Vanity award

A vanity award is an award in which the recipient purchases the award to give the false appearance of a legitimate honor and achievement. In some countries, those conferring awards may seek "sponsorship fees," "dinner fees," charity donations, and other financial "contributions" to avoid the perception that the award has not been "bought." Some organizations also provide marketing and advertising services in exchange for these fees, in addition to receiving the award. Similarly, some organizations may grant awards to prominent personalities "for free" to enhance the award's perceived legitimacy, regardless of whether the individuals personally accept the award. To further enhance the image of validity and prestige, they notably incorporate superlatives such as "World," "Asia," "Best," "Excellence," "Top," "Global", "Star", and similar terms in the name of their award-giving body.

Compared to legitimate award-giving bodies, where nominated candidates are screened by a panel of reputable and relevant adjudicators, the awardees in these cases are often selected either personally by the body's leaders, through surveys or similar research methodologies that are insufficient and questionable, or based on the amount of their financial contributions.

While many of these awards operate legally in their respective countries and do not violate specific laws, many in business circles and experts deem these schemes to be scams.