The King's Birthday Honours for 2026 have been announced, celebrating the extraordinary contributions and service of more than 1,000 people across the United Kingdom. Alongside the New Year Honours, this is the most significant announcement of civilian and military gallantry awards.
Famous Faces and Ordinary Heroes Honoured
Famous figures are recognised for their contributions to society, while ordinary people are celebrated for their community service. Honours span fields including sport, health, science, charity, and media.
Kevin Sinfield to be Knighted
Rugby league legend Kevin Sinfield is set to be knighted for his outstanding contribution to raising awareness and funds for motor neurone disease (MND). Sinfield said: "I am deeply honoured and grateful to receive this award on behalf of the rugby and MND communities. Since I first played rugby when I was seven, rugby league has given me so much."
—
Lisa Riley and Helen Mirren Honoured
Emmerdale star Lisa Riley has been awarded an MBE for her services to drama and charity. Actress Dame Helen Mirren was made a Companion of Honour for services to drama.
How Honours are Awarded
The New Year and King's Birthday honours are awarded by the King following recommendations by the prime minister or senior government ministers. Members of the public can also recommend people for an award. Honours are typically presented by the King, Prince of Wales, or Princess Royal at Buckingham Palace, Windsor Castle, or the Palace of Holyroodhouse.
Oldest Recipient
The oldest recipient was 101-year-old Pauline Hough, who received a British Empire Medal (BEM) for services to theatre and the community in Nantwich, Cheshire.
Prime Minister's Tribute
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said: "Across the UK, people are quietly changing lives and strengthening their communities. This Honours List is a chance to recognise them. Their dedication shows how lasting change is built – through compassion, resilience and a commitment to others."
Full List of Honours
Order of the Companions of Honour (CH)
- Sir Donald McCullin CBE – Photojournalist. For services to Photojournalism.
- Dame Helen Lydia Mirren DBE – Actor. For services to Drama.
Knights Grand Cross of the Order of the British Empire (GBE)
- Sir Jonathan Stephen Cunliffe CB – Chair, Independent Water Commission. For Public Service.
- Professor Dame Parveen June Kumar DBE – Professor Emerita of Medicine and Education. For services to Global Medical Education and Health.
Knights Commander of the Order of the Bath (KCB)
- Simon Peter Burton – Clerk of the Parliaments, House of Lords. For services to Parliament.
Dames Commander of the Order of the Bath (DCB)
- Susanna Justine McGibbon KC – Lately HM Procurator General. For Public Service.
Dames Commander of the Order of the British Empire (DBE)
- Professor Sheila Macdonald Bird OBE – For services to Statistics.
- Malorie Blackman OBE – Writer. For services to Literature.
- Professor Carol Elspeth Goodeve Brayne CBE – For services to Medicine, Medical Research and Public Health.
- Professor Melanie Jane Davies CBE – For services to Global Diabetes.
- Julia Catherine Donaldson CBE – Writer. For services to Literature.
- Jane Fraser – CEO, Citigroup. For services to the Financial Sector.
- Helen Christine Gordon – CEO, Grainger plc. For services to the Property Industry.
- Professor Sarah Lucina Hackman – For services to Forensic Anthropology.
- Serena Margaret Kennedy KPM DL – Lately Chief Constable, Merseyside Police.
- Shelagh Jane Legrave CBE DL – Further Education Commissioner.
- Dr Beverly Isadore Lindsay OBE DL – Chair, Association of Jamaican Nationals UK.
- Jessica Elizabeth Morden MP – For Political and Public Service.
- Dr Crystal Elizabeth Oldman CBE – Lately CEO, Queen's Institute of Community Nursing.
- Dr Hayaatun Sillem CBE – Lately CEO, Royal Academy of Engineering.
- Professor Heather Vivienne Stevens CBE – For services to the Environment.
- Anna Kim Taylor OBE – Executive Director, The Food Foundation.
- Sumeshni Tranka – Chief Nursing Officer, Welsh Government.
Knights Bachelor
- Professor Glen Warren Burley – CEO, Foundation Group. For services to the NHS.
- Professor Carlos Silvestre Frenk CBE – For services to Astrophysics.
- Rt Hon David Michael Gauke – Chair, Independent Sentencing Review.
- Rt Hon Gregory William Hands – Lately MP for Chelsea and Fulham.
- Alastair John Naisbitt King DL – Lately Lord Mayor, City of London.
- Peter Duncan Fraser Lord CBE – Co-Founder, Aardman Animations.
- Professor Richard Brabazon Macrory CBE – For services to Environmental Law.
- Andrew Harold Mitchell CBE – CEO, Tideway.
- Professor Andrew David Morris CBE – Director of Health Data Research UK.
- Christopher John Mullin – For Political and Public Service.
- Professor Stephen Thurston Munby CBE – For services to Education.
- Kevin Sinfield CBE – Coach, England Rugby. For services to Rugby League and MND Community.
- David Alan Sproxton CBE – Co-Founder, Aardman Animations.
- Professor Patrick Philip Vernon OBE – Campaigner for Racial Equality.
Companions of the Order of the Bath (CB)
- Jennifer Agnes Bell – Lately Crown Solicitor for Northern Ireland.
- Amanda Melanie Brooks (Amanda Kendall) CBE – Director General, Trade Group.
- Janette Anita Durbin CBE – Director, Cabinet Office.
- Ashley James Ibbett – Lately Director General for Energy Infrastructure.
- Glynne David Jones CBE – Lately Director, Wales Office.
- Angela MacDonald CBE – Deputy CEO, HMRC.
- Sarah Ann Munby – Lately Permanent Secretary, DSIT.
- Dr Rebecca Weston FREng – Managing Director, Defence Nuclear Organisation.
Commanders of the Order of the British Empire (CBE)
- Professor Ian David Abrahams – For services to Mathematical Sciences.
- Dr Damitha Adikaari – Director, Science and Innovation for Climate and Energy.
- Samantha Jane Allen – CEO, NHS North East and North Cumbria ICB.
- Professor Ron Arad – Industrial Designer.
- Thomas Roger Attwood – Chair of Trustees, Attwood Academy Trust.
- Gary Anthony Badley – Senior Responsible Owner, Ministry of Justice.
- Sarah Frances Barclay – Founder, Medical Mediation Foundation.
- Wendy Mira Becker – For services to Business and Charity.
- Hannah Kate Bernard OBE – Group Director, Nationwide.
- Alan John Bishop – Chair, The Place.
- Caroline Botwood – Director, Nuclear Projects Delivery.
- Diana Sarah Brightmore-Armour – CEO, C. Hoare & Co.
- Martin Dafydd Brown – Director of Retirement Services, DWP.
- Dr Josephine Bunch – Fellow, National Physical Laboratory.
- Dr Meryl Anne Bushell – Crown Representative, Cabinet Office.
- Mark Jonathan Byers – COO, HMICFRS.
- Professor Joanna Cannon – Professor Emerita, Courtauld Institute of Art.
- Steven Carlier – Lately President, Rolls Royce Submarines.
- Clare Moira Chapman – Chair, ACAS.
- Craig Andrew Wyn Crowley MBE – CEO, Action Deafness.
- David John Raphael Currie – Chair, Proserv.
- Professor Taraneh Dean – Provost, London South Bank University.
- Dominic Dodd – Lately Chair, UCLPartners.
- Charles Hunter Donald – Lately CEO, UK Government Investments.
- Patrick Doyle – Film Composer.
- Anne Eden – Regional Director, NHS England.
- Sian Elliott – Director of Organising, TUC.
- Rebecca Evernden – Director, UK Space Agency.
- Neil Fox MBE – For services to Rugby League.
- Allison Gardner – CEO, Glasgow Film.
- Thomas Goldman – Deputy Director, Department for Education.
- Henry Cyril Grunwald OBE KC – Chair, National Holocaust Centre.
- Professor David John Gunnell – For services to Public Health.
- Lisa Marie Harker – Director, Nuffield Family Justice Observatory.
- Patrick Iain Heath-Lay – CEO, People's Partnership.
- Neil Heslop OBE – CEO, Charities Aid Foundation.
- Rhiannon Jane Hiles – CEO, Beamish Museum.
- Jane Elisabeth Hill – Legal Director, Government Legal Department.
- Justin Andrew Cardale Holliday – Chief Finance Officer, HMRC.
- Professor Simon John Hollingsworth – Vice-President, AstraZeneca.
- Dr Sarah Joan Hughes – CEO, Mind.
- Christopher Robert Hulatt – Co-Founder, Octopus Group.
- Neil Anthony Johnson – Director, Department for Business and Trade.
- Christopher Neil Jones – Director, Home Office.
- Katie Jones – Chair, Pension Protection Fund.
- Melanie Keen – Lately Director, Wellcome Collection.
- Yasmin Akhtar Khan – CEO, Halo Project.
- Vikki Joanne Knight – Director, DWP.
- Professor David Michael Knowles FREng – CEO, Henry Royce Institute.
- Elaine Christina Lorimer – Lately CEO, Revenue Scotland.
- Professor Rosemary Helen Luckin – Professor, UCL Knowledge Lab.
- Fiona Jane MacGregor OBE – Lately CEO, Regulator of Social Housing.
- Ashley John Machin – Lately Lead NED, DWP.
- Dr William Mackie – Chair, CentreStage, Kilmarnock.
- Vishal Kumar Marria – For services to Technology and Economic Crime Prevention.
- Dr Ann Matheson OBE – Lately Keeper, National Library of Scotland.
- Paul Dominic McCreesh – Conductor.
- Ian Jeffrey McDermott – CEO, Peabody Trust.
- Annabel Ruth McKeon – Director, HMCTS.
- Bernard Amponsah Mensah – President of International, Bank of America.
- Merope Mills – Patient Safety Campaigner.
- Natalie Moore – Director, Ministry of Defence.
- Anthony Richard Negus – Musical Director, Longborough Festival Opera.
- Paul David Nisbet – Director, CALL Scotland.
- Joseph O'Neill – CEO, Belfast Harbour.
- Professor Timothy Robin Orchard – CEO, Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust.
- Helen Jane Palmer – People Director, DSIT.
- Kunal Patel – Lately Deputy Principal Private Secretary to PM.
- Ian David Piper – CEO, Ebbsfleet Development Corporation.
- Julia Natasha Pyke – Joint Managing Director, Sizewell C Ltd.
- Professor Monder Ram OBE DL – Founder, Centre for Research in Ethnic Minority Entrepreneurship.
- Professor Hilary Ranson – Pro-Vice-Chancellor, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine.
- Dr Eva Kirsten Elisabet Rausing DL – Founder, Alborada Trust.
- Dr David Charles Rees – Lately Chief Scientific Officer, Astex Pharmaceuticals.
- Julia Ross – Chair, British Association of Social Workers.
- Professor Robert Stephen Rubin OBE – Chair, Pentland Group.
- Sukriti Prova Sen – Director, Coventry City Council.
- Jonathan Isaac Sherman – Director, HMRC.
- Peter Rowland Tudor St John – Founder, Caruso St John Architects.
- Andrew Philip Start – Lately CEO, Defence Equipment and Support.
- Professor Sarah Joanna Tabrizi – For services to Huntington's Disease.
- Professor Paul Jonathon Taylor – Police Chief Scientific Adviser.
- Nigel Terrington – CEO, Paragon Banking Group.
- Charlotte Tilbury MBE – Founder, Charlotte Tilbury Beauty.
- Dr Richard Mark Vautrey – Lately President, RCGP.
- Dr Victoria Louise Winckler – Lately Director, Bevan Foundation.
- Terence Woods QPM – Deputy Chief Constable, Greater Manchester Police.
- Deborah Jane Wosskow OBE – Entrepreneur.
- Jonathan Yates – Executive Director, Youth Endowment Fund.
- Professor Ian Stuart Young – Consultant Chemical Pathologist.
This list continues with Officers of the Order of the British Empire (OBE), Members of the Order of the British Empire (MBE), and Medallists of the Order of the British Empire (BEM), covering a wide range of sectors including education, healthcare, public service, arts, and community work. The full list is available on the official honours website.
