So you'd pick getting empty awards like employee of the month/year over a good hike in salary?
Recognition doesn't mean shit in the real world buddy, no one cares how many clients you handled or what you did for them in your last job. Even you're going to forget most of the work you did over time.
What will last? Cold hard cash in the bank.
It's stupid to jeopardize your job just for your bosses and colleagues to know what a good job you're doing. If you weren't doing your job, you wouldn't be there in the first place or you won't last long.