18th or 21st birthday speech
Cue cards for a parent, sibling or friend giving an 18th or 21st birthday speech: growing-up stories, who they are now, hopes for the future and a toast.
Speech8 cardsAbout 3 min to speakBeginnerWork
Award presentation speech
Cue cards for presenting an award: explain the award, describe what the winner did, share a short example, announce the name and hand over with applause.
Free to use, edit, print and study. No account needed: your set stays on this device.
The cards
- 1
Introduce the award
“The next award is the [award name]. It recognises [what it is for].”
If it has a history: “It was first given in [year] to honour [person or purpose].”
- 2
How the winner was chosen
“Nominations came from [colleagues / members / students], and the [panel / judges] looked for [criteria].”
Thank the nominees as a group.
- 3
What the winner did
Without naming them yet, describe the achievement: [project, service, result, years of work].
Build a little suspense.
- 4
A specific example
One moment that shows why they stood out: [example from a nomination or colleague].
“As one nominator said, [short line from the nomination].”
- 5
Announce
“Please welcome the winner of the [award name]: [name]!”
Lead the applause. Say the name clearly and slowly.
- 6
Thank the nominees
Name the finalists, or describe the field: “This year’s nominees included [names or groups], and every one of them [what they share].”
Ask the room to applaud them.
- 7
Why it matters
One line on the bigger picture: “Work like this [helps our customers / builds our club / makes our school a kinder place].”
- 8
Hand over
Shake hands or greet them in the way they are comfortable with, give the award, and pause for a photo facing the audience.
Step aside and hand them the microphone if they are speaking.
How to use this template
Being asked to present an award is an honour, and your words set up the winner’s moment. These cue cards suit a manager, coach, teacher, committee chair or past winner presenting at a work event, school, club or community awards night. They introduce the award and what it stands for, explain how the winner was chosen, describe the achievement while building a little suspense, give one specific example, announce the name and manage the handover and photo. A good presentation is short, specific and all about the recipient. Fill in the [brackets] with details from the nomination, check the pronunciation of the winner’s name, and aim for two to three minutes per award. If you present several awards, keep each one to the same short shape so the evening keeps its pace.
Tips
- Read the nomination or talk to the people who nominated the winner, so you can describe real work, not general praise.
- Check the winner’s name, title and pronunciation with the organiser and write it phonetically on the card if needed.
- Keep the spotlight on the recipient; avoid long stories about yourself or the history of the organisation.
- Know where the trophy or certificate is, which side the winner will walk up, and where the photographer will stand.
- Use the microphone at the lectern, then hand it over cleanly if the winner is giving a speech.
- If the winner is not present, say who is accepting on their behalf before you announce.
- Practise saying the winner’s name aloud several times, and announce it slowly and clearly.
- Hold the envelope or winner card until the announcement so you do not give the name away early.
- After the handover, lead one more round of applause as the winner returns to their seat.
- Agree with the organiser in advance whether the winner already knows, so you pitch the suspense correctly.
Make it fit
- For several awards in a row, use one short version per award: what it is for, one example and the name.
- For a surprise lifetime or service award, add a card with milestones from their years of service.
- For a student award at school, keep language simple and mention the family members watching.
- If the winner is uncomfortable in the spotlight, keep the description brief and let them decide whether to speak.
- For an online awards event, show the winner’s photo on screen as you announce and pause for chat reactions.
Updated October 28, 2026