Pets win prizes
Idiom that combines "Teachers Pet" and "back slapping contest".
- Teacher's pet - a suck up, not exclusive to a school, but typically found in large hierarchical organisations
- Back slapping contest - a ceremony to recognise someone has conformed to the expectations of an industry or company or organisation
"Pets win prizes" is a phrase to describe the social phenomenon of rewarding a suck up. Someone that has devoted their lives to some organisation, power or authority.
Usage example: Person A: Bob won that lifetime achievement award? He's a Yes man! Person B: "Pets win prizes"!