And if it is the person I know, it doesn't put them above anybody since they got the award after these people this person is still technically 'below' them.

Well, timing only matters if the awards are equivalent in precedence. In this case, they're not. So a jump in rank IS a jump in rank.

Yeah, the frets and DHs are going like hotcakes lately. And what is bugging me is that there doesn't really seem to be any sort of "standard" applied for how much "service" is required for each. I have my own opinions on the subject.