Awards are given out for many reasons and to many different types of people. From kids winning a ribbon at a school sports day to a celebrity taking home an Oscar, awards and trophies have been awarded for hundreds of years. Today, they still play an important role in our lives. Whatever they are awarded for, trophies all have one main purpose: to reward excellence in a chosen field.
Academy Award
The Academy Awards, also known as the Oscars, are held in the first half of the year to recognise films that premiered the previous year. The American Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences is responsible for awarding the Oscars, and on this grand night, several Oscars are awarded in various categories, such as “Best Picture,” “Best Director,” “Best Actor,” and “Best Actress.” The awards were first held in 1929, and now they are regarded as one of the most prominent award ceremonies in the world, broadcast live in over 200 countries. At the recent 2011 Academy Awards, the film “The King’s Speech” won the Academy Award for Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Actor.
Nobel Prize
A Nobel Prize is an international prize awarded by Scandinavian committees that recognise cultural and scientific progress. The Nobel Prize was first awarded in 1895 and named after a Swedish chemist, Alfred Nobel, who invented dynamite. Prizes are awarded in the fields of physics, chemistry, medicine, literature, and peace and are considered to be the highest prizes achievable within these fields. The prize is a gold medal, a diploma, and a cash prize, depending on the income of the Nobel Foundation in that year.
De eremedaille
The Medal of Honor is the highest military decoration awarded by the United States government and presented by the President. More than half of these medals awarded since World War II have been awarded posthumously because of the nature for which the award is recognized, namely for extraordinary acts of bravery performed by a person while risking his life. There are three versions of the award: one for the Navy, one for the Air Force, and one for the Army.
The Victoria Cross
Another military honour, the Victoria Cross, is given for bravery in battle and awarded to members of Commonwealth armies. It was first introduced in 1856 by Queen Victoria to honour acts of bravery during the Crimean War. Since then it has been awarded one thousand three hundred and fifty-six times. Within Great Britain, it is awarded by the King or Queen, and within other Commonwealth countries, by the Head of State.
The FIFA World Cup
The FIFA World Cup is awarded to the winner of the final of the FIFA World Cup, a football tournament held every four years for the senior men’s teams of the respective country. The first tournament was held in 1930, and with the exception of a hiatus during World War II, it has continued ever since. It involves thirty-two teams and is watched on television by people from all over the world.
