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Honoria
✨ Open data

Birthday Honours List2021

Celebrating exceptional achievements and distinguished service across the United Kingdom and overseas territories.

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1,491
Recipients
Honouring excellence in public service, arts, science and community leadership.

Featured Honourees

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Analysis

By the numbers

The headline

By the numbers

1,491

Total awards

49

Knights & Dames

103

CBE

278

OBE

By rank

  • Knights & Dames49
  • CBE103
  • OBE278
  • MBE587
  • BEM347
  • Other honours127

Diversity — official figures

Published by the Cabinet Office for this round.

50%

Women

15%

Ethnic minority

9%

Disability

5%

LGB+

17.3%

Lower socio-economic

Top counties (where recorded)

Greater London 236Greater Manchester 36Hampshire 32Kent 32West Yorkshire 32Cambridgeshire 30Oxfordshire 25Hertfordshire 23Cheshire 23Buckinghamshire 23Devon 23

From the citations

The angles

Community & Voluntary Service led the round with 249 recipients (16.7% of those whose citation is tagged).

  • Community & Voluntary Service249 · 16.7%
  • Health & Social Care149 · 10%
  • Education138 · 9.3%
  • Arts & Culture88 · 5.9%
  • Business & Economy70 · 4.7%
  • Equality, Diversity & Inclusion69 · 4.6%
  • Children, Young People & Families67 · 4.5%
  • Government & Public Service57 · 3.8%

Named recipients with a public profile

Alison Dorothy Hughes

Member Order Of The British Empire

Alyson Ruth Grace King

Officer Order Of The British Empire

Anne Elizabeth Longfield

Commander Order Of The British Empire

David Alan Ezra Dangoor

Commander Order Of The British Empire

David John Almond

Officer Order Of The British Empire

Helen Storey

Member Order Of The British Empire

Imogen Cooper

Dame Commander Order Of The British Empire

Jordan Henderson

Member Order Of The British Empire

Julian Lloyd Webber

Officer Order Of The British Empire

Kresse Ann-Marie Wesling

Commander Order Of The British Empire

Mark Nicholas Robinson

Officer Order Of The British Empire

Paul Anthony GRIFFITHS

Officer Order Of The British Empire

Paul Elliott

Commander Order Of The British Empire

Phyllida Barlow

Dame Commander Order Of The British Empire

Professor Sarah Catherine GILBERT

Dame Commander Order Of The British Empire

Raheem Sterling

Member Order Of The British Empire

Most-honoured town: London (235).

Year on year

Oddities & trends

Versus the Birthday Honours List 2020

Total ▼ 342Knights & Dames ▲ 5CBE ▼ 10OBE ▼ 35MBE ▼ 92BEM ▼ 212Other honours ▲ 2

Sources

Counts derived by Honoria from public records (The Gazette). Sector tags are Honoria's; percentages are of recipients whose citation is tagged.

Diversity figures: Cabinet Office (archived copy; accessed 2026-06-09).

The recipients

Explore all 1,491 recipients

Award
Theme

1,491 recipients

A58
B149
C111
D61
E43
F45
G67
H114
I7
J51
K52
L60
M158
N35
O20
P76
Q6
R75
S133
T61
U2
V10
W83
X1
Y9
Z3
#1

Where recipients are from

Full map

Themes

The themes most cited across the Birthday Honours List 2021.

Community & Voluntary Service — 249Education — 138Health & Social Care — 149Arts & Culture — 88Equality, Diversity & Inclusion — 69Children, Young People & Families — 67Business & Economy — 70Government & Public Service — 57Sport & Recreation — 52Policing & Emergency Services — 29Defence & Armed Forces — 35Science, Engineering & Technology — 51Environment & Agriculture — 19International & Diplomatic — 16Faith & Belief — 12195community — 195Charitable Fundraising — 5Voluntary service — 3Community Relations — 3Voluntary Work — 3Jewish Community — 2Voluntary Sector — 2Community Engagement — 2ex-Service community — 2Charitable service — 1Community Cohesion — 1communities — 1to Charity — 1Community Sport — 1Muslim community — 1Disadvantaged Communities — 187Education — 87Higher Education — 12Holocaust Education — 5Further Education — 2Children with Special Educational Needs — 2Young People with Special Educational Needs — 2Academia — 2People with Learning Difficulties — 2People with Learning Disabilities — 1Special Educational Needs — 1Apprenticeships — 1Medical Education — 1Music Education — 1Adult Education — 1to Education — 1Pre-School Education — 1NHS — 14Healthcare — 9Nursing — 9Public Health — 8Social Care — 8Health — 7NHS during Covid-19 — 7Mental Health — 5Social Care during Covid-19 — 5Medicine — 4Medical Research — 4Midwifery — 2Wellbeing — 2St John Ambulance — 2Palliative Care — 2Animal Health — 2Mental Health Awareness — 2Hospitality Industry — 1Hospitality — 1Medical Education — 1Cancer Patients — 1Carers — 1End of Life Care — 1Nursing during Covid-19 — 122Music — 22Arts — 11Literature — 7Heritage — 6Dance — 6Drama — 5Broadcasting — 5Culture — 2Theatre — 2Fashion — 1Design — 1Film — 1Music Education — 1Heritage Crafts — 1Musical Theatre — 1Sports Broadcasting — 1Children's Literature — 1Military Heritage — 1Church Music — 1Music Therapy — 1Craft — 1Diversity — 16Inclusion — 12People with Disabilities — 5Disabilities — 4Equality — 3Women — 2Disabled People — 2Disability Sport — 2Human Rights — 2Women's Football — 2People with Learning Disabilities — 1Gender Equality — 1Disabled — 1Social Inclusion — 1Young Women — 1Young People with Disabilities — 1Disability — 1Riding for the Disabled Association — 1Promoting Diversity — 1Social Equality — 1Racial Equality — 125Young People — 25Children — 11their Families — 6Families — 4Older People — 3Children with Special Educational Needs — 2Young People with Special Educational Needs — 2Vulnerable Young People — 1Vulnerable Families — 1Children's Literature — 1Young People with Disabilities — 1Young People with Special Needs — 1Business — 16International Trade — 10Economy — 7Social Enterprise — 3Manufacturing — 3Retail — 3Economics — 2Female Entrepreneurship — 2Entrepreneurship — 1Tourism — 1Creative Industries — 1Hospitality Industry — 1Hospitality — 1Food Industry — 1Nuclear Industry — 1Energy Industry — 1Finance — 130Public service — 30Local Government — 11Government during the Covid-19 Response — 3Political service — 2Parliament — 2Government — 2Public Administration — 1Policy — 1Economic Policy — 1Government Science — 1Sport — 17Football — 4Cricket — 3Disability Sport — 2Tennis — 2Rugby Union Football — 2Rugby Union — 2Rugby League Football — 2Women's Football — 2Association Football — 1Swimming — 1Rowing — 1Cycling — 1Rugby — 1Community Sport — 1Rugby League — 1Sports Broadcasting — 1Equestrian Sport — 1Women's Sport — 118Policing — 18Probation Service — 5HM Prison — 5Prisoners — 2Probation — 1Her Majesty's Prison — 1Probation Service during Covid-19 — 1Prison Healthcare — 1Emergency Services — 1Defence — 17Veterans — 5Armed Forces — 2Reserve Forces — 1Military Heritage — 1Army Personnel — 1International Defence Relations — 1Veterans during Covid-19 — 1Royal Navy Personnel — 1Science — 8Medical Research — 4Engineering — 3Life Sciences — 3Scientific Research — 2Technology — 1Research — 1Social Science — 1Chemistry — 1Medical Science — 1Environment — 4Conservation — 3Forestry — 3Natural Environment — 2Horticulture — 1Wildlife — 1Environmental Management — 1Sustainable Business — 1International Trade — 10Overseas — 1Internationally — 1International Defence Relations — 1Jewish Community — 2Interfaith — 1Muslim community — 1Faith Communities — 1Church Music — 1to Interfaith Relations — 1Ballinderry Parish Church — 1Community & Voluntary ServiceEducationHealth & Social CareArts & CultureEquality, Diversity …Children, Young Peop…Business & EconomyGovernment & Public …Sport & RecreationPolicing & Emergency…Defence & Armed ForcesScience, Engineering…Environment & Agricu…International & Dipl…Faith & Belief
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Most numerous themes

The themes most often cited in the Birthday Honours List 2021.

#ThemeRecipients
1Community & Voluntary Service249
2Health & Social Care149
3Education138
4Arts & Culture88
5Business & Economy70
6Equality, Diversity & Inclusion69
7Children, Young People & Families67
8Government & Public Service57
9Sport & Recreation52
10Science, Engineering & Technology51
11Defence & Armed Forces35
12Policing & Emergency Services29
13Environment & Agriculture19
14International & Diplomatic16
15Faith & Belief12