you hand them out.
