[Erwin]

Make new custom profile fields, make them not editable by user, not viewable by member in profile.

Using your mouse, hover over the edit link, and remember the profield id of each of them.

Then, go to Admin CP, User, and to the user you want to give award to, and put in the image HTML:

<img src="http://www.yoursite.com/images/awards.gif">

in the custom profield field text input.

Then in postbit template, add $post[field26] anywhere you want the image to show up. For people without awards it won't show up. In getinfo template, add $userinfo[field26] instead. Change 26 to the profile id you are using.

See? No hacking needed. Best of all, no additional queries at all.