Show your emotion as you stand at the podium. Display your heartfelt sincerity with a few tears that demonstrate your overwhelming joy and depth of gratitude for having received the honor. Alternatively, avoid outright blubbering.
Show humility. Acknowledge the efforts or talents of other individuals nominated for the award. This demonstrates good sportsmanship, whether it was a competition for employee of the month or the Academy Awards.
Refrain from reciting a "thank you list" of every person you have met since grade school as a lengthy list of names probably means nothing to your audience. Thank a few specific individuals. Share how one or two of these people influenced your life and helped to bring you to your crowning moment, or share a brief account of how one particular individual had the greatest impact on your career, your character or your charitable goal.
Tell the audence a funny anecdote or something that takes them by surprise. Be entertaining. If you have a flamboyant personality, let it show.
Refrain from rambling on aimlessly about how you did not expect to win the award. False modesty will bore the audience.
Practice your speech ahead of time and do not read it from a piece of paper. Be engaging, make eye contact and let your joy and enthusiasm show on your face.
Leave the crowd with a final, memorable impression. Offer a famous or funny quote, a moving comment or a simple click of the heels for a move that will be remembered.