Yeah, I think there's a big difference between the intended celebration of each child's divine spark and what my husband calls "comfort lies": giving everybody the same award in a competition, for instance.
Everybody's got different gifts--but everybody's got something. It is better to take the time and effort to find out each individual's gift than it is to give the same rubber stamp to everybody. Rather than making kids feel more special, I think it makes them feel patronized. Kids are good at spotting BS.
And it makes kids who have truly made a big achievement feel as though they may as well not bother striving for excellence.
It's a joy to find and appreciate people's real gifts. Giving the same award to everybody is the lazy way out.