Spanish vocabulary · Beginner
How to Say Award in Spanish: Premio
Premio · noun · PREH-mee-oh
The Spanish word for award is premio, a masculine noun that encompasses prizes, honors, trophies, and recognitions of all kinds. From the Nobel Prize (Premio Nobel) to a school achievement certificate, premio is the go-to term. In elevated registers — such as news broadcasts, literary criticism, and award ceremonies — galardón offers a more prestigious-sounding synonym. When you need the verb 'to award,' Spanish offers premiar (to give a prize), otorgar (to grant, formal), and conceder (to bestow).
Premio is pronounced PREH-mee-oh, with stress on the first syllable. The pr cluster is pronounced with a lightly trilled or tapped r. Galardón is pronounced gah-lar-DOHN, with stress on the final syllable and a soft g at the start.
La película ganó el premio a mejor dirección en el festival.
The film won the award for best direction at the festival.
Award in Spanish: Quick Reference
Below are the most common Spanish words for award, with pronunciation and regional usage notes.
| Spanish | English | Pronunciation | Region / Register |
|---|---|---|---|
| premio | award | PREH-mee-oh | Default, widely understood |
| galardón | award | Formal or literary contexts; used in journalism and ceremonies | |
| otorgar | award | Verb meaning 'to award' or 'to grant,' used in official and legal language | |
| premiar | award | Verb meaning 'to award a prize,' commonly used across all regions |
How Native Speakers Use Premio
Real example sentences across three contexts you'll actually run into.
News headline
El escritor colombiano recibió el galardón más importante de la literatura hispana.
The Colombian writer received the most important award in Hispanic literature.
Galardón is the preferred term in journalistic and literary contexts for major, prestigious awards. Recibir (to receive) pairs naturally with it.
School recognition
Los estudiantes que saquen las mejores notas recibirán un premio al final del semestre.
Students who get the best grades will receive an award at the end of the semester.
In educational settings, premio covers certificates, medals, and other recognitions. The subjunctive saquen is used because the outcome is uncertain.
Verb usage
El jurado decidió premiar a la joven científica por su innovadora investigación.
The jury decided to award the young scientist for her innovative research.
Premiar is the verb form meaning 'to give an award.' It takes the preposition a before the person being awarded.
Avoid These Mistakes When Using Premio
Using award as a false cognate
Incorrect: La empresa le dio un award por su buen desempeño.
Correct: La empresa le dio un premio por su buen desempeño.
Unlike words such as hotel or similar that cross between English and Spanish, award has no cognate in Spanish. The correct noun is premio, and the English word should never be substituted.
Confusing premio with precio
Incorrect: Ganó el precio Nobel de Literatura.
Correct: Ganó el Premio Nobel de Literatura.
Premio means award or prize, while precio means price (of a product). These two words look and sound somewhat similar but have completely different meanings. Mixing them up changes the sentence entirely.
Lock in Award Vocabulary with the Parrot Method
Why word lists alone don't stick
Memorizing a translation feels productive, but most learners forget 70% of what they studied within 48 hours. Vocabulary needs spaced repetition AND real-world exposure to transfer to long-term memory.
See Premio used by native speakers
Parrot's short-form videos feature native speakers using premio in real situations. Context-based exposure beats flashcards, you hear La película ganó el premio a mejor dirección en el festival. while watching someone live the moment, connecting meaning, sound, and rhythm at once.
Save, review, repeat, stay consistent
Tap any word to save it. Parrot's spaced-repetition system surfaces it right before you'd forget, no manual flashcard creation. The watch, parrot back, save, review cycle turns recognition into fluency at 2.7x the speed of traditional study.
Common Questions About Award in Spanish
- What is the difference between premio and galardón?
- Both mean 'award,' but they differ in register. Premio is the everyday, general-purpose term used for everything from lottery prizes to Oscars. Galardón is more formal and literary, reserved for prestigious honors in journalism, literature, and ceremonial speeches.
- How do you say 'to win an award' in Spanish?
- The most natural way is ganar un premio. You can also say recibir un premio (to receive an award) or llevarse un premio (to take away an award, more colloquial). For formal contexts, ser galardonado con (to be honored with) is used.
- How do you say 'award ceremony' in Spanish?
- The standard term is ceremonia de premiación or entrega de premios (literally 'prize delivery'). In Spain, you may also hear gala de premios. All are widely understood across the Spanish-speaking world.