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State & Ceremonial

The Queen’s New Year Honours List 2021 revealed as Lewis Hamilton, Craig David and Sheila Hancock receive awards

Lewis Hamilton, Sheila Hancock and Craig David are among those receiving recognition in The Queen’s New Years Honours List of 2021.

The 2021 New Year Honours are the most ethnically diverse honours list yet, with 14.2% of recipients coming from a Black, Asian or minority ethnic background. 

As well as celebrities and public figures, ordinary people making extraordinary contributions to society make up the list. 

The most successful Formula 1 driver of all time, Lewis Hamilton, has been knighted for services to motorsports.

Sir Lewis is one of the greatest ever sportsmen that the United Kingdom has produced. having equalled Michael Schumacher’s record earlier this by winning his seventh World Drivers’ Championship, Sir Lewis was also recently voted as the BBC Sports Personality of the Year.

Actress Sheila Hancock has been made a Dame for services to drama and charity in a career spanning 70 years.

Dame Sheila is also a lifelong activist and is dedicated to improving education for people from all backgrounds. She is now passionately committed to increasing opportunities for disadvantaged children, in her hands-on involvement with The John Thaw Foundation and the education charity, Digismart.

In the world of politics, Geoffrey Cox QC has been knighted for for parliamentary and political service. Sir Geoffrey has been the Member of Parliament for Torridge and West Devon since 2005 and was formerly the United Kingdom’s Attorney General.

Outside of politics, Sir Geoffrey is a successful barrister and was appointed a Queen’s Counsel in 2003.

The Labour Member of Parliament for Wallasey at the 1992, Angela Eagle, has been recognised with a Damehood for parliamentary and political service.

Dame Angela has held various government roles and has been a vocal champion for LGBT+ rights, having become the first sitting female MP to ‘come out’ in 1997.

Tom Clarke CBE, a Labour Member of Parliament from 1982 until 2015, has also been knighted for public and political service.

Richard Corbett, lately leader of the European Parliamentary Labour Party, has been awarded a CBE for European parliamentary and political service.

In the world of acting, Lesley Manville has been awarded with a CBE for services to drama and to charity.

Actor Toby Jones has been awarded with an OBE for services to drama, with Nina Wadia also being made an OBE for services to entertainment and to charity.

Cinematographer Roger Deakins has been knighted for his exceptional and sustained contribution as an icon of British cinematography and a world-renowned contributor to films and culture.

Architect Sir David Chipperfield is the only person on the 2021 list to have been made a Member of the Order of the Companion of Honour for services to architecture.

Conductor Professor Jane Glover has been made a Dame for services to musicology.

Pat McGrath, dubbed as the most influential make-up artist in the world by Vogue, has been awarded a Damehood for services to the fashion & beauty industry and diversity.

Singer, songwriter and record producer Craig David has been awarded an MBE for services to music.

Jed Mercurio, writer and creator of hit TV shows including Line of Duty and Bodyguard, has been awarded an OBE for services to television drama.

In the world of sport, Grand National winning jockey and founder of the Bob Champion Cancer Trust, Bob Champion, has been awarded a CBE for charitable services to prostate and testicular cancer research.

Former Leeds Rhinos player Rob Burrow has been awarded an OBE for services to rugby and to Motor Neurone Disease Awareness. Rob was diagnosed with MND last year, and has made it his mission to campaign and raise awareness of the illness.

Former England footballers Jimmy Greaves and Ron Flowers each receive an MBE for services to football.

The oldest person to be recognised in the 2021 New Years Honours List is 106-year-old Anne Baker from Salisbury who receives an MBE for fundraising for the NSPCC.

104-year-old Ruth Saunders also receives an MBE for walking a marathon to raise money for Thames Valley Air Ambulance.

20 year old Samah Khalil, the Youth Mayor of Oldham, is the youngest person to be recognised this year as she receives a BEM for her work in empowering young people.

Special Chief Officer Mark Owen, who returned from retirement to lead the North Wales Special Constabulary’s response to the pandemic, received an MBE.

A BEM is awarded to Cath Fitzsimmons from Greater Manchester, a former palliative care nurse who came out of retirement for to assist during the ongoing public health emergency.

Publican Caroline Halfhide from Ash in Somerset receives an MBE for changing her pub into a village shop for residents to drastically minimise the need for travel to nearby towns for food and essentials.

Captain Emma Henderson, living in Moray in Scotland receives an MBE for founding Project Wingman, creating a first class lounge experience in hospitals in the UK for NHS workers,