Nominate someone for an honour or award

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1. Overview

The honours system recognises people who have:

  • made achievements in public life
  • committed themselves to serving and helping Britain

They바카라 사이트檒l usually have made life better for other people or be outstanding at what they do.

They must still be actively involved in what you바카라 사이트檙e nominating them for. The only honours which can be awarded after someone바카라 사이트檚 death are gallantry awards.

Whether someone gets an honour - and the honour they get - is decided by an honours committee. The committee바카라 사이트檚 recommendations go to the Prime Minister and then to the King, who awards the honour.

Nominating someone for an honour

Anyone can nominate someone for an honour.

How you apply depends on whether you want to:

After you nominate someone for an honour

You바카라 사이트檒l get an acknowledgment - but you may not hear anything else for 12 to 18 months.

All nominees will be checked by various government departments to make sure they바카라 사이트檙e suitable for an honour. This may include checks by HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC).

The honours committee reviews those nominations that are sent to it.

What people get honours for

People get honours for achievements like:

  • making a difference to their community or field of work
  • enhancing Britain바카라 사이트檚 reputation
  • long-term voluntary service
  • innovation and entrepreneurship
  • changing things, with an emphasis on achievement
  • improving life for people less able to help themselves
  • displaying moral courage

Honours are given to people involved in fields including:

  • community, voluntary and local services
  • arts and media
  • health
  • sport
  • education
  • science and technology
  • business and the economy
  • civil or political service

Group nominations

You can only nominate individuals for honours.

You can nominate a volunteer group for the King바카라 사이트檚 Award for Voluntary Service.

2. Nominate someone who lives and contributes in the UK

You can nominate someone for an honour online.

There바카라 사이트檚 a different process for gallantry awards.

You바카라 사이트檒l need to write a detailed description explaining why you바카라 사이트檙e nominating them. Read the guidance on how to write a nomination.

You바카라 사이트檒l also need:

  • your nominee바카라 사이트檚 name, age, address and contact details
  • details of relevant work or volunteering they바카라 사이트檝e done
  • details of any awards or other recognition they바카라 사이트檝e received
  • 2 supporting letters to back up your nomination - these should be from people who know the nominee personally

You can include any evidence you have of recognition your nominee has received for their achievements, for example articles, photos or letters.

You can save your nomination and come back to it later.

Make a nomination by email

Download and fill in the honours nomination form and email it to the Honours and Memorialisation Secretariats.

You can also ask the unit questions about the nomination process.

Honours and Memorialisation Secretariats
honours@cabinetoffice.gov.uk
Telephone: 020 7276 2777
Fax: 020 7276 2766
Find out about call charges

3. Nominate someone who lives or contributes overseas

You can nominate someone for an honour if they:

  • live overseas
  • live in the UK but have made a contribution overseas

They바카라 사이트檒l be given an 바카라 사이트榟onorary award바카라 사이트� if they바카라 사이트檙e not:

  • British
  • a national of a country where the King is Head of State

There바카라 사이트檚 a different process for gallantry awards.

Download and fill in the nomination form and send it to the Honours Secretariat, part of the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO).

You can also ask the unit questions about the nomination process.

Honours Secretariat
Protocol Directorate
Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office
King Charles St
London
SW1A 2AH

Honours Secretariat
Honours.Secretariat@fcdo.gov.uk

4. Recommend someone for a gallantry award

Civilian gallantry awards recognise the bravery of people who바카라 사이트檝e put themselves in danger to save (or attempt to save) someone바카라 사이트檚 life. Recommendations are judged on:

  • degree of risk
  • how aware the nominee was of the danger
  • persistence

The incident must have taken place in the last 5 years. You can recommend someone after they바카라 사이트檝e died 바카라 사이트撀爐hey바카라 사이트檒l get a posthumous award. They do not have to be British (except for the George Cross award).

Types of gallantry awards

You can recommend someone for the:

  • George Cross (a first-level civilian medal for bravery, for acts of great heroism and courage in extreme danger)
  • George Medal (a second-level civilian medal for bravery, for acts of great bravery)
  • Queen바카라 사이트檚 Gallantry Medal (a third-level civilian medal for bravery, for inspiring acts of bravery)
  • Queen바카라 사이트檚 Commendation for Bravery/Bravery in the Air (a fourth-level civilian medal for bravery, for acts which involve risk to life)

How to recommend someone for a gallantry award

Email the Honours and Memorialisation Secretariats.

You바카라 사이트檒l need to write a detailed description explaining why you바카라 사이트檙e recommending them. Include the person바카라 사이트檚:

  • name
  • date of birth
  • address

Give as many details as possible about what happened. This will make your application more likely to be considered. Include:

  • location
  • date
  • any emergency or official services that were there

Honours and Memorialisation Secretariats
honours@cabinetoffice.gov.uk

After you recommend someone for a gallantry award

All recommendations will be assessed by the George Cross Committee, which makes recommendations to the King, who awards the honour.

5. Types of honours and awards

You cannot nominate someone for a specific honour - that바카라 사이트檚 decided by the honours committee.

There are also awards for bravery, called gallantry awards.

Companion of Honour

This is awarded for having a major contribution to the arts, science, medicine, or government lasting over a long period of time.

Knight or Dame

This is awarded for having a major contribution in any activity, usually at national level. Other people working in the nominee바카라 사이트檚 area will see their contribution as inspirational and significant, requiring commitment over a long period of time.

Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE)

This is awarded for having a prominent but lesser role at national level, or a leading role at regional level. You can also get one for a distinguished, innovative contribution to any area.

Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE)

This is awarded for having a major local role in any activity, including people whose work has made them known nationally in their chosen area.

Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE)

Awarded for an outstanding achievement or service to the community. This will have had a long-term, significant impact and stand out as an example to others.

British Empire Medal (BEM)

Awarded for a 바카라 사이트榟ands-on바카라 사이트� service to the local community. This could be a long-term charitable or voluntary activity, or innovative work of a relatively short duration (3 to 4 years) that has made a significant difference.

Royal Victorian Order (RVO)

An award given by the King - usually to people who have helped him personally, like members of the Royal household staff or British ambassadors.

The orders

The committee decides which order someone should be a member of. You do not have to specify this in your nomination.

Order Who can be nominated
Order of the Bath Senior civil servants and military officers
Order of St Michael and St George Diplomats and people serving the UK abroad
Order of the British Empire Anyone
Companion of Honour (award) Anyone
Royal Victorian Order People who have served the King or the Monarchy in a personal way

Most awards are in the Order of the British Empire.

6. Honours lists

The lists of who바카라 사이트檚 received honours are published at New Year and on the King바카라 사이트檚 official birthday in June.

2025 New Year honours

Read the 2025 New Year honours lists.

2024 King바카라 사이트檚 Birthday honours

Read the 2024 King바카라 사이트檚 Birthday honours lists.

Previous honours lists

Read previous honours lists and reports on the honours system.

Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office Honorary Awards

You can read a list of Honorary Awards approved by His Majesty the King during 2024.

Civilian gallantry awards

You can read the civilian gallantry list approved by Her Late Majesty the Queen in 2021.