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British Empire Medal (BEM)

Awarded for meritorious civil or military service, typically at a local or community level.

BEM
British Empire Medal (BEM) ribbon
Insignia of the British Empire Medal
Insignia · Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)

Awarded over time

British Empire Medal (BEM) appointments by year, split by honours list.

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Honours rounds

The rounds behind the chart - open one to see the recipients.

  1. 2026New Year (341) · Birthday (328)
  2. 2025New Year (335) · Birthday (362)
  3. 2024New Year (398) · Birthday (313)
  4. 2023New Year (330) · Birthday (349)
  5. 2022New Year (382) · Birthday (332)
  6. 2021New Year (428) · Birthday (344)
  7. 2020New Year (333) · Birthday (551)
  8. 2019New Year (365) · Birthday (318)
  9. 2018New Year (331) · Birthday (331)
  10. 2017New Year (331) · Birthday (313)
  11. 2016New Year (348) · Birthday (322)
  12. 2015New Year (292) · Birthday (313)
  13. 2014New Year (367) · Birthday (309)
  14. 2013New Year (309) · Birthday (329)
  15. 2012Birthday (311)
  16. 2001Birthday (20)
  17. 2000Birthday (30)
  18. 1999Birthday (1)
  19. 1993New Year (304)
  20. 1992New Year (307) · Birthday (292)
  21. 1991New Year (330) · Birthday (353)
  22. 1990New Year (291)
  23. 1989New Year (250) · Birthday (241)
  24. 1988New Year (253) · Birthday (230)
  25. 1987New Year (236) · Birthday (230)
  26. 1986New Year (223) · Birthday (207)
  27. 1985New Year (249) · Birthday (243)
  28. 1984New Year (273) · Birthday (226)
  29. 1983New Year (263) · Birthday (251)
  30. 1982New Year (266)
  31. 1981New Year (304) · Birthday (300)
  32. 1980New Year (118) · Birthday (311)
  33. 1979New Year (326) · Birthday (205)
  34. 1978New Year (336) · Birthday (333)
  35. 1977New Year (321) · Birthday (339)
  36. 1976New Year (316) · Birthday (306)
  37. 1975New Year (300) · Birthday (295)
  38. 1974New Year (239) · Birthday (259)
  39. 1973New Year (241) · Birthday (276)
  40. 1972New Year (233) · Birthday (247)
  41. 1971New Year (239) · Birthday (234)
  42. 1970New Year (237) · Birthday (245)
  43. 1969New Year (249) · Birthday (258)
  44. 1968New Year (203) · Birthday (235)
  45. 1967New Year (203) · Birthday (209)
  46. 1966New Year (202) · Birthday (210)
  47. 1964Birthday (7)

Topics

All topics

The topics most recognised among British Empire Medal (BEM) recipients, sized by number of people. Click a tile to explore.

Community4,474Community — 4,474Young People519Young People — 519Charity432Charity — 432Education355Education — 355Music218Music — 218Sport162Sport — 162Policing154Policing — 154Children148Children — 148NHS96NHS — 96Charitable Se…92Charitable Service — 92Veterans91Veterans — 91Disability90Disability — 90Local Govern…90Local Government — 90Charitable F…87Charitable Fundraising — 87Export82Export — 82Nursing82Nursing — 82Covid-19 Res…81Covid-19 Response — 81Public…Public Service — 79Heritage — 74Arts — 73Holocaust Education — 68Mental Health — 65Healthcare — 65Football64Football — 64Older Peo…63Older People — 63Higher Ed…62Higher Education — 62Families57Families — 57Voluntary…55Voluntary Service — 55Scouting55Scouting — 55Diversity — 51british-foreign-policy — 49Community Service — 48Environment — 48Cricket — 48Homelessness — 48Youth44Youth — 44Business41Business — 41Health41Health — 41SwimmingSwimming — 38Conserva…Conservation — 36British …British Nationals Overseas — 36Awareness — 36Vulnerable People — 35Social Care — 35british-community-abroad — 34Fire Safety — 34Dance — 34Public Libraries — 34Inclusion — 33Maritime Safety — 32Learning Disabilities — 32Elderly Care — 32Foster Care — 32Athletics — 31Rugby — 28Transport — 26Defence — 26Dementia — 26Fundrai…Fundraising — 26Librari…Libraries — 26

Topics by number of recipients

A ranked list of every topic recognised among British Empire Medal (BEM) recipients is available below - show it to browse and filter the full set.

The British Empire Medal is a British and Commonwealth award for meritorious civil or military service worthy of recognition by the Crown. The current honour was created in 1922 to replace the original medal, which had been established in 1917 as part of the Order of the British Empire.

Background from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0).

About this honour

The British Empire Medal (BEM) recognises dedication and contribution to community or service organisations. It was established in 1922 by King George V, and is conferred by the British Crown.

It is awarded to UK citizens and Commonwealth nationals, recognising impact at local or community level, in areas such as community service, charitable work and public service.

Candidates are put forward through public or organisation nominations, assessed by the honours committee and approved by the Sovereign. Appointments are announced in the New Year Honours and the King's Birthday Honours. Recipients are invested at a ceremony at royal residence.

Recipients may use the post-nominal letters BEM. Recipients wear the medal and ribbon. In the order of precedence it sits below member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE).

It signifies meritorious local service, representing community, service and commitment.

Recipients

Showing the 1,500 most recent of 23,885 people in the record. Not all recipients are shown here, so the filters below search only these — browse all by year to reach the rest.

1,500 people

Linked data

A medal associated with the Order of the British Empire, awarded for meritorious hands-on service to the community; post-nominal BEM. Discontinued in the United Kingdom in 1993 and revived in 2012.

Canonical URI
honoria.co.uk/id/honours/british-empire-medal
Post-nominal
BEM
Wikidata
Q918601
The Gazette ontology
gaz:BritishEmpireMedal

From the Honoria honours vocabulary (SKOS). exactMatch = Wikidata; closeMatch = The Gazette honours ontology (official but a 2008–2015 beta).

Related honours

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