Brown nosing works some of the time for some people that know how to manipulate but if you ask if that's the way it always works I would give you a resounding no. Thing is brown nosing only gets someone so far even in the times it works, it doesn't work on people that re able to recognize the behavior and are above such manipulations. The people that give awards to those that brown nose are those that are likely just as shallow. Brown nosing will get you somewhere in the immediate situation but when things change and they always do... if you haven't been earning the accolades, trust me your lack of work and proven skills will come out in the end. It sucks to see people that seem to in the moment, get ahead but keep in mind that those people likely not, at least not in most cases, keep getting ahead by this.

Slow and steady wins the race, always always always . Stick to having integrity, honesty and hard work and trust me, it will always pay off but usually it is a longer term reward, that you don't see right away. In y 40 or so years of working this is one lesson that I've found has been true in my life

Ignore the b*** kissers and stay the course, you'll not only end up ahead more than likely but even at worst it's not ahead but equal to others, you have a legacy of knowing you EARNED your position and place in life and that, my friend is far more reward than the shiny award that sits on a shelf and eventually just collects dust.