How to choose an awards host for a December ceremony in the UK: broadcaster, comedian or sports presenter, what the role covers, the script and the brief.
December is the busiest month for awards ceremonies and gala dinners in the UK. Industry awards, internal recognition nights and charity galas compete for the same venues, the same production crews and the same hosts.
An awards host, often called a compère, carries the evening from the opening welcome to the final award. They introduce the categories, bring presenters and winners on and off stage, keep the running order on time and hold the room when something goes wrong. A good host is the person guests remember the evening by, and a weak one is the part of the night that gets talked about the next morning.
This guide is for the events, communications and HR teams planning a ceremony this winter. It covers the main types of host, what the role includes, how the script and running order work and what to put in the brief.
| Part of the evening | The host's job |
|---|---|
Opening | Welcome, house notes, the tone for the night |
Between courses | Short links that keep the room together without interrupting dinner |
Awards | Introducing each category, reading shortlists and winners, managing walk-ups and photos |
Sponsor moments | Naming category sponsors as agreed in the contract |
The unexpected | Covering a technical delay, a missing winner or a running order change |
Close | Thanks, final award, handover to the band or DJ |
A moderator does a different job: running a panel or an on-stage conversation. Some hosts do both, which helps when the evening includes an interview with a guest or a panel before dinner. Our piece on what an event moderator does sets out the difference in more detail.
Most awards hosts in the UK come from three backgrounds. Each suits a different kind of evening.
| Host background | Suits | Watch for |
|---|---|---|
TV or radio presenter | Formal industry awards, televised or streamed ceremonies, tight running orders | Keep the script in the company's voice; presenters read autocue well but need the names in advance |
Comedian | Internal celebrations, gala dinners, rooms that need warming up | Agree the boundaries of the humour in the brief, including subjects to avoid |
Sports presenter or athlete | Sports, health and performance awards, sales recognition nights | Check how much hosting they have done, beyond keynotes and Q&A |
The audience matters more than the category of host. A room of 800 people from one company behaves differently from a room of 800 people from competing firms in the same industry.
Most ceremonies use a scripted running order with room for the host to improvise. The production company or events team usually owns the running order; the host shapes the script so it sounds like them.
Allow three to four minutes per category for the announcement, walk-up, presentation and photo. A ceremony with 15 categories needs close to an hour of awards, so many organisers split them into two blocks around the main course.
1. The audience. Numbers, who they are, whether they know each other and how the room is laid out.
2. The tone. Celebration, thanks after a hard year, or a formal industry night.
3. The awards. Categories, shortlists, sponsors and who presents each award.
4. Sensitive points. Restructuring, a recent loss or anything the room will be thinking about.
5. Production details. Autocue or cue cards, handheld or lapel microphone, rehearsal time, stage entrances.
Our guide to writing a speaker brief covers the general structure; for a host, the running order and the winners list matter most.
Elis James on stage:
Elis James Is Told Not To Touch What He Can't Afford | Stand Up (YouTube)
If the evening also needs an after-dinner speaker, our page on after-dinner speakers brings the options together.
An awards host, or compère, carries the ceremony from the opening welcome to the final award: introducing categories, reading winners, managing walk-ups, naming sponsors, keeping the running order on time and covering any delays.
As soon as the date and venue are confirmed. December is the busiest month for awards and gala dinners in the UK, so hosts' diaries fill early. Booking early also leaves time for the script and a rehearsal.
It depends on the evening. TV and radio presenters suit formal or streamed industry awards with tight running orders. Comedians suit internal celebrations and gala dinners that need warming up, as long as the boundaries of the humour are agreed in the brief.
Allow three to four minutes per category for the announcement, walk-up, presentation and photo. A ceremony with 15 categories needs close to an hour, so many organisers split the awards into two blocks.
The audience profile, the tone of the night, the category list with shortlists and sponsors, any sensitive points, production details and, the day before, the final winners list with pronunciations marked.
After Dinner Speakers
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