Analysis
Seven in ten honours went to community recognition
Of 1,182 recipients, 807 — about 68% — were MBEs and British Empire Medals: the community-level awards that recognise the volunteers, carers and coaches at the heart of local life.
A record of distinction
The stories behind the UK Honours
Search recipients of the Birthday and New Year Honours — from the Birthday Honours 2026 to historic knighthood lists — by name, award, theme or region.
Featured honourees
Birthday Honours 2026
In focus
Stories from the 2026 Birthday Honours
Public life
The names you know
Two new Companions of Honour — Dame Helen Mirren and war photographer Sir Don McCullin — plus damehoods for Gruffalo author Julia Donaldson and Malorie Blackman, and a knighthood for rugby's Kevin Sinfield.
Themes
What Britain chose to honour
Taken together, the citations name education as the cause Britain honoured most this year, ahead of health and community service. Science is strongly represented at the top end — cosmologist Sir Carlos Frenk, dementia researcher Dame Carol Brayne and engineer Dame Hayaatun Sillem.
Community
The 306 local heroes
The British Empire Medal is the most local honour there is, and 306 were awarded this year — to Dean Allen in Telford, Alison Brittle in Saddleworth, Campbell Best in Portadown, and hundreds more like them. For most, that short citation is the only public record of a lifetime of quiet service.
Community
Twelve foster carers, honoured
A quiet cluster of fifteen foster carers were recognised this year — and Birmingham Children's Trust appears three times across the foster-care awards.
In this list
Notable in the 2026 Birthday Honours
The names you know.
Public life
The most senior honours — including two of the country's 65 Companions of Honour.
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Sport
A Ryder Cup captain, a knighthood for rugby, and a rising Lioness.
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Politics & public service
From the green benches to the senior civil service.
Science & engineering
Britain's honoured minds — cosmology, dementia research and engineering.
Portraits via Wikimedia Commons.
Honours near you
Find honours in your area
Jump to your town or county, or search by postcode, to see who has been recognised near you.
In focus · Honours explainer
Nominations for the 2027 honours are open — here’s how to put a name forward
Anyone can nominate someone for an MBE, OBE, CBE or knighthood. Our plain-English guide explains how the system works, what stays confidential, how long it takes, and the simple steps to nominate.
Read the guideBrowse the record
Explore the honours
By year
Every Birthday and New Year Honours list, year by year. Open a round to see who was recognised, the split across the award ranks, the themes that ran through it, and where recipients came from.
Explore
By award
From the British Empire Medal and the MBE up to a knighthood, the George Cross and the Order of Merit. What each honour means, the post-nominal letters it carries, and everyone who has held it.
Explore
By location
Search by postcode or town to find honours recipients near you, plotted on a map. Browse county by county across England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland and overseas.
Explore
By theme
From music and medicine to community work and sport — the citation themes behind the honours. Explore who has been recognised in a field, and how each theme breaks down.
ExploreFrom the Cabinet Office