Awards & Superlatives
Class Reunion Awards and Superlatives: 22 Categories
Superlatives are the most-talked-about part of a reunion's program — done right, they're funny, generous, and tell the story of where the class went. Done wrong, they punch down at classmates who didn't deserve it. This guide gives you the 22 categories that work, the voting setup, the announcement flow, and the categories to absolutely skip.
Four rules for reunion superlatives
- Punch up, not down. Honor accomplishments and quirks. Don't mock circumstances.
- Class votes, committee doesn't override. The committee picks the categories; the class picks the winners.
- Keep the segment under 10 minutes. 6-8 awards × 60-75 seconds = 8 minutes. Anything longer loses the room.
- Make the prize symbolic. A printed certificate or $10 joke object, never expensive. The recognition matters; the object doesn't.
The 22 categories that work
Pick 6-8 of these. The first 6 in this list are the highest-engagement choices — start there.
1. Most Changed
The single highest-engagement category. Voters love this one. Pair the announcement with senior portrait + current photo on screen.
2. Longest Distance Traveled to Attend
Always a fun number. Often someone from across the country or overseas. Pair with their hometown vs. current city on screen.
3. Most Kids
Always sparks a laugh and a chorus of 'I had no idea.' Often a tie.
4. First to Become a Grandparent
Big response, especially at 25-year and 30-year reunions. Specific dates make this measurable.
5. Stayed Closest to the Old Neighborhood
Honors the classmate who never left town. Often a beloved local figure (teacher, business owner, firefighter).
6. Hasn't Changed at All
The 'looks exactly like the yearbook photo' award. Always lands as a compliment.
7. Most Career Pivots
Honors the classmate who took the windy path — from accounting to wedding photography to ranch hand.
8. Best Hair Then vs. Now
Universal laugh. Particularly funny for 80s and 90s graduates because of the hair.
9. Most Pets
Always someone with 6 dogs or 11 cats. Pull a photo from their Instagram.
10. Most Likely to Become Mayor (Did)
Class member who became an elected official, school board member, judge, or similar public servant. Recognize them publicly.
11. Best Reunion Hair
Award given at the event for the most committed hairstyle on the night — the classmate who showed up with full 1995 frosted tips, etc.
12. Best Reunion Outfit
Same as above, for theme commitment. Encourages future-reunion dress-up participation.
13. Most Tattoos
Lighthearted and visible. Classmates voluntarily roll up sleeves.
14. Furthest from Their Senior-Year Career Plan
The 'wanted to be a veterinarian, became a tax lawyer' award. Pair with the senior yearbook quote prediction.
15. Most Likely to Have Stayed Friends with Everyone
Honors the classmate who maintained the most friendships across cliques. Recognition for the social glue of the class.
16. First to Get Married
Light, factual. Get the date and put it on screen.
17. Most Likely to Show Up with a Story
The classmate who always has the wildest 'and then I ended up in Marrakesh' story. Award the storyteller.
18. Most Likely to Help You Move
Honors the most generous classmate — the one who'd genuinely show up.
19. Most Marathons / Triathlons Completed
Athletic recognition that doesn't require everyone to be athletic to appreciate.
20. Most Likely to Quote a 90s Movie at the Reunion
Era-specific and self-referential. Works for any decade. Award the catchphrase classmate.
21. Class Glue (Co-presented by the Committee)
Special committee-chosen award for the classmate who maintained the contact list, ran the Facebook group, or made the reunion possible.
22. In Memoriam Recognition
Not a competitive award — a formal recognition of deceased classmates. Brief, dignified, with the names and photos on screen. Often the most meaningful moment of the night.
Categories to absolutely skip
- Most Likely to Have Aged the Worst. Cruel.
- Biggest Weight Change. Body-shaming.
- Most Embarrassing Career. Punches down at honest work.
- Highest / Lowest Income. Status-anxiety inducing.
- Still Single At This Age. Targets a personal circumstance.
- Most Divorces. Same. Reads as cruelty even from someone who'd laugh at themselves.
- Most Likely to Disappoint Their Parents. Don't.
- Anything political. Most Likely to Run for Office is fine if specific to a real elected position; Most Likely to Have Voted For Trump/Biden is not.
- Old high-school cliques. "Most Likely to Still Be a Jock." Reinforces 17-year-old social hierarchies that the reunion is trying to escape.
How to run voting
Pre-event nominations (open at ticket purchase)
Survey question at RSVP: "Nominate one classmate for each award." List the 6-8 awards with a text field per. Anonymous to nominees, named to the committee. Tally responses week-by-week as RSVPs come in.
Event-night voting (cocktail hour through dinner)
A small voting station with printed cards. Each card has the 6-8 awards with blanks. Classmates fill out cards during cocktail hour and drop in a box. Voting closes at 8pm sharp.
Combining the two votes
Pre-event nominations weight 70% (because more people nominate), event-night votes 30%. Or simpler: pre-event nominations pick the top 2-3 finalists; event-night vote picks the winner. Either works.
Avoid this trap
The announcement segment (8:30-8:40pm)
10 minutes total, 60-75 seconds per award. One committee member as host with a wireless mic. Use this format for each award:
- Brief category intro (10 sec): "Next up — Most Changed."
- Old photo on screen (5 sec): Senior portrait.
- Reveal the winner (5 sec): Current name and photo.
- Brief story (30 sec): "Sam was the quietest kid in our class. Spent the last 15 years in Tokyo as a music producer. Came back this weekend specifically for this — give it up for Sam."
- Hand over the prize (10 sec): Winner walks up, takes the certificate or token, photo op.
Have the photos and stories pre-loaded in a slide deck the host advances. Don't freestyle — the segment dies if the host has to think about what to say.
Prize ideas (keep it symbolic)
- Printed certificate in a $4 IKEA frame. Looks good on a wall, costs almost nothing.
- Custom coffee mug with "Most Changed, Class of '95" printed on the side. $8 from any custom-mug site.
- Class letterman patch as an honorary award. $5 each.
- Trophy from a $1 store with a custom label. Aggressively cheap on purpose; that's the joke.
- Bottle of wine or beer with a custom label. $20-30 each — the higher end of prize cost.
Skip expensive trophies, anything personalized that arrives late, and anything edible that can't be transported home easily.
With Reunly for Class Reunions
Run superlative voting from the same place classmates RSVP
Reunly's voting module lets classmates nominate during ticket purchase and final-vote at the event. Tally happens automatically — the host just opens a one-page winner list.
Start your reunion free →Frequently asked questions
How many superlative awards should we give out?
6-8 awards max. Beyond that the audience loses focus and the announcement segment drags. Pick the 6-8 with broadest emotional appeal: Most Changed, Longest Distance Traveled, Most Kids, First Grandparent, Stayed Closest to Town, Hasn't Changed at All, plus 1-2 class-specific ones.
When during the evening should we announce the awards?
8:30pm, right after the slideshow and before the dance floor opens at 9pm. Keep the entire awards segment under 10 minutes total — about 60-75 seconds per award including the brief story.
How do classmates vote?
Two ways: (1) pre-event survey at ticket purchase, asking for one nomination per category, and (2) a voting station at the reunion itself with cards classmates fill out during cocktail hour. Combine the votes; pre-event nominations weight 70%, event-night votes 30%.
Should there be prizes?
Small, joke-quality prizes only. A $5-15 token (custom 'Most Changed' coffee mug, an honorary class letterman patch, a printed certificate). Anything expensive feels off — the recognition is the prize, not the object.
What categories should we absolutely skip?
Anything that punches down: Most Likely to Have Aged the Worst, Biggest Weight Gain, Lowest Salary, Most Embarrassing Career, Still Single At This Age. Anything political. Anything that singles out someone for circumstances they didn't choose.
What if there are ties in voting?
Co-winners. Don't run runoffs — that delays the announcement and embarrasses everyone. Two 'Most Kids' winners with 6 kids each is a better story than picking one.
How do we handle a classmate who's nominated but can't attend?
Award in absentia. Brief mention at the announcement, photo on screen, and email the certificate or token afterward. Many absent classmates have the most-shared stories.
Related class reunion guides
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