Virtual awards ceremony

A virtual awards ceremony works when the awards stay short and a live-hosted game show carries the energy: about 90 seconds per award, the game show in the middle, the top awards last, and prizes shipped to winners' homes so they open them on camera.

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Hosted game shows book 2 weeks ahead · Zoom, Microsoft Teams or Google Meet

A man at his home desk holds a small glass award and covers his mouth in surprise as colleagues on a laptop video call clap for him

A 90-minute awards night

Two short award blocks with an hour of game show between them, so energy is high when the top awards land.

  1. 0:00Doors open · the producerMusic on. Ask everyone to add their team to their display name, so the chat shows who is cheering for whom.
  2. 0:04Welcome · the emceeWhy these awards exist, how winners were picked, and a promise to end on time.
  3. 0:07First awards block · presentersSix team awards at 90 seconds each, with a chat cheer between them.
  4. 0:19The game show · your hostMixed teams in small groups, with the game winners named on the main screen.
  5. 1:19The top awards · the CEOTwo or three awards with more room: a longer read of the nomination and a 60-second thank-you.
  6. 1:27Close · the emceeThank every nominee, post the winners list in the chat, end on time.

Four people run it

  • Emcee: a leader people like hearing from, who keeps every award to time.
  • Producer: shares the slides, spotlights each winner and mutes the room.
  • Presenters: one manager per award, reading two lines of the nomination.
  • Game host: the live host on your booking, who runs the hour in the middle.

Only want the awards? Cut the game and it's a 30-minute ceremony.

How to present an award on video

Ninety seconds per award. The same beats every time, so the room knows when to cheer.

  1. 0:00Title slide: the award name and the finalists' names.
  2. 0:10The presenter reads two lines from the nomination, not the whole page.
  3. 0:30The reveal: the winner's name, then the producer spotlights their video.
  4. 0:40Everyone unmutes to cheer for five seconds, then the chat fills up.
  5. 0:50The winner talks for 30 seconds.
  6. 1:20The prize: opened on camera if it arrived, shown on a slide if it ships after.

What goes wrong on video, and the fix

  • The winner isn't on the callTell every finalist the time, not the result. Their manager accepts if they miss it.
  • Nobody can hear the presenterTest each presenter's microphone in a 10-minute check the day before.
  • Thank-yous run longTell every finalist ahead: 30 seconds if your name is called.
  • Applause sounds like staticAsk for five seconds of cheering, then one chat reaction from everyone.
  • A winner is asleep in another time zoneRecord a short thank-you from them ahead and play it in their slot.

Game shows for the middle hour

Each runs about an hour with a live host, on Zoom or the video tool your company uses. Click any card for dates and booking.

Want a round about the year your team had? Ask in your quote at least 4 weeks ahead; some requests cost extra. More formats on virtual game shows.

Prizes shipped to winners' homes

Pick winners at least 3 weeks before the ceremony: unbranded gifts need about 2 to 3 weeks to arrive, branded ones 4 to 6.

  • Gift boxesChocolate boxes and collections by budget, shipped to each winner's home.
  • Custom logo giftsYour logo on the prize. Branded gifts need 4 to 6 weeks.
  • Thank-you giftsA smaller gift for every finalist, so a box on the doorstep doesn't give the result away.
  • Experience giftsA kit workshop as the team award: the winning team makes something together.

Gift cards and cash prizes count differently for tax than physical awards; the basics are in employee award ideas.

When to hold it, and when to book

Most awards nights land at year-end or at the January kickoff. Both mean booking in November or early December.

  • At year-end

    When it fits

    December, when the year's results are known and people expect a celebration.

    What to plan around

    Pick winners before Thanksgiving, Thursday, November 26, 2026, so prizes arrive in time.

  • At the January kickoff

    When it fits

    Last year's awards open the new one, next to the plans and targets.

    What to plan around

    The two weeks before a January date fall over the holidays, so book in early December.

  • After your fiscal year closes

    When it fits

    For companies whose year ends in June or September, once the numbers are final.

    What to plan around

    Hold it the month after close, before the new year's work takes over.

Latest booking dates for a December 2026 or January 2027 awards ceremony
Thu, Dec 10, 2026Custom round about your year: Thu, Nov 12, 2026Winners picked, prizes ordered: Thu, Nov 19, 2026Hosted game show: Wed, Nov 25, 2026
Tue, Dec 15, 2026Custom round about your year: Tue, Nov 17, 2026Winners picked, prizes ordered: Tue, Nov 24, 2026Hosted game show: Tue, Dec 1, 2026
Tue, Jan 12, 2027Custom round about your year: Tue, Dec 15, 2026Winners picked, prizes ordered: Tue, Dec 22, 2026Hosted game show: Tue, Dec 29, 2026
Thu, Jan 21, 2027Custom round about your year: Wed, Dec 23, 2026Winners picked, prizes ordered: Wed, Dec 30, 2026Hosted game show: Thu, Jan 7, 2027

A date that lands on Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, New Year's Eve or New Year's Day moves to the day before.

What the game show costs for 50, 100 or 200 people

Live prices for one session with the host included. Prizes are priced on their own pages.

Awards ceremony game show prices at 50, 100 and 200 guests
Your Favorite Game Shows!50 guests$1,195$24 a person100 guests$1,635$17 a person200 guests$2,515$13 a person
Quiz Showdown!50 guests$1,195$24 a person100 guests$1,635$17 a person200 guests$2,515$13 a person
Fun-Filled Feud50 guests$1,195$24 a person100 guests$1,635$17 a person200 guests$2,515$13 a person
Poll Points!50 guests$1,700$34 a person100 guests$3,400$34 a person200 guests$6,800$34 a person
Blockbuster Bash! The Ultimate Film Quiz50 guests$1,700$34 a person100 guests$3,400$34 a person200 guests$6,800$34 a person
Gratitude Games & Grins50 guests$1,195$24 a person100 guests$1,635$17 a person200 guests$2,515$13 a person

Put your budget in the quote request and we'll plan to it. A 50% deposit holds the date; pay by card or invoice. Get a quote for your awards night.

Virtual awards ceremony questions

How do you run a virtual awards ceremony?

Keep the awards short and let a hosted game show carry the energy: a welcome, six quick awards at about 90 seconds each, an hour-long game show with a live host, then the top two or three awards and a close. Ship prizes to winners' homes so they can open them on camera.

What are virtual award show ideas for work?

A hosted game show in the middle, a film quiz for a red-carpet theme, a chat cheer after every award, prizes opened on camera, and a custom round about your year. For award categories, see our employee award ideas.

How long should a virtual awards ceremony be?

About 90 minutes with a game show, or 30 minutes for the awards alone. Keep each award to 90 seconds and save more time only for the top two or three.

How do you present virtual employee awards so they feel special?

Give each one a title slide, two lines from the nomination, a spotlight on the winner's video, five seconds of cheering, and 30 seconds for the winner to speak. A prize opened on camera makes it real for everyone watching.

How do we get prizes to remote winners?

Ship a gift box to each winner's home. Pick winners at least 3 weeks before the ceremony, since unbranded gifts need about 2 to 3 weeks and branded ones 4 to 6. Sending every finalist a smaller gift keeps the result a surprise.

How much does a virtual awards ceremony cost?

The game show is one booking with the host included: Your Favorite Game Shows! is $1,635 for 100 guests at today's price, and every game on this page shows its price for your headcount. Prizes are priced separately. A 50% deposit holds the date, and you can pay by card or invoice.

How far ahead should we book?

About 2 weeks for a hosted game show and 4 weeks for a custom round about your year. For an awards night on Tuesday, December 15, 2026, book the game show by Tue, Dec 1, 2026.

How is this different from a year-end party?

At a year-end party the awards are a 10-minute segment inside the party. At an awards ceremony they are the point: more awards, a presenter for each, and a game show to keep the energy up between them. See our virtual year-end party for the party version.

More for your awards night

Planning an awards night?

Send us the date, the headcount, how many awards and where your winners live. You get a full plan within 24 hours.

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