Brainstorming Ideas
Make a list of reasons you're thankful for receiving the award or honor. Write down a few bullet points detailing what it means to you to be receiving this recognition. The organization giving you the award and the people in the audience want to know you appreciate the honor you've been given. You'll be better able to share your gratefulness by articulating it to yourself beforehand.
Make a list of people you want to thank in your speech. Consider the organization that's giving you the award, any coworkers that worked on the project you're receiving the award for, and family and friends that supported you along the way. After you make an initial list of people you want to thank, walk away and come back to the list later. There might be people you forgot to include that you'll remember at a later time. If you're worried about leaving someone important out of your speech, ask a close friend or coworker to help with your list. They might think of someone you forgot to include.
Read other acceptance speeches for inspiration. You can look for speeches online or check out a catalog of speeches from your local library. Try to find acceptance speeches that were given by people who received awards similar to the one you'll be receiving. For example, if you're receiving an award for your volunteer work, try searching “volunteer award acceptance speeches” in a search engine. If you're referencing speeches in a physical book, try to find a book that has the speeches organized by award type.
Writing Your Speech
Write a brief introduction. The introduction will set the tone for the rest of your speech, so try to express gratitude and connect with the audience right away. A light-hearted joke to open your speech is fine, but avoid sarcasm or joking about the merits of the award itself. The exact length of your introduction will depend on how much time you're allotted to speak, but generally, you should try to keep it brief. For example, you could write “I am so honored to be standing here today to receive this community leadership award. Serving my community has been a joy and a privilege that I am grateful for every single day. I wouldn't be able to do it if it weren't for all the amazing people in this city."
Write the body of your speech, focusing on the people you want to thank. The bulk of your speech should be devoted to showing gratitude and thanking the people that helped you get the award. Reference the list you made of people you want to thank and include them in the body of your speech.
Avoid thanking too many people in your speech. You want to give thanks to those who deserve it, but be selective about who you include. You probably don't need to thank all twenty members of your extended family or name off every person in the organization that is honoring you. You don't want your audience to grow impatient as you read through a long list of names. Only thank people involved with the award you're receiving and your immediate support system (your spouse, your children, your parents, etc). You don't have to say someone's name to show you're thankful for them. For example, instead of thanking all of your coworkers individually, you could say “I can't express enough how grateful I am for all of my amazing colleagues.” You can thank the members of the organization giving you the award without listing off their names by saying something like “Thank you so much to the team at the New York Nonprofit Conference for recognizing me with this incredible award.”
Be careful using your speech as a platform. There's nothing wrong with briefly mentioning a cause or issue you care about during your acceptance speech, but make sure it's relevant and not something that will offend the audience or event organizers. For example, if you're winning an award in recognition of your volunteer work with kids, you could mention how you think more work needs to be done to combat childhood illiteracy. Don't use your acceptance speech as a time to rant about your political viewpoints or talk heatedly about a controversial topic (unless it's directly connected to the award you're receiving). You'll likely alienate members of the audience and upset the organization that gave you the award.
Conclude your speech on a positive note. Keep the conclusion to your speech brief and optimistic. You want the audience to feel inspired by your accomplishments. If you received an award for your work with an organization, highlight a few of the organization's achievements and mention how you're looking forward to further helping them fulfill their mission. If the award is for work, end your speech by saying how you can't wait to get back to work and continue to help the company grow. Devote the last line of your speech to offering one final thank you to everyone in the room.
Rehearsing Your Speech
Read your speech out loud. Reading your speech out loud is important because it gives you an idea of what it will actually sound like when your audience hears it. As you read aloud, make a note of any sections of your speech that sound awkward or confusing. Remove any words or phrases you keep stumbling over or can't pronounce. Stand in front of a mirror while you read your speech out loud so you can work on your eye contact and facial expressions.
Ask a friend to help you rehearse. Have them sit down while you stand up in front of them and give your speech. Ask for constructive criticism and apply it to your presentation. Keep running through your speech until you're both confident that it's polished and you're ready for the event. If there's someone mentioned in your speech that can't attend the event, invite them to practice with you. That way they get to hear your speech and you have someone to give you pointers.
Record yourself reading your speech. Use a camcorder, computer, or your phone. Make sure you're standing for the recording and set the camera far enough away that it captures your entire body. If you'll be giving your speech at a podium, find something to use as a podium for the video, like a table or a desk. Watch the recording after you've finished and take detailed notes on how you look. Use the notes to improve your presentation. Pay attention to your body language in the recording. Are you standing up straight? Are you moving your hands around nervously? Use the recording to improve your body language so you look more confident giving your speech. Notice how your voice sounds. Make sure you're speaking loud enough and that what you're saying is clear and understandable.
Use a timer to monitor the length of your speech. Read through your speech several times, timing yourself during each run through. If the average time it takes you to get through your speech is longer than the time you've been allotted at the event, edit your speech until it's shorter.
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