Acceptance Speech - Writing Guide & Examples

If you receive an award at a public event, a short acceptance speech is expected. It is your opportunity to thank the awarding organization or individuals. Moreover, it will also act as an inspiration to those who may have similar goals as yours. Thus, your speech writing requires proper planning and writing style to make it sound compelling.

It is better to prepare the speech ahead of time to avoid using the wrong words. Most people see it as a dreadful task to write a speech. However, it is not difficult if you follow the proper guidelines and structure.

For further help, explore this guide to master the art of writing an amazing acceptance speech. You will also get a comprehensive understanding by having a look at the template and examples.

Acceptance Speech Definition

An acceptance speech is a type of special occasion speech given by someone receiving an award, honor, or prize. The main aim is to express gratitude by thanking awarding individuals. Similarly, it is also an opportunity to show how honored you are to be given such recognition.

You should prepare ahead of time to deliver an outstanding speech of acceptance. Most people just prepare a basic outline of what to say and a list of people they want to thank.

However, if you have been informed about the award beforehand, it is better to take time and actually write your speech.

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Acceptance Speech Outline

An acceptance speech outline follows the below pattern.

Acceptance Speech Introduction

It is the first and most important section of your speech. It sets the tone of the entire speech by connecting it with the audience. Moreover, it contains a good opener that serves as a formal opening or an attention grabber hook sentence.

The primary purpose of this section is to highlight the excitement, shock, and happiness of receiving an award. Similarly, it is also used to acknowledge people who are present during the event.

Acceptance Speech Body Paragraphs

The body paragraphs consist of the main ideas that are used to generate a speech. Below are the elements that must be included in the main body of an acceptance speech.

• Expression of Gratitude

  This part of the speech will express your gratitude for the organization that has given you the award. Similarly, it provides you an opportunity to show how thankful, happy, and honored you are for being nominated and upon receiving the award.

  Furthermore, you can also thank the important people in your life in this section.

• Address Your Competition

  Here, you will acknowledge the people who were nominated alongside you. Despite being your competitors, some of them are also your close friends. Express how worthy these brilliant performers are of the nomination.

  Moreover, you can also state how these nominees have inspired you throughout your life. Such a strategy will help you build new and meaningful relationships with them.

• Share the Glory

  A writer must share the glory with the supportive people in the body paragraphs. It includes directors, producers, and managers who have given you a chance to show your talent.

  Similarly, it allows you to thank important people in your life, such as your partner, parents, siblings, and friends. Also, remember the audience and thank them for their comments and feedback on your success.

Acceptance Speech Conclusion

The conclusion section of your speech can be inspirational, funny, or challenging. The best way to end an acceptance speech is with something you can be remembered for.

For example, it can be an inspirational message, funny remarks, or a challenge posed to the audience.

Refer to the below-given template to learn the proper speech format.

Acceptance Speech Template

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How to Start an Acceptance Speech?

Follow the below prewriting steps to start an acceptance speech

1. Start early and plan ahead of time to prepare a good speech.
2. Know the audience or organizers who chose you to receive the award among other nominees.
3. Brainstorm to decide what you want to include in your speech.
4. Make a list of people you want to thank. Write the names of the important ones.
5. Note down the reasons why you are thankful for receiving the award.
6. Read other good acceptance speeches available online. Such different types of speeches will help you to draw inspiration.
7. Develop an outline for giving direction to the speech. It must include all the headings and significant ideas to generate impressive content.

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How to Write An Acceptance Speech?

Here are some steps for you to follow while writing an acceptance speech.

1. Start With Thanks

Begin writing an acceptance speech by thanking the people who helped you in achieving your goals. It includes those individuals who introduced you to the organization that nominated and granted you the award.

2. Talk About the Organization

Express how thankful you are after receiving the honor from an organization. Moreover, talk further about the organization itself and describe why it is good for the community.

Also, discuss how being a part of it has impacted your life.

3. Acknowledge the Supportive People

In this step, acknowledge all the supportive people who helped you in this journey. It can be your family and friends, along with the mentors who gave you a chance to showcase your talent.

Make sure you recognize even the small efforts made by the people who helped you the way. Be sincere and genuine while expressing your gratitude and appreciating them.

4. Avoid Thanking Too Many People

Avoid thanking too many people individually in your acceptance speech. As it will take a lot of time and will eventually bore the audience. Moreover, it may also cause disappointment if you forget to mention someone. Thus, it is better to thank everyone collectively.

5. Add Humor to Your Speech

Award ceremonies can be boring. Therefore, you can add humor to the acceptance speech to make it sound entertaining.

However, do not focus solely on making the speech humorous as it will lose the real expression. Also, try to avoid sarcasm or joking about someone or the award itself.

6. Tell a Story

The last step is to make your speech memorable by telling a brief personal story. Here, you can share your struggles and successes in achieving the main goal. It is the best way to entertain and inspire the audience that may share the same path as yours.

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How to End an Acceptance Speech?

Below given are the steps that you should follow to end your acceptance speech perfectly.

1. Conclude your speech with something that makes a great impact on the audience.
2. Summarize the group of people who have helped you in accomplishing the goal.
3. Make a closing statement that would give a solid impression of your speech.
4. End it with a lighthearted and positive note to maintain the atmosphere.
5. Thank the organization again and highlight their valuable contribution to the community and your life.
6. You can also suggest a call to action to inspire the audience. It can be a financial donation or practical efforts to make it a powerful institution.
7. Make a final thank you to the audience in your last line.
8. Read the speech thoroughly to make notes of the sections and sentences that may sound wrong or confusing.
9. Remove all the words and phrases that you cannot pronounce correctly.
10. Ask a friend or colleague to proofread it for you. Make changes according to their criticism or feedback.

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Acceptance Speech Writing Tips

Here are some useful tips for you to write a perfect speech.

• Take enough time to brainstorm what you want to include and who you want to thank in the speech.
• Use a polite and courteous tone while writing an acceptance speech.
• Keep it short and to the point, as the maximum time limit is three to five minutes.
• The language and writing style must perfectly fit the dignity of the occasion.
• Create an outline to guide you throughout the writing process. It will also give a direction to your speech.
• It is better to ask the hosting organization about any special requirements and codes.
• Plan ahead of time to prepare a good speech.
• Make sure to talk about the organization and not about yourself and appreciate them honestly.
• Thank a group of people collectively instead of thanking each one individually.
• Briefly mention the goals and accomplishments.
• Do not apologize or mention the mistakes of the past. Instead, focus on the present and positive prospects of the future.
• Do not use your speech as a platform to address any political or social issues.
• Include humor in the speech to make it entertaining. However, never make fun of anyone.
• Always end the speech with a strong emotional appeal to inspire the audience.

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Acceptance Speech Example

Here are some amazing speech examples for you to write a good acceptance speech.

Acceptance Speech PDF

Acceptance Speech Example

Acceptance Speech Sample

Award Acceptance Speech

Scholarship Acceptance Speech

It is quite a challenging task to write an acceptance speech. Therefore, it is beneficial to brainstorm and prepare in advance. A good way to open your speech is by expressing gratitude to the benefactors and conclude it with some inspirational message.

However, not every good speaker is a good writer. Thus, most of them prefer to take expert help from professional writers and buy speeches at reasonable rates. Though it is important to look for reliable writing services available online.

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