To help you express your heartfelt gratitude on the receiving end of an award, we’ve compiled a collection of sample acceptance speeches for different occasions. Whether it’s for an achievement, accomplishment, or special achievement, these acceptance speeches will help you make the moment even more meaningful and moving.
Civic Award winner acceptance speech
Thank you, everyone, for the congratulations. I am truly honored to receive the Proud Citizen Award. There are many people who work hard for civic development, and I am humbled to receive such a great award. First of all, I would like to give joy and honor to those who work behind the scenes.
I have been volunteering at senior centers and nursing homes. I have been doing this for several years now, visiting nursing homes every Friday and bathing five or six people a day. To be honest, bathing the elderly is one of the hardest things to do unless you’ve done it yourself. When I come back from a bathing session, my whole body is tired, but my heart is really light. It’s like I’ve just come out of a sauna, clean and refreshed, and I can’t think of a better feeling. Seeing the smiles on the faces of the elderly people after they’ve been bathed has kept me going for 20 years. I think that’s the beauty of volunteering.
It wasn’t until 2002 that I got involved in volunteering. Shortly after I took on the role of chairman of Saemaul Volunteer Service, there was a case of a local grandmother who attempted suicide because she was despondent about her living conditions. It broke my heart to think about how lonely and hard she must have been to try to take her own life, and from that point on, I vowed to spend my life helping people in need, which is how I got to where I am today.
My children are now in middle school and high school. They’re following in my footsteps and volunteering, and they’re getting a really valuable mountain education. I don’t just tell them to love their neighbors with words, I show them how to do it with their own hands and sweat, so naturally, they get involved in volunteering, and now it’s a way of life for our whole family. Even though I am in a position to help others, through them I have been able to teach my children to take responsibility and learn to help others, not just as a formality.
As the weather gets colder, I’m already worried about how the children and the elderly will survive the winter, so I will use the prize money I received for the Proud Citizen Award to help disadvantaged youth and the elderly living alone. I will continue to be an example to the people of Tokyo. Thank you again, everyone who congratulated me.
Winner of the Journalist Award
First, I would like to express my gratitude. When I see all of you who have taken time out of your busy schedules to come and grace this venue, I am always reminded that I am indebted to you in so many ways.
So thank you, everyone. I’m thrilled beyond words to be the inaugural recipient of this prestigious journalist award. I’ve heard that this award is given to someone who has made a significant contribution to the advancement of the status of photojournalists, and I wonder if I’ve done anything worthwhile, but I feel like I’ve just done it because I love my job and I enjoy it, and that’s what has led to this great honor.
Last year, I lost a lot of people I admired, and on a personal level, I lost my mom, so it was a time when I had a lot of things to cut and put up with. It was also something that I leaned on a lot, because I couldn’t even let that sadness linger in my head while I was out and about in the social scene, taking pictures and writing and talking to you, and I think that’s what made me work even harder.
It’s hard to be a good journalist because I lead a very busy life, and you all know what that life is like, with no commute and no five-day work week. I feel very sorry for my family, whose only wish is to see my face, but the support, love, and sometimes sharp criticism of many of you, my readers, has helped me to overcome all these difficulties and continue to work hard. I will continue to work harder to be a strong journalist who is loved by all of you. Once again, I share this honor with all of you who know me, my readers. Thank you.
Community Service Award Winner’s Statement
Today I stand in a difficult position, and I don’t even dare to say thank you. That’s because shame precedes joy. Jesus said, “Don’t let your left hand know what your right hand is doing,” and I feel like I’ve fallen far short of that. I also don’t know if I dare to stand here when there are so many people who are so much better than me, who have dedicated their lives to service, because there is so much I’ve gained and learned that I can’t consider my years of service to be a complete sacrifice or commitment.
What I’ve learned from serving the homeless is that most of our prejudices are just that: prejudices. We often look at people with fear and disgust because they are dressed in raggedy clothes, or because they live on the streets. I was happy to be able to provide a hot meal to people who were actually very warm and loving. Later, when the organization I worked for was connected with a homeless rehabilitation program, it was even more rewarding to watch them become healthy members of society. I also met so many wonderful people through my service, people who were a hundred times more warm and giving than I was. The award I received today is theirs, not mine. I couldn’t have done the bathing service for the elderly alone, and I couldn’t have done it without the help of my good and beautiful neighbors, the Women’s Guild and the Women’s Volunteer Corps, and I learned a lot from them, so I would like to take this opportunity to thank them.
My life hasn’t been glamorous, and I’ve received few awards in my life, but none of them will ever weigh more heavily than this one. I can only promise you one thing: I will live more than I ever have before, sharing what little warmth I have, what little body heat I have. I may not be able to do much, but I will light up a dark world with what little I can. The light I’ve shared with the world so far may be the smallest, most humble matchstick. But just as a matchstick burns itself, spreading warmth and dispelling darkness, so I will live my life in such a way that I can be a beacon of hope and light in the coldest and bleakest places of our society. I will live my life in such a way that I am not ashamed of this award that I have received today. I would like to close by thanking the people I have met along the way, and the many people who have stood with me. Thank you.
Teacher of the Year Award acceptance speech
To be honest, there were many days when I thought about standing here today. Even after 20 years in education, I wasn’t sure if I was worthy of being called a teacher by my children. I felt that the name of teacher was too burdensome, and I felt sorry for the children who didn’t follow me as much as I wanted them to. At that difficult time, a gifted person I visited told me, “Don’t be burdened by the role of a teacher, but discover and awaken the brilliant light that children have, that is the role of a teacher! “ After that, I began to see the children I had resented and felt sorry for again: one who had no interest in studying, but had a hobby for cooking and was pursuing his dream of becoming a chef; another who was dragging his grandmother’s lear car to pick up burinake waste paper after school, and was living his life with a big smile on his face. There were kids there that I didn’t know.
Then, when I came to this branch school, which will be integrated into the main school next year, I began to look longingly into the faces of children in a class of only ten, and to consider them my children. My mentor was so right: the children were a dazzling sun in their own right. The children here that I love are all from poor families, they don’t have nice clothes, nice toys like the children in the city, but they all have a lot of affection in their hearts and beautiful dreams. They are lovely children who can say one word to me and I can answer them with a hundred words, and they show me a bright smile at my smallest intentions.
I have ten children that I have given birth to since coming here. They have different dreams, different futures, but they all have the same beautiful eyes, and they come to me like sunshine, filling my parched and desolate heart. I want to be with them as long as time allows. I’m not good enough, but now the word teacher sounds so happy and beautiful to me. I dedicate this award to all the children who have called me teacher, to all the beautiful suns that have shone on me during my 20 years of teaching. Thank you all.
Outstanding Employee Acceptance Speech
Good morning, fellow colleagues, I’d like to start by saying that I’m humbled to be on this podium today with such a significant and prestigious honor. I know that this award is the result of your votes and friendship. It is with great responsibility and humility that I accept this award, an honor that is overflowing with gratitude for a man of so little.
It is exactly 10 years since I joined this company. It hasn’t always been all sunshine and roses for me, and there have been many ups and downs and setbacks. There have been times when I’ve been assigned daunting tasks, and there have been times when I’ve fallen into a deep slump as projects I’ve planned have failed time and time again. But in each of those moments, I wasn’t alone. Even in the moments when I thought I was alone and failing, I wasn’t. That’s because I always had you, my colleagues, by my side. You picked me up when I fell and helped me get back on my feet, and it’s all because of you. It’s because of you that I’ve been able to keep going for 10 years, sometimes with tears and setbacks, but without a break. Looking back, I am a person who has received more than I have given. To repay some of your grace, I’ve tried to be there for you by serving as the secretary of the South Society, and I’ve organized a mentor-mentee program for seniors and juniors in the South Society so that we can share workplace secrets and concerns and feel closer to each other. However, these things are small and insignificant compared to your affection, so I feel that this award is not for my weak and shameful today, but for my tomorrow. I feel that it is an encouragement to strive even harder for a bright and enjoyable workplace and a company with a united and family atmosphere. I know that everything in the world is all about people to people. I believe that a company is also composed of people, and the joy or sorrow of a company is determined by the relationship with people. Only when we base ourselves on people and value people can we truly succeed.
I promise to do my best to contribute to the development of the Society and the concerns of my colleagues. On this honorable platform that you have prepared for me, I pledge to strive and dedicate myself to the development of the company and your happiness. I conclude my remarks by expressing my gratitude to you, my dear and honored friends.
Remarks from the winners of the Outstanding Employee Awards
Hello everyone, I am grateful and overwhelmed to receive such a meaningful and honorable award at the end of the year, but I am also overwhelmed and embarrassed at the same time. When I look back on my 10 years at the company and wonder if I’ve done enough to deserve this award, I feel embarrassed. I realize that all of my accomplishments have been made possible by the hard work and passion of my colleagues. I don’t think I could have done it all on my own and produced such good results, so this award is not a personal one for me. It’s a recognition and praise for our team. I would like to dedicate this honor to the people in my department, who have given me new energy and renewed my spirit when I was in a professional slump.
I’m reminded of something my boss told me when I was a first-year employee. As I was not adjusting to corporate life and making a lot of mistakes, my boss told me about the full and half moon. He told me that the full moon is like the peak of the moon, the top, the fullness of the moon, and the half moon is the moon that hasn’t reached perfection yet. He said that just like the moon tilts when it’s full, people who reach the top soon forget their humility and don’t think about their shortcomings, so they end up losing to people who try harder than they do. It made a deep impression on me and has been a great motivator in my corporate life.
I’m still like a half-moon with a lot of shortcomings. No matter how hard I try, I think I’ll always be that way, because once you’re on top, all that’s left is to come down. Throughout my career at the company, I will set higher goals and make more efforts. I will not be lazy, and I will put in more effort so that I can be useful to the company and be a good colleague to you. This award will serve as an opportunity to strengthen my resolve. I will remember this day when I feel comfortable and want to be lazy. I will remember the infinite trust you have given to me, who has many shortcomings. I promise to be an employee who will work harder for the development of our company. Thank you.
What the winner of the Best Insurance Agent Award had to say
The hot tears I shed when I first joined the company as a new employee and the hours of worrying at night have borne such beautiful fruit today. A single tear forms in my eye as I recall the past. I would like to share this honor with all my colleagues who are working hard even in a down economy.
For me, dealing with customers has been the most challenging part of the job. The pain of being an insurance agent comes from the customer. Being an insurance agent is different from other professions because you can’t just do a good job on your own. You have to win the customer over to be successful.
When I first started working as an insurance agent, I had to go through a lot of trial and error because I didn’t understand what I was supposed to do. There were times when I didn’t close a single policy in a month. I’ve lost clients I’ve worked hard to get insured because I didn’t keep up with them.
I know from experience that serving and caring for our customers is the way to enhance the image of our insurance company, and it’s the path to success that leads to steady business, so my desk is now filled with thick books and post-it notes, filled with customer anniversaries and information about our customers. I take notes on the phone with customers, and when I’m on the phone with them, I write down important things and stick them in front of my computer. This is how I spend my days, putting customers first. More importantly, I’m consistent. The insurance market is fluid, and if you’re not consistent in your efforts, your customers will quickly lose interest. Being an insurance agent is a demanding position. You always put your best foot forward, even when you’re on the phone or sending an email. You can’t let your guard down just because a customer is already insured. It’s part of their job to keep their customers for a long, long time.
Today’s award is a reward for all my hard work. It’s also an encouragement and a slap in the face to keep working hard. On this day, which is so rewarding and honorable to be an insurance agent, I have one goal in mind. I have one goal: to keep the honor of being the best insurance agent for a long time. I vow to live my life with unrelenting effort and passion. I believe that being an insurance agent is like being a marathon runner, and I will run with a strong heart and a single mind in the races ahead. I would like to conclude my acceptance speech by asking you to watch over me with great affection and camaraderie. Thank you.
Youth Filial Piety Award Winner’s Statement
As I stand in front of the microphone to accept my award, my vision is blurred with tears. I can still feel the warmth of my grandmother’s hand as she held my hand in hers, even though she was in pain. This award feels like a gift from her to me, her granddaughter.
In fact, I don’t know if I deserve to be on this great podium and receive an award like this. What I have done in my life has not been enough to be called filial piety. My grandmother was the only family I had left in the world. She taught me to love, and she took care of my childhood with a warm heart. She raised me alone, and even as her arthritis worsened, she never stopped working and picking up boxes.
The three years I spent caring for my grandmother with dementia was actually too short a time to repay her love. I finished school and got a part-time job at a butcher shop, and although those years were hard, I was happy taking care of my grandmother because I loved her, and that’s why I’m standing here today, and I’m ashamed. I keep thinking that this award should go to my friends, who have suffered more than me, and have a bigger heart.
My last family member, my grandmother, is gone, but I see love again. Thank you, my teacher, for caring about me and nominating me for the filial piety award, and thank you, everyone involved, for giving me this undeserved award and giving me this opportunity. My grandmother in heaven must be watching and smiling.
In the past, my only hope was to make a more comfortable life, so I never thought about my own dreams and my goals, but today I suddenly remembered. I want to be a social worker. I want to spend my life helping others. I want to live my life giving back the love I received from my grandmother, the love I received from my grandmother today, to people in difficult and challenging circumstances. I dare to promise that I will become a person who gives back even more love than I have received today. I don’t know how I can repay today’s favor, but I will repay it with my life, with love. Finally, I would like to end my acceptance speech by saying that I love my grandmother.
Local Small Business Person of the Year Award Winner’s Statement
I am deeply touched by this honor, and I remember the sweat that I shed to make my organic vegetable farming business, which I started when I first returned to my homestead and was worried by many people, grow to this point and become a promising local business. There were many times when I wanted to give up, but I would first like to thank my wife for supporting me through it all. I would also like to thank the many people who helped me build my organic vegetable sales network.
I’d be lying if I said it wasn’t hard work or that I wasn’t tempted by pesticides. Pest control was the biggest challenge once I completely eliminated pesticides and artificial fertilizers, and knowing that one pesticide is all it takes to get rid of them made it even more painful and difficult. But I was able to endure that temptation because I believe that what people eat affects their health and is symbolic of the quality of their life. I thought about the healthy meals of people who breathe clean air and eat vegetables that have only seen good sunlight, and I thought about the honor and brand value of our region. So I was able to stay the course without compromise, and that’s how I got to this glorious day.
Now, the organic vegetable cultivation business is not only my own business, but it is becoming a representative business of the city through cooperation with the city and support from the city level. I am also working hard to expand my sales network and deliver fresh food, with plans to gradually expand to the whole country.
I believe that good food cleanses the soul, and I believe that vegetables grown using artificial and unnatural farming methods contain poison. I am proud of my business, which is responsible for the health of the citizens of Japan.
Today’s award will inspire me to work even harder, not only for my own personal achievement, but also for the development of the region, and to lay the foundation for organic vegetables to become the main product and specialty of the region. Thank you for giving me this well-deserved award. I promise to work harder and build a healthy business in the future.
What the winners of the regional scholarships had to say
It still hasn’t sunk in yet, and I’m still wondering if I dare to stand here. First of all, I would like to thank the people who chose me as a Regional Scholar, because this award is so undeserved. I accept this award with a heavy sense of responsibility and gratitude, rather than a sense of overwhelming joy. The award I received today opens up a wide range of possibilities for my future. What you have given me today is not just a scholarship, but a great affirmation that it is okay to dream of a tomorrow that is better than today. You have given me a ticket to a more expansive future. Poverty is scary not just because it makes you dwarfed and dull; it’s worse because it makes you deny your possibilities and limit your future. I’ve been worrying about what I’m going to do next year when I graduate from high school, and this scholarship has given me options. With options comes a greater sense of responsibility for my community. I know that I owe my region a hopeful future, so I will live every day as a member of the region. When I grow up, I want to share my abilities for the development of the region. There is a saying that you should never forget your gratitude, and this is my honest feeling right now. I will never forget today as long as I live.
So I ask you to remember me standing here today. Watch the 19-year-old boy with the face above grow up and become a contributing member of the community. And I say this with all of you here as witnesses. Today I have two more goals: to live a life of service to my community. The second is that the next time I grow up, if there is a young person who is struggling with a bleak future because poverty is limiting his or her possibilities, I want to be there for him or her, just as you have done for me today. In the time I have left, I will not be lazy, I will work hard, I will not let down the expectations and faith you have placed in me, and I will grow into a great person. That’s all I have to say. Thank you, everyone, for listening.
