The etymological journey of the term reward begins in the Dutch witherlôn and goes through the German wĭthralaun , which translates as "reward" . The concept is used in our language to refer to a distinction or a prize that is awarded as recognition.
For example: "The Argentine writer obtained the most important literary award in the Spanish language" , "The young Portuguese architect received an award for the majestic work he developed next to the Ebro River" , "Juan Roajotly won the award for Best Director in the film festival that takes place in the capital of the Asian country .
Among the synonyms of award, in addition to those already exposed, we can highlight other words such as decoration, trophy , medal, recognition or honor. On the contrary, its antonyms include terms such as dishonor or punishment, for example.
An award can be a tribute given to someone for their career, for a professional achievement or for another reason. Suppose an actor celebrates fifty years of his career: to pay tribute to him, the Actors Guild of his country decides to give him an honorary award in a ceremony that takes place in a theater.
Many contests, on the other hand, award an award to their winner. The Alfaguara Novel Prize , to cite one case, is a competition open to novelists that provides a financial reward and a sculpture as an award. The writer whose book is chosen by the jury, in this way, accesses these benefits.
In many areas of life there are awards that are given to those who have stood out in those sectors for their work. Thus, for example, in the literary field there are numerous awards that are given annually. However, among the most significant we can highlight some such as the following:
-The Nobel Prize in Literature is awarded each year by the Swedish Academy to authors who have stood out for the contribution they have made to that art. It is part of the awards that Alfred Nobel established in his will, back in 1895, and among the feathers that have received this particular one, figures such as George Bernard Shaw, Thomas Mann, Gabriela Mistral, Ernest Hemingway, Pablo Neruda, Vicente Aleixandre stand out. or Doris Lessing.
-The Miguel de Cervantes Prize is awarded annually by the Ministry of Culture and Sports of Spain. It began to be awarded in 1976 and is considered the most important award in the Spanish language. Among those who have received it are authors of the stature of Jorge Luis Borges, Rafael Alberti, Miguel Delibes, Ana María Matute, Eduardo Mendoza or Ida Vitale.
In the field of cinema there are also numerous awards, highlighting internationally the Oscars, the Goyas and the BAFTAs, among others.
In the field of sports , awards are usually given to the most outstanding athletes and players of the year or of a specific competition. The scorer in a soccer tournament and the most valuable player in the finals of a basketball championship, to name two cases, can receive awards.