Strong praise or approval; acclaim.
An award is an actual specific thing that someone can win: "Joe won the award for employee of the month and received a $50 Starbucks gift card." "Accolade" is fancier language and is often used metaphorically to say that someone was treated with praise or honor.
/ˈæk.ə.leɪd/ praise and approval: earn an accolade She has sold millions of records and earned numerous awards and accolades over a 30-year career. receive an accolade Her approval was the highest accolade he could receive.
Recognition is public and proclamatory. It's pedestal-standing, shout-outs that are often meant to highlight an individual's success or accomplishment. Acknowledgment, on the other hand, is looking at an output and understanding all the micro efforts of contribution, uplift and support that led towards success.
Behind the drive for recognition is the desire to create work that people feel. Work that people want to share. Accolades are on the surface. They represent a much deeper desire to do our jobs well and to make work that other people love.
Appreciation is about who someone is, and recognition is about what someone has done. The key difference is that appreciation is a way to show gratitude for a person's value, whereas recognition is showing gratitude for their actions.
: a mark of acknowledgment : award. received the highest accolade of his profession. b. : an expression of praise. a movie that has drawn accolades from both fans and critics.