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Office Christmas party awards: 15 kind categories and how to run them

Updated: 2026-10-19

Year-in-review awards are a lovely way to end the evening if every category is something people would be happy to win. Joke awards that point at mistakes, looks or habits tend to embarrass exactly the people who did not ask for attention.

The 15 categories below celebrate help, humour and small daily heroics. Collect nominations a week before the party, count them, and present three to six awards in 15 to 20 minutes.

15 kind award categories

  1. Deadline Rescuer. Jumped in when a deadline was about to slip.
  2. Best Explainer. Made something complicated easy to understand.
  3. Calm in the Storm. Stayed friendly and steady on the busiest days.
  4. Team Chat Champion. The most helpful answers in the team chat.
  5. Welcome Committee. Made new colleagues feel at home.
  6. Best Snack Supplier. Kept the kitchen or the meeting table stocked.
  7. Fixer of Things. Solved the printer, the projector or the mystery bug.
  8. Quiet Hero. Did important work that few people noticed.
  9. Best Question Asker. Asked the question everyone else was thinking.
  10. Customer Whisperer. Turned a difficult customer conversation around.
  11. Most Improved Process. Made a task faster or easier for everyone.
  12. Best Meeting Energy. Made meetings shorter, clearer or more fun.
  13. Mentor of the Year. Shared knowledge generously.
  14. Plant and Office Care. Looked after the plants, the coffee machine or the shared space.
  15. Good Mood Award. Made people laugh on a hard day.

The games

1. Year-in-review awards

Collect nominations beforehand in light categories (“best rescue of a deadline”, “most helpful in the team chat”). Only positive categories: nobody should be roasted against their will.

  • Players: 5 to 100
  • Time: 15 to 25 min
  • Materials: Nomination form, small prizes or printed certificates

2. Thank-you card swap

Everyone draws a colleague’s name and writes two specific sentences of thanks for something that happened this year. Cards are handed out (or read anonymously). Quiet, warm and memorable.

  • Players: 4 to 60
  • Time: 10 to 15 min
  • Materials: Cards, pens (or a shared board online)

3. Who’s most likely to… (kind edition)

Read a prompt (“…still be decorating on 23 December?”) and everyone points at or names a colleague. Keep prompts kind and work-safe; skip anything about drinking, money or looks.

  • Players: 5 to 20
  • Time: 10 min
  • Materials: Prompt list

4. Ugly sweater (or desk) contest

Optional dress-up; everyone votes in categories like ‘most festive’ and ‘best DIY’. Remote teams can vote on camera backgrounds instead.

  • Players: Any
  • Time: 10 min
  • Materials: Voting slips or a poll

Host tips

  • Ask winners beforehand if they are OK with being named on stage. Some people prefer to get their certificate at the table.
  • Make sure awards go to different teams and not only to the loudest people. Cap it at one award per person.
  • Read one sentence from a nomination with each award. That specific line is what people remember.
  • Prizes can be tiny: a printed certificate, a chocolate bar or a traveling trophy that moves to a new desk every year.

FAQ

What are good award categories for an office party?

Positive ones such as ‘Deadline Rescuer’, ‘Best Explainer’, ‘Calm in the Storm’ or ‘Best Snack Supplier’. Each should describe something the winner did for others.

How do you collect nominations?

An anonymous online form or a box with paper slips, one week before the party. Ask for the category, the name and one sentence why.

How many awards should we give?

Three to six. More than that takes too long and starts to feel like a ceremony.

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