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Honoria
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Birthday Honours List2026

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

1,452
Recipients
Honouring excellence in public service, arts, science and community leadership.

Featured Honourees

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In focus

Stories from this list

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.

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 recipients

The names you know in this list.

Portraits via Wikimedia Commons.

Analysis


By the numbers

The headline


By the numbers

1,452

Total awards

46

Knights & Dames

105

CBE

295

OBE

By rank

  • Knights & Dames46
  • CBE105
  • OBE295
  • MBE616
  • BEM326
  • Other honours64

Top counties (where recorded)

Greater London 214Surrey 37Kent 35Hampshire 34County Down 32Essex 32East Sussex 24Greater Manchester 23North Yorkshire 23Merseyside 23West Midlands 23

From the citations


The angles

Community & Voluntary Service led the round with 211 recipients (14.5% of those whose citation is tagged).

  • Community & Voluntary Service211 · 14.5%
  • Education135 · 9.3%
  • Children, Young People & Families114 · 7.9%
  • Business & Economy95 · 6.5%
  • Health & Social Care94 · 6.5%
  • Arts & Culture81 · 5.6%
  • Government & Public Service74 · 5.1%
  • Science, Engineering & Technology51 · 3.5%

Most-honoured town: London (214).

Year on year


Oddities & trends

Versus the Birthday Honours List 2025

Total 143Knights & Dames 3CBE 6OBE 11MBE 18BEM 49Other honours 62

Sources

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

The recipients


Explore all 1,452 recipients

Award
Theme

1,452 recipients

A58
B153
C110
D59
E37
F51
G62
H121
I7
J43
K51
L59
M146
N17
O22
P79
Q2
R98
S122
T56
U3
V7
W84
Y4
Z1

Where recipients are from

Full map

Themes

The themes most cited across the Birthday Honours List 2026.

Community & Voluntary Service — 211Education — 135Children, Young People & Families — 114Health & Social Care — 94Arts & Culture — 81Government & Public Service — 74Business & Economy — 95Equality, Diversity & Inclusion — 47Science, Engineering & Technology — 51Sport & Recreation — 50Defence & Armed Forces — 46Environment & Agriculture — 30Policing & Emergency Services — 17Faith & Belief — 5International & Diplomatic — 5137community — 13722Charitable service — 22Voluntary service — 8Charitable Fundraising — 7Charitable Causes — 6Voluntary Sector — 5Community Cohesion — 4Jewish Community — 4Fundraising — 3Community Relations — 2to Charity — 2Community Development — 2Deaf Community — 2communities — 1Volunteering — 1Voluntary — 1Charitable Sector — 1voluntary service to the community — 1Community Sport — 1Rural Community — 1LGBTQ+ Community — 1Armed Forces Community — 1Veteran Community — 174Education — 74Further Education — 16Higher Education — 11Early Years Education — 9Holocaust Education — 3Apprenticeships — 3Special Educational Needs — 2Medical Education — 2Music Education — 2to Education — 2People with Learning Disabilities — 1Dental Education — 1Academia — 1Special Education — 1STEM Education — 1Health Education — 1Mathematics Education — 1Physical Education — 1Financial Education — 150Young People — 50Foster Care — 18Children — 17Early Years Education — 9their Families — 8Families — 7Early Years — 5Vulnerable Children — 4Children with Disabilities — 2Vulnerable Young People — 2Youth Work — 2Disadvantaged Young People — 1Children's Social Care — 1to Young People — 1Safeguarding — 1Foster Care — 18NHS — 10Health — 9Nursing — 7Social Care — 7Mental Health — 5Healthcare — 4Public Health — 4Wellbeing — 4Medicine — 2Medical Research — 2Cancer Research — 2St John Ambulance — 2Dentistry — 2Medical Education — 2Hospitality — 1Cancer Patients — 1Palliative Care — 1Adult Social Care — 1Children's Social Care — 1Carers — 1Patient Care — 1Women's Health — 1Music — 18Heritage — 14Arts — 7Broadcasting — 6Drama — 4Culture — 4Literature — 4Design — 4Film — 4Theatre — 3Fashion — 3Museums — 3Dance — 2Music Education — 2Crafts — 2Music Industry — 1Performing Arts — 1Heritage Crafts — 1Fashion Industry — 1Church Music — 1Craft — 155Public service — 55Local Government — 6Parliament — 4Political service — 3Policy — 2Scottish Parliament — 2Government Procurement — 1Business — 17Economy — 5Entrepreneurship — 5Manufacturing — 5Tourism — 4Creative Industries — 4Trade — 3Nuclear Industry — 3to Business — 3International Trade — 2Economic Development — 2Construction Industry — 2Finance — 2Rural Economy — 2Economic Growth — 2Female Entrepreneurship — 2Social Enterprise — 1Economics — 1Hospitality — 1Enterprise — 1Music Industry — 1Fashion Industry — 1Technology Industry — 1Diversity — 10Inclusion — 10Women — 8Disabled People — 6People with Disabilities — 2Disability Sport — 2Children with Disabilities — 2Digital Inclusion — 2Disabilities — 1People with Learning Disabilities — 1Women's Health — 1Disabled — 1Social Inclusion — 1LGBTQ+ Community — 1Young Women — 1Race Equality — 1Racial Equality — 1Innovation — 9Science — 8Research — 6Engineering — 4Technology — 4Medical Research — 2Cancer Research — 2Digital Inclusion — 2Social Science — 1Chemistry — 1Climate Science — 1Technology Sector — 1Physics — 1Marine Science — 1Technology Industry — 1Healthcare Science — 1Mathematics Education — 1Digital Innovation — 1Physical Education — 1Biomedical Research — 1Association Football — 10Sport — 8Rugby Union — 4Cricket — 3Swimming — 3Rugby League — 3Disability Sport — 2Rugby League Football — 2Football — 1Rowing — 1Rugby — 1Tennis — 1Golf — 1Rugby Union Football — 1Netball — 1Community Sport — 1to Sport — 1Grassroots Football — 126Defence — 26Veterans — 7Royal Navy — 2Armed Forces Veterans — 2Military History — 2Armed Forces Community — 1Veteran Community — 1Military Personnel — 1Flood Defence — 1Environment — 8Conservation — 5Agriculture — 4Horticulture — 4Forestry — 3Farming — 2Sustainability — 1Wildlife Conservation — 1Climate Science — 1Environmental Management — 1Sustainable Design — 1Policing — 12Prisoners — 2Probation — 1Prisons — 1Prisoner Rehabilitation — 1Jewish Community — 4Interfaith Relations — 1Church Music — 1International Trade — 2International Development — 1International Relations — 1Community & Voluntary ServiceEducationChildren, Young People & FamiliesHealth & Social CareArts & CultureGovernment & Public …Business & EconomyEquality, Diversity …Science, Engineering…Sport & RecreationDefence & Armed ForcesEnvironment & Agricu…Policing & Emergency…Faith & BeliefInternational & Dipl…
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Most numerous themes

The themes most often cited in the Birthday Honours List 2026.