Check Out These 10 Unique Award Ceremony Ideas (2024)

Awards ceremonies play a big role in boosting morale and improving public relations in any industry. And coming up with unique award ceremony ideas isn’t exactly a breeze. Whether you’re hosting an internal employee appreciation event or a major awards ceremony that’s open to the public, it’s a challenge to find original ways to entertain your audience while giving out prizes. After all, the winners will remember this event for years to come.

From choosing a host and finding the perfect event venue to deciding on the format of your awards show, there are many moving parts to consider as you plan your event. With that in mind, we’ve come up with these 10 unique award ceremony ideas to help you put your event together.

For additional inspiration, browse Peerspace to find the perfect awards ceremony venue for your event that you can book by the hour. Whether you prefer a state-of-the-art conference room or an elegant penthouse setting, you’ll find it on the Peerspace platform. You can even ask the host for tips on how you can make the best use of the space. Now, back to our top award ceremony ideas!

1. Discover and book an unconventional venue to bring your event to life

The right venue really sets the tone for an event and should come with all of the amenities you need to make the night a success. For some truly unique awards ceremony ideas, take a look at the listings on Peerspace. Peerspace is the largest online marketplace for hourly venue rentals, connecting you with amazing spaces rented by local hosts. You can easily find stylish awards ceremony spaces that come with all of the hi-tech A/V equipment you need to host a modern event.

For instance, maybe you’re hosting your ceremony in New York City and would like custom visuals for your event. In that case, you need to check out this multimedia digital storefront in TriBeCa (pictured above) with projection mapping, personalized animation, and high-end audio equipment. The venue includes tables, chairs, speakers, projectors, and a stage, so perfect for a ceremony!

On the other coast, there’s also this black box theater in San Francisco. It’s a fully-equipped venue with two theaters, a stage, a projector, two bars, a lobby, and an outdoor area. The host also provides food and beverage catering to keep your guests happy.

Since these venues are all available from local hosts, you’ll have plenty of room to customize your rental. Simply reach out to the venue’s host, explain what you’re planning, and see what they suggest!

2. Choose the right host and format

The format of your award ceremony will depend on what type of awards you want to give out. A ceremony that honors artistic or creative achievements is likely to be on the theatrical side, with some suspense over who will walk away with the big prize. A ceremony to honor the recipients of a scholarship or contributions to a non-profit may take the form of a dinner or gala, with less focus on jokes and more emphasis on the recipients.

Many awards ceremonies hire comedians to MC the event. But you might also consider having a magician, local musician, or even your CEO host the ceremony. Having a big-name presenter can make your event feel more professional but distract from the awards. Make sure your host keeps the spotlight on the recipients and knows enough about your company culture to come up with a script that’s relevant to your employees and in line with your values.

3. Live stream your event to reach a wider audience

Live streaming is a wonderful option for industry award ceremonies that are open to the public. Alternatively, it can also work for company events that include a geographically distributed team. Live stream your award ceremony so those who can’t attend can still be a part of the experience.

If you like this idea, ask your Peerspace host if their venue is equipped with A/V equipment and high-speed Wi-Fi suitable for live streaming your event.

Hosting a formal event but want your guests to feel comfortable? Then you need to see these creative corporate event ideas that feel anything but corporate!

4. Invest in creative trophies

Don’t settle for blue ribbons and cheap trophies. Invest in quality awards that your employees or award winners will be proud to put on their desks or display at home. It may cost more, but it will make the recipients feel valued and contribute to your brand recognition when it’s displayed. A sleek, engraved heirloom from Trophology is a great option for corporate awards. What’s cool is that you can also design a trophy that matches your industry. That serves to enhance the never-going-to-forget-this-night atmosphere you’re hoping to cultivate!

Not sure you have the space for all these neat awards? Book a Peerspace venue that offers several spaces in one venue, such as a kitchen, a lounge, an outdoor space, and a cloakroom. That way, you not only have a private space to stash all the awards before you hand them out, but your guests have plenty of space to move around and enjoy some fresh air.

One of our favorite options is this Whiskey Point event space in Chicago, IL. Aside from its main event space with seating for 23, the venue also provides access to a separate lounge, sunroom, kitchen, and garden, so plenty of storage space as well as rooms for your attendees to explore.

5. Give out audience choice awards

How will you decide on the recipients of your awards? Will you have a panel of industry judges, or will your awards be based on performance metrics within your company? Announce how the ceremony will work in advance, including the number of categories, and nominate people for the awards. For a special twist, include an audience choice award decided on by live polling during the show itself. Use an app like Poll Everywhere for real-time results.

6. Come up with a creative swag bag

Pass out swag bags to everyone who attends, so no one has to go home empty-handed. This is a great opportunity to come up with some unique award ceremony ideas, such as handing out a virtual swag bag that includes online subscriptions and other digital giveaways. Check out our list of 20 creative swag bag ideas for more unique options!

7. Hire a live painter

Supplement the show with a live painting performance, in which an artist creates a unique work of art on stage while the awards are handed out. The painting can be a realistic document of the event or a more abstract piece. You never know. It may even turn into a one-of-a-kind performance art piece. As long as it doesn’t upstage the winners, let the artist do their thing. Let the recipient of the top award take the painting home with them.

Check out these interesting performance art ideas to find performers who can make an impactful impression on your event.

8. Use projection mapping to create an immersive environment

Projection mapping can turn indoor and outdoor spaces into surreal environments. It’s a colorful technology that transports the audience to faraway locations, from a futuristic spaceship to a tropical rainforest.

Choose a venue that supports projection mapping, such as this expansive convention space in Portland, OR (pictured above), to add an extra dimension of cool to the proceedings. It will turn your awards ceremony from the every day to the utterly riveting.

9. Hide something under the seats

Audiences love surprises, and there’s nothing more fun than telling them to look under their seats for an unexpected gift. Maybe it’s a signed copy of your CEO’s latest book or tickets to a show by your event’s MC. Just make sure your venue’s seats have a hidden pocket underneath, so your guests don’t discover the surprise as soon as they sit down! Also, save it for the end of the night so as not to distract from the awards themselves.

10. A tasty award ceremony idea: create a themed menu 

If your award ceremony is taking place over dinner, keep the theme consistent throughout. From creative centerpieces to themed food and drink pairings, make sure the flow of the meal fits with the flow of the award presentations. Don’t drag the event too far beyond dessert, and don’t hurry through the awards before your guests have finished their soup and salad! Coordinate with your caterer to make sure the meal is appropriately paced for the length of your ceremony.

Many Peerspace event venues come equipped with commercial kitchens, on-site staff and planners, and catering options. One beautiful option is this Marin County meeting and event space in Novato, CA. It is a spacious and elegant venue that provides you with plenty of seating, A/V equipment, staff, and full catering. Going this route will let you easily check off many boxes, all with one simple booking.

Award ceremony ideas are better at a Peerspace venue

Throwing an award ceremony is one of the most effective ways to give back to your employees or boost the profile of undiscovered artists or influencers in your industry. Hopefully, some of these award ceremony ideas have inspired you. Make sure your event is entertaining and memorable by trying out some of these unique award ceremony ideas.

Start by booking an awards ceremony rental venue through Peerspace that captures the ambiance you want with the amenities you need. And with your venue’s dedicated host on your side, you can rest assured that they will do anything possible to help make your event a success.

Find unique event venues on Peerspace