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Honoria
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New Year Honours List2021

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

1,666
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

1,666

Total awards

41

Knights & Dames

93

CBE

330

OBE

By rank

  • Knights & Dames41
  • CBE93
  • OBE330
  • MBE629
  • BEM438
  • Other honours135

Diversity — official figures

Published by the Cabinet Office for this round.

49%

Women

14.2%

Ethnic minority

6.9%

Disability

4%

LGB+

17.8%

Lower socio-economic

Top counties (where recorded)

Greater London 230Hampshire 41West Yorkshire 40Essex 36West Midlands 35Kent 35Surrey 33Greater Manchester 31Hertfordshire 29County Antrim 28Devon 26

From the citations


The angles

Community & Voluntary Service led the round with 266 recipients (16% of those whose citation is tagged).

  • Community & Voluntary Service266 · 16%
  • Health & Social Care173 · 10.4%
  • Education145 · 8.7%
  • Children, Young People & Families110 · 6.6%
  • Business & Economy90 · 5.4%
  • Arts & Culture86 · 5.2%
  • Equality, Diversity & Inclusion86 · 5.2%
  • Government & Public Service50 · 3%

Named recipients with a public profile

Most-honoured town: London (229).

Year on year


Oddities & trends

Versus the New Year Honours List 2020

Total 248Knights & Dames 6CBE 21OBE 54MBE 123BEM 102Other honours 4

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 1,666 recipients

Award
Theme

1,666 recipients

A65
B159
C161
D67
E37
F55
G66
H138
I11
J53
K45
L57
M148
N30
O34
P91
Q3
R78
S157
T66
U6
V12
W119
X1
Y3
Z4

Where recipients are from

Full map

Themes

The themes most cited across the New Year Honours List 2021.

Community & Voluntary Service — 266Education — 145Health & Social Care — 173Children, Young People & Families — 110Equality, Diversity & Inclusion — 86Arts & Culture — 86Business & Economy — 90Government & Public Service — 50Sport & Recreation — 45Science, Engineering & Technology — 43Defence & Armed Forces — 37Environment & Agriculture — 29Policing & Emergency Services — 23International & Diplomatic — 12Faith & Belief — 10184community — 184Charitable service — 7Community Cohesion — 7Charitable Fundraising — 4Jewish Community — 4Voluntary Sector — 3Fundraising — 3Community Relations — 3Voluntary service — 2Volunteering — 2Charitable Sector — 2Community Safety — 1Voluntary — 1Rural Communities — 1Community Engagement — 1voluntary service to Young People — 174Education — 74Higher Education — 16Young People with Special Educational Needs — 12Further Education — 10Apprenticeships — 4Children with Special Educational Needs — 2People with Learning Disabilities — 2Medical Education — 2Adult Education — 2to Education — 2Adults with Learning Disabilities — 2Pre-School Education — 2Primary Education — 1Financial Education — 1Veterinary Education — 1People with Special Educational Needs — 127NHS — 27Nursing — 13NHS during Covid-19 — 11Healthcare — 9Social Care — 7Health — 6Mental Health — 6Midwifery — 6NHS during the Covid-19 Response — 6Public Health — 4Nursing during Covid-19 — 4Wellbeing — 3Foster Care — 2Medicine — 2Medical Research — 2Medical Education — 2Adult Social Care — 2Patient Care — 2Social Care during Covid-19 — 2Cancer Research — 1Hospitality — 1Dentistry — 1Cancer Patients — 1People with Cancer — 1Carers — 1their Carers — 1End of Life Care — 1Public Health during Covid-19 — 145Young People — 4529Children — 29Young People with Special Educational Needs — 12Fostering — 9Families — 7their Families — 4Foster Care — 2Children with Special Educational Needs — 2Disadvantaged Young People — 2Disadvantaged Children — 2to Young People — 2Young People with Disabilities — 2Young People with Autism — 2Vulnerable Children — 1voluntary service to Young People — 1Disabled Children — 1Elderly — 1Terminally Ill Children — 119Diversity — 19Disabilities — 17People with Disabilities — 9Inclusion — 8Equality — 6Women — 6People with Learning Disabilities — 2Gender Equality — 2Young People with Disabilities — 2Adults with Learning Disabilities — 2People with Intellectual Disabilities — 2Disability Sport — 1Disability Awareness — 1Disabled Children — 1Social Inclusion — 1Vulnerable Women — 1Ethnic Minority Communities — 1Music — 12Arts — 12Heritage — 9Dance — 8Cultural Heritage — 6Drama — 4Design — 3Culture — 2Literature — 2Broadcasting — 2Museums — 2Military Heritage — 2Culinary Arts — 2Fashion — 1Performing Arts — 1Sports Broadcasting — 1Martial Arts — 1to Culture — 119Business — 19Economy — 13International Trade — 8Social Enterprise — 4Entrepreneurship — 2Tourism — 2Exports — 2Small Businesses — 2Retail — 2Hospitality — 1Enterprise — 1Food Industry — 1Trade — 1Nuclear Industry — 1Beauty Industry — 1to Business — 1Digital Economy — 1Female Entrepreneurship — 127Public service — 27Parliament — 9Local Government — 2Political service — 2Economic Policy — 2Energy Policy — 1Public Service Reform — 1Delivery of Public Services — 1Government Technology — 1Mental Health Policy — 1Sport — 11Football — 6Athletics — 4Rugby Union Football — 4Boxing — 3Cricket — 1Swimming — 1Rowing — 1Disability Sport — 1Rugby — 1Tennis — 1Golf — 1Wheelchair Rugby — 1Rugby League Football — 1Table Tennis — 1Sports Broadcasting — 1Amateur Boxing — 1Science — 11Innovation — 3Research — 3Engineering — 2Technology — 2Medical Research — 2Cancer Research — 1Scientific Research — 1Technology Sector — 1Civil Engineering — 1Digital Economy — 1Marine Science — 1Defence — 16Military Heritage — 2Veterans — 1Armed Forces — 1Armed Forces Personnel — 1Royal Navy — 1Reserve Forces — 1Armed Forces Veterans — 1Defence Procurement — 1Military Veterans — 1Royal Air Force Personnel — 1Royal Navy Veterans — 1Veterans during Covid-19 — 1Environment — 4Conservation — 4Agriculture — 4Nature Conservation — 3Wildlife — 3Wildlife Conservation — 2Forestry — 1Marine Conservation — 1Marine Environment — 1Climate Change — 1Sustainable Development — 1Environmental Conservation — 1Policing — 18Prisons — 1Community Policing — 1Emergency Services — 1International Trade — 8International — 1Internationally — 1International Legal — 1Countering International Tax Fraud — 1Jewish Community — 4Methodist Church — 1British Hindu community — 1British Hinduism — 1Community & Voluntary ServiceEducationHealth & Social CareChildren, Young People & FamiliesEquality, Diversity …Arts & CultureBusiness & EconomyGovernment & Public …Sport & RecreationScience, Engineering…Defence & Armed ForcesEnvironment & Agricu…Policing & Emergency…International & Dipl…Faith & Belief
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Most numerous themes

The themes most often cited in the New Year Honours List 2021.