There are three types of awards!
1. Marks of Mastery! You get these by posting in this thread. They're pretty straightforward cause all you need to do is post proof that you have the game and you get an award!
2. Community Endeavors! These are awards that reward you for being sociable or helpful or funny around the forums. They're a bit tougher to get because they require nominations and recognition, but the longer you stay around, the more likely you'll be to get them.
3. Contest Winners! These awards are basically the ones that people get for winning some kind of contest on here, like the Halloween dress-up contest or the academy awards we hosted earlier this year. They're not actually available anymore, but new ones pop up every now and then.
if you want a full list of awards, you can check this page