Bronze is one of the most popular metal alloys we use for casting sculpture recognition awards.Bronze is also one of the most prolific metal alloys in the history of mankind – in fact, an entire span of civilization is referred to as the “Bronze Age.” Since it is such an important alloy in past and present sculptures (including our awards), it is interesting to understand the role it has played throughout the centuries.It is fascinating that this material, and the methodology for casting it, has changed very little over the last 6 millenniums, and this adds to the richness and personality of the bronze awards that we create.

Everyone likes to win awards, right? And while you may have a box full of Little League and youth soccer participation awards kicking around in a closet somewhere let’s be honest, you aren’t busting those awards out anytime soon to impress people.

There are many different approaches to creating new custom recognition award designs, including personalized awards, customizable awards, and truly custom awards. At the outset of any custom design project, we work with clients to help them understand which approach is best for them.

As one of the most recognized and prestigious awards in the world, we at Bennett Awards are really intrigued by the history of the Oscar statuette associated with the Academy Awards.

We are excited to roll out a new, complimentary website to Bennett Awards: Bennett Collectibles. Bennett Collectibles are unique, handcrafted collectibles and gifts that are sure to bring a smile to any face. These creative, handmade sculptures, jewelry and artwork are a joy to collect over the seasons, and are also a great platform for gifting that can span many years and occasions. All of these items are created by some of the same artists that design our awards!

As you can see by the numbers, the award itself may not be worth much but the lasting impact of winning such a prestigious award could be worth millions to the recipient. Maybe your own company’s recognition awards don’t cost much in terms of actual dollars and cents, but you can make your own staff feel like a million dollars with a custom recognition award

Should you choose pewter for your custom award, as opposed to bronze, you have a few design options when it comes to plating your final award. Each plating option provides a unique finish and “look and feel” to the award. 

Premium recognition awards can be an ideal vehicle for achieving the two primary objectives associated with employee recognition: 1) a sincere gesture of thanks for a “job well done”; and 2) a positive reinforcement for them to continue the positive actions that merited the recognition.

One unique and impactful way to enhance the perceived value of your awards is to convey the process used to design and produce the awards. Printed materials can be effective for this; however, a video showing how they are created is probably the best way to capture the complex, multi-step production process that is conducted by a team of skilled designers and artisans.

Both bronze and pewter are primarily composed of copper and tin. However, the ratio of these two components in each metal is different and this creates significant differences in the finals metals themselves. Bronze is primarily copper alloyed with small amount of tin, while pewter is primarily tin alloyed with a small amount of copper.

One of the last things you have to do to finalize your custom award design is to chose the engraving, including the method, style, and content.

Archeologists have uncovered bronze sculptures from Ancient Greece and Rome, the Shang Dynasty period in China, as well as from the Chola Dynasty in South India. Just about every major civilization in history created bronze sculptures at one point or another, using a process known as lost wax casting to create small and intricate pieces like jewelry and vases, all the way to life-size statues and replicas. 

When most people think of a bronze award they think of third place; gold for first, silver for second, and bronze for third, right? For the record, most of the world’s most famous golden awards aren’t actually made of solid gold. And bronze awards, especially custom-designed bronze awards, are actually a lot more special than their usual 3rd place spot makes them seem.

“Not all that glitters is gold” is a very true quote when it comes to the awards industry. Although many awards are gold-plated for extra shine and sparkle, very few awards are actually solid gold. In fact, some of the world’s most famous awards are just a basic bronze shape underneath a shiny golden patina.

In 1939, playwright George Bernard Shaw was awarded the Academy Award for his screenplay for the movie version of Pygmalion. But Shaw wasn’t on hand to receive it. From England, he reportedly said, “It’s perfect nonsense! To offer me an award of this sort is an insult, as if they had never heard of me before — and it’s very likely they never had.” When Shaw died in 1950, his statuette was found to be in such bad shape that the curator who was turning his home into a museum used Oscar as a doorstop! Eventually, the statuette was repaired and is now displayed at the museum.