Honours: Nomination and award

Honours are awarded by the King, on advice from the Prime Minister and specialist subject committees. Most awards arise from nominations made by the public. The steps to award an honour are set out. See also Casework article Honours: Refusal and removal.

What are honours?

The honours system is a way to recognise people who have:

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

The people honoured will usually have made life better for other people or be outstanding at what they do. Award of an honour provides a way to recognise exceptional service or achievement. Honours are generally highly valued by the recipients, and also by their families, friends and local communities.

Honours are awarded by the King, but the majority are on recommendations made to him from the Prime Minister or other senior Government Ministers.

These recommendations arise from nominations, made by organisations or members of the general public, familiar with the work of the candidate. Who gets an honour, and the honour they get, is decided by one of a number of subject based honours committees. These committees advise the Prime Minister.

What can you get an honour for?

The government provides guidance on the honours system. This sets out why people might get an award. People get honours for achievements like:

• making a difference to their community or field of work
• enhancing Britain’s 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

Who can make a nomination?

Anyone can nominate someone for an honour, but the system does not support self-nominations.

Many nominations are made by members of the public or by an organisation familiar with the work of an individual. A Government department may also nominate a person doing good work in its sphere of interest.

The nomination process is set out on the Honours pages of GOV.UK website, with links to the nomination form and guidance on completing this.

Nominations for civilian gallantry awards can also made by the public, or by professional bodies. There is no dedicated gallantry form, but the standard nomination form may be used.

Members of the House of Lords can be nominated by a separate process through the House of Lords Appointments Commission.

What evidence is required when writing a nomination?

There is no set way to write a nomination. The person who nominates needs to have personal knowledge of the candidate for an honour. They should also provide evidence of exceptional achievement, not just someone doing their job.

Since 2020 there has also been a special nomination form for someone who has made an exceptional contribution to the response to the coronavirus (COVID-19) crisis in the UK.

A nomination should describe what is special about your candidate’s achievements and show memorably and persuasively how and where they have made a difference.

Only individuals can be nominated, not groups. A nominee must be living and still involved in, or very recently retired from, the activity concerned.

The nominations process for UK residents is managed by the Honours and Appointments Secretariat, part of the Cabinet Office government department. They are also able to provide advice on how the process works.

Can a Member of Parliament make a nomination?

Constituents may write to their MP requesting that someone be nominated or asking for support for a nomination. An MP may make a nomination, as with any member of the public. The MP would have to be familiar with the work or voluntary role the candidate is carrying out.

As part of the nomination process at least two letters of support are required to accompany a completed nomination form. An MP may be asked to submit one of these. Letters of support should be provided from people with first-hand knowledge of the nominee who can endorse their contribution or supply additional information.

An important factor is the relevance of the evidence and knowledge about the nominee, rather than where that support originates.

Who decides on award of an honour?

Nominations are considered by an independent committee of experts in the field of work. There are currently nine specialist committees. There is also a Main Honours Committee, which makes the final selections and deals with overall policy. Committees are made up of civil servants and a majority of independent members.

Committees will recommend the type and level of honour to be given. This can’t be specified in a nomination. Most awards made in Britain are in the Order of the British Empire (CBE, OBE, MBE, BEM).

How are nominees checked?

Some checking of nominees is carried out, across government Departments, to minimise the risk that an award could bring the honours system into disrepute. This would include a check with HM Revenue and Customs and of criminal records. The Lord Lieutenant, who represents the King in a local area, is also usually consulted.

How long does it take to consider a nomination?

A person or organisation submitting a nomination will receive an acknowledgement from the relevant Government Department. They may also be asked by the subject honours committee to supply further evidence to support or clarify the nomination. The process of consideration can take 12 to 18 months, so a nominator may not hear anything for quite a while. There are always more nominations than awards, so it is wise to manage expectations.

How does a recipient know they are to receive an honour?

Recipients are notified by letter that the King intends to award them an honour. They are asked to respond to accept formally. Recipients are also asked not to disclose the award until details are published in an honours list, as this information is confidential. An honour may be declined, and in that case no personal information would be made public.

How are honours made public?

Honours Lists are published at least twice a year, in June for the King’s Official Birthday and in December for New Year. Honours Lists are officially published in the London Gazette. They are also issued to the press, both national and local and are available on the GOV.UK website.

How does someone receive an award?

People awarded an honour receive the decoration in a ceremony known as an investiture. This is usually carried out by a member of the Royal Family, in an event which takes place in Buckingham Palace or another Royal residence. Some awards, such as the British Empire Medal, are presented by the King’s local representative, the Lord Lieutenant of a County. This can also happen if a recipient is not well enough to attend an investiture. Arrangements for investitures are made by the Royal Household.

When can someone start to use a title?

There can sometimes be a gap of a few months between announcement of an honour and the investiture. Recipients are entitled to use their title, (Knight or Dame, or Orders of the British Empire) and the relevant letters after their name, as soon as the announcement is made in The Gazette. They do not have to wait until after the investiture.

Further information

• Constituency casework article: Honours: refusal and removal.
• Commons Library Briefing Paper SN0283, Honours: History and reviews.
• Email: honours@cabinetoffice.gov.uk

Author: Hazel Armstrong is a Researcher in the Commons Library, covering honours, Government Departments and the civil service.

Disclaimer

The Commons Library does not intend the information in this article to address the specific circumstances of any particular individual. We have published it to support the work of MPs. You should not rely upon it as legal or professional advice, or as a substitute for it. We do not accept any liability whatsoever for any errors, omissions or misstatements contained herein. You should consult a suitably qualified professional if you require specific advice or information. Read our briefing for information about sources of legal advice and help.