'Thank you' is a very polite thing to say when you are given something, and this is particularly important when receiving an award at a prestigious¹ ceremony. But if you're one of the lucky winners, 'thank you' is just the start of the most important acceptance speech of your life.

 

Film, TV and music award ceremonies are all about the acceptance speeches – they are an art form in their own right. They are a chance for an actor or performer to publicly thank people who've helped them. In this year's BAFTAs, Letitia Wright even thanked God for her EE Rising Star award in an emotional acceptance speech.

 

Speeches are also used as a platform to make a political statement or just to raise someone's profile – so it's important to get the words right. And these words have to be delivered in a short amount of time. For example, at this year's Oscars, nominees² have only 90 seconds from finding out they've won to finishing their speech. John Bailey, president of the Academy, has told them they should "get up there and keep speeches brief."

 

When the clock is ticking, it's hard to say everything you want. Weeping can waste time; bumbling costs valuable seconds. Experts in the field say it's important to be personable, heartfelt and to speak like you're talking to a friend. At the 2019 Golden Globes, Olivia Colman was named the best actress for her role as Queen Anne in The Favourite and gave an endearingly excited speech that ended with her holding up her trophy³ and sending a message to her family: "Ed and the kids - look! Yay!"

 

You would expect an actor to be eloquent⁴ and able to perform on stage in front of an audience. But for others, such as sports people, it can be more awkward⁵. When Japan's Naomi Osaka won this year's Australian Open final, she said "Sorry, public speaking isn't my strong point so I hope I can get through this… I read notes before this but I still forgot what I was meant to say."

 

Preparation is key. It's important to make notes that remind you to thank people, say some words of wisdom, and win over the audience. But if you've got nothing to say, accept your award graciously⁶ then get off stage before the music starts playing again – just remember to say 'thank you'!

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