So what about in other arenas? What do awards really mean? They can show accomplishment, but just as often they show the person that wanted an award the most. Think about that statement for a moment. What if most awards go to the person that wants an award really badly? Doesn't that lead to the question of why that person wants the award so badly? It can't be because they treasure the award. There are too many cases of athletes in particular selling off or trading trophies for things that they actually value, like money or tattoos. So if the person didn't want the award, did they want the attention? That seems more likely to me.
I know some awards are prestigious. But really, how many of us are ever going to win the Nobel Prize in anything? Fewer than 800 people have received the award since 1901. So that award is probably not overrated, but most of them are, I think. So many different awards these days end up being popularity contests at best.
Think about it this way. Is an award going to validate your life? Are you going to look back at the end of your time on Earth and wish you had won just one more award? If you answered yes to that, then you have bigger problems to deal with than winning an award.