The full 2020 New Year Honours list - From Olivia Newton-John to Ben Stokes
The full 2020 New Year Honours list has been published, which seeks to recognise some of the outstanding achievements of people around the UK and as always includes some very well known names.
Singer-songwriter and activist Sir Elton John and Grease star Olivia Newton-John have both been honoured on the list, as has chef Nigel Slater, Ainsley Harriott and Great British Bake Off winner and author Nadiya Hussain.
There are plenty of sporting stars on the list too, with five of England’s Cricket World Cup winners featured including 2019’s Sport’s Personality of the Year Ben Stokes.
The cellist who played at the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s wedding in 2018, Sheku Kanneh-Mason, 20, has been awarded an MBE, as has war veteran Harry Billinge who has raised more than £10,000 towards a national memorial for his fallen comrades.
In total, 1,097 people are named on the 2020 New Year Honours list, of which 315 will receive a British Empire Medal (BEM), 397 a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) and 229 a Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE).
There are a selection of people who have been awarded a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE), which is the highest-ranking Order of the British Empire award and those that have been nominated for a knighthood to become a Sir or Dame.
Over 70 per cent of those to be named on the New Years Honours today are people who ‘have undertaken outstanding work in their communities either in a voluntary or paid capacity’ according to the government.