MORE than 1000 people have been recognised in this year’s New Year Honours list, ranging from politicians, musicians and actors to senior diplomats and elite sports stars.
England goalkeeper Mary Earps, Glastonbury founder Michael Eavis and Game of Thrones actor Emilia Clarke are among the stars of sport, stage and screen recognised in the New Year Honours list.
Politicians including Savid Javid and MSP Liz Smith have also been included on the list of 1227 recipients of an honour.
On this year's list, 48% of recipients are women, and 13.8% come from an ethnic minority background.
Rishi Sunak congratulated those who have been honoured, adding that they were “the pride of this country and an inspiration to us all”.
Sunak said: “The New Year’s Honours List recognises the exceptional achievements of people across the country and those who have shown the highest commitment to selflessness and compassion.
“To all honourees, you are the pride of this country and an inspiration to us all.”
Singer Dame Shirley Bassey, who has sold more than 135 million records, has been made Companion of Honour for her services to music, becoming the sixty-fourth living member of the order which can only have 65 members at any one time.
Director and producer Sir Ridley Scott, whose works include Gladiator, Alien and Napoleon, has been made a Knight Grand Cross, upgrading his previous knighthood, while author Jilly Cooper becomes a dame.
Cooper said: “I am absolutely and incredibly bowled over. I cannot believe I am a DBE, which in my case also stands for Delighted, Bewildered and Ecstatic.”
Sir Justin Welby, the Archbishop of Canterbury, has been made a Knight Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian Order (RVO) for his personal service to the Crown during the coronation at Westminster Abbey in May.
Welby conducted the service for the coronation and had the momentous task of anointing and crowning Charles and Camilla.
Other notable names in the list include cricketer Stuart Broad, who has been made a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) following his retirement; singer Leona Lewis, who becomes an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE); and author Kate Mosse, who was also made a CBE.
Elsewhere, Game of Thrones star Emilia Clarke has been made a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) alongside her mother Jenny as co-founders of SameYou, a brain injury recovery charity they established after she survived two brain haemorrhages.
Clarke, who shot to fame playing the Mother of Dragons in the hit HBO series, said the honour was “remarkable” and felt it was “life-enhancing and magical” to see her mother, who has also had surgery to remove a brain aneurysm, also recognised for the work.
In politics, former chancellor and home secretary Sajid Javid has been knighted, Dame Margaret Beckett, Labour MP for Derby South, has had her damehood upgraded to a Dame Grand Cross, and Siobhain McDonagh, Labour MP for Mitcham and Morden, has been made a Dame Commander.
Glastonbury Festival founder Michael Eavis, listed under his full name Athelstan Joseph Michael Eavis, said he was looking forward to his investiture after being knighted for services to music and charity.
In an interview for the official Glastonbury website, Eavis said: “I think William might do the ceremony.
“He’s made a few mentions of wanting to come to the festival, so I’ll probably take a couple of tickets in my pocket!”
In sport, England captain Millie Bright has been made an OBE, while her fellow Lionesses Earps and Lauren Hemp have been made MBEs for services to football after they finished runners-up to Spain in the women’s World Cup.
The honour caps a remarkable month for Earps (below) after she was crowned 2023 BBC Sports Personality of the Year in a public vote.
The oldest recipient on this year’s list is Jill Gladwell, 97, from Stowmarket, who has become an MBE for her voluntary services to the Royal British Legion in Suffolk, while nine-year-old Tony Hudgell, the youngest recipient, has been awarded a British Empire Medal (BEM) for services to the prevention of child abuse.
