Sponsor-Presented Awards: Letting a Sponsor Fund and Present an Award

A sponsor-presented award is a category award that carries a sponsor’s name, is often paid for by that sponsor, and is handed over on stage by someone from the sponsor’s business. The hard charger award presented by a local tire shop. The rookie of the year presented by a dealership. Sportsmanship presented by the family business that has backed the league for ten seasons.

It is one of the few sponsor benefits that puts the sponsor in the room, on stage and in the photograph with a winner. This guide covers how series, tracks and leagues set one up, what goes on the award, who presents it, how to offer it to a sponsor and what to agree in writing first. The plaque a sponsor takes home to thank them is a separate piece, covered on sponsor plaques.

Which awards suit a sponsor

The best fits are category awards with a clear meaning and one winner: something the sponsor is happy to be associated with and the audience understands without explanation.

• Performance awards outside the points. Hard charger, holeshot leader, fastest lap of the season, most wins. A parts or performance business is a natural presenter.
• Rookie of the year. Suits a dealership or a business that wants to be seen bringing new riders and families into the sport.
• Sportsmanship and iron man. Suits a local business that wants to be associated with character and loyalty rather than speed.
• Youth class awards. A sponsor presenting to the youngest classes is popular with families and photographs well.
• Volunteer or crew of the year. A good fit for a sponsor whose staff volunteered at events.

Keep class championships and the overall title in the series’ own name. Those are the awards that should read as the series’ highest honor, and a sponsor name on them can look as if the title was bought. If a title sponsor has naming rights to the whole series, that is a different arrangement, and the series name already includes them. For category ideas, see racing banquet award categories.

What goes on a presented award

The award still belongs to the winner. It should read as their award first and the sponsor’s second. A simple order works on almost every format:

1. The award title.
2. The winner’s name, and the class if it is per class.
3. The series or league name and the season.
4. A “presented by” line with the sponsor’s name, or their logo, below the main text.

Hard Charger of the Year
(Rider name) · 250 B
(Series name) · 2026 Season
Presented by (sponsor name)

Rookie of the Year
(Rider name)
(League name) · 2026
Presented by (sponsor logo)

Use the sponsor’s logo when it is clear at small sizes, and their name in text when it is not. A logo copied from a website rarely reproduces well; ask for the vector file early. How to prepare your logo for trophies explains which files work, and sponsor branding on motocross trophies covers placement, size and how to keep several logos from crowding one award.

Because the award is designed from your own artwork and theirs, the sponsor can see exactly how their line looks on the design proof before anything is produced. Send it to them for approval. It avoids the most common complaint, which is a name spelled the way the series thought it was spelled.

Sponsor of the year

A sponsor of the year award goes the other way: the series presents it to a sponsor, in front of the riders and families the sponsor wants to reach. It is usually a plaque, given to the business that did the most for the series that season, whether that was money, product, a venue, equipment or staff time.

Sponsor of the Year
(Business name)
With thanks from the riders, families and crew of
(Series name) · 2026 Season

Present it near the end of the sponsor segment, and invite the sponsor to say a few words. It also makes a better photograph for the sponsor’s wall than a generic thank-you plaque. The appreciation plaque wording guide has more lines for sponsor plaques.

Who presents on stage

A presented award works only if the sponsor is visible when it is handed over. Plan it the same way as every other award, with a few additions.

• The emcee names the sponsor once. “The hard charger award is presented by (sponsor name). Here to present it is (presenter name).” Once is enough; more sounds like an advertisement.
• The sponsor’s representative presents. Ideally the owner or the person who signed the agreement. Ask in advance who is coming and how to pronounce their name.
• The citation is read by the emcee, not the sponsor. The sponsor hands over the award and shakes hands. They should not have to read a rider’s results from a card.
• One photograph, set up in advance. Winner in the middle, sponsor beside them, the award facing the camera and the series banner behind. Send the sponsor that photograph after the night.
• A fallback presenter. If the sponsor cannot attend, the series director presents and the emcee still names the sponsor. Agree this before the night, not at it.

Racing has one problem other sports do not. A brand-backed sponsor may not want to hand an award to a rider on a competitor’s machine, and the rider may not want the photograph either. Talk about it when the award is offered, and choose a category where it is less likely to matter, or agree in advance that the series director presents in that case. For the rest of the evening, see racing banquet planning.

How to offer it to a sponsor

Sponsors are asked for money all year. A presented award is easier to say yes to because it is specific, small and visible. Make the offer concrete.

• Name the award. “We would like you to present the rookie of the year award at our banquet,” not “we have award sponsorship opportunities.”
• Say what they get. Their name on the award, on stage, in the printed program and in the series’ posts after the banquet, plus a photograph with the winner.
• Say what it covers. If their contribution pays for that award, tell them so. Many sponsors like knowing exactly what they bought.
• Offer it before the season ends. A sponsor who agrees early can be named at the final rounds, which is worth more to them than a single mention at the banquet.
• Offer it to existing sponsors first. A supporting sponsor who presents an award one year is a good candidate for a bigger role the next.

A presented award does not replace thanking the sponsor. They still receive a plaque of their own, and a letter after the season; sponsor thank-you letter has samples.

What to agree in writing

A short note or email confirming the arrangement prevents nearly every problem we see. It should cover:

The last point matters more than it looks. A presented award that runs for several seasons with the same sponsor builds a history, and the design can be reordered so each year’s award matches the last with only the winner and season changed.

Ordering the presented award with everything else

Count the presented awards with the category awards, not with the sponsor plaques, so nothing is ordered twice; how many awards you need explains the lines. Collect the sponsor’s logo when they say yes, not when the order is due.

For timing, work back from the date the awards must be in your hands and ask us for the current lead time against it; how far in advance to order shows how. We make presented awards and sponsor plaques in acrylic, wood and metal, from your artwork and the sponsor’s, with free design, a proof you approve first and no minimum order.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a sponsor-presented award?

A category award that carries a sponsor’s name, is usually funded by that sponsor, and is handed to the winner on stage by the sponsor’s representative. The winner keeps the award; the sponsor gets the moment and the photograph.

Where should the sponsor’s name go on the award?

Below the award title, the winner’s name and the series name, on a “presented by” line. The award should read as the winner’s first and the sponsor’s second.

Should a sponsor present the championship trophy?

Most series keep class championships and overall titles in their own name, so the top honor never looks bought. Category awards such as hard charger, rookie of the year or sportsmanship suit a sponsor better.

What if the sponsor cannot attend the banquet?

Agree a fallback in advance. Usually the series director presents and the emcee still names the sponsor, and the sponsor receives the photograph afterward.

Does a sponsor who presents an award still get a sponsor plaque?

Yes, in most series. The presented award goes to the winner. The sponsor’s own plaque is the thank-you they keep and display.