Keep award-winners secret to create some suspense. For certain awards, such as attendance awards and highest GPA earners, it may not be possible to withhold the winners. But for other awards, such as the Student of the Year or the Athlete of the Year, wait until the ceremony to announce to keep students interested and paying attention.
Mediate the ceremony. Introduce presenters with a musical introduction. Periodically give students a break from listening to presenters by playing video clips or montages of footage captured throughout the school year. Show a slideshow of students on a big screen.
Allow a few students to present awards, as students may be more interested and engaged if they see their peers on stage. Assign a few presenters to ask a trivia question for students to mull over. Have other presenters share the answers throughout the ceremony.
Give out fun and playful awards, in addition to scholastic and athletic awards. For instance, give an award to the student with the most school spirit or with the best sense of humor. Have students vote on these superlatives in advance of the ceremony.