2015 New Year Honours

2015 New Year Honours were appointments by Elizabeth II to various orders and honours to recognise and reward good works by citizens of the United Kingdom and Commonwealth realms. The list, published on 30 December 2014, included awards for service in fields such as the Ebola crisis response, Olympic and Paralympic legacy, and community volunteering. The honours list coincided with the announcement of new appointments to the Order of the Companions of Honour.

Overview

The 2015 list recognised approximately 1,164 individuals, with a significant proportion awarded for voluntary service within their local communities. Notable themes included recognition for those involved in the international response to the 2014 Ebola virus epidemic in West Africa, led by organisations like Public Health England and the National Health Service. The list also continued to honour contributions to the legacy of the 2012 Summer Olympics held in London, particularly in sports and community engagement. The honours were announced during the 2014 Christmas and New Year Honours period, following the tradition of the Monarchy of the United Kingdom.

Knights Bachelor

Thirty individuals were created Knights Bachelor in the 2015 list. Prominent recipients included actor and director Kenneth Branagh for services to drama and the community in Belfast, and James Dyson, inventor and founder of Dyson, for services to industrial design. Other notable knights included John Bercow, the Speaker of the House of Commons, for parliamentary and political service, and Richard Henderson, a molecular biologist at the Medical Research Council Laboratory of Molecular Biology, for services to science. The list also honoured figures from industry, such as John Peace, chairman of Standard Chartered and Burberry.

Order of the Bath

Appointments to the Order of the Bath recognised high-ranking military officers and senior civil servants. Air Chief Marshal Sir Andrew Pulford was appointed Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath (GCB) for his service as Chief of the Air Staff. Vice Admiral Philip Jones was made a Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath (KCB) for his role as Deputy Chief of the Defence Staff (Military Strategy and Operations). Senior civil servant Mark Sedwill, then Permanent Secretary at the Home Office, was also appointed KCB for public service, particularly in security matters.

Order of the British Empire

The Order of the British Empire constituted the largest portion of the honours. Appointments as Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) included musician and radio presenter Craig Charles for services to broadcasting, and historian Mary Beard for services to classical scholarship. Notable Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) recipients included actress Angela Lansbury for services to drama, charity, and the community, and footballer Steven Gerrard for services to football and charity. Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) awards went to individuals like Tom Daley for services to diving and youth charity, and Kadeena Cox for services to athletics and cycling.

Other Honours

The list included appointments to other orders, such as the Order of the Companions of Honour. New Companions included artist David Hockney for services to the arts, and novelist J. K. Rowling for services to literature and philanthropy. Appointments were also made to the Order of St Michael and St George, with KCMG awarded to diplomat Peter Westmacott for services to British foreign policy. Awards within the Royal Victorian Order and the Civil Division of the Order of the British Empire for gallantry were also announced.

References

Category:British honours system Category:2015 awards Category:2014 in the United Kingdom