Even though 51% of all recipients in the 2015 edition are women, just seven are made dames, compared with 33 men given knighthoods

Men outnumber women by almost five to one in the highest honours announced for the Queen’s birthday, which sees knighthoods for comedian Lenny Henry, trade unionist Paul Kenny and singer-songwriter Van “the Man” Morrison.

For only the second time in honours history, more women received awards – 51% of all recipients – but just seven are made dames, compared with 33 knighthoods for men, reflecting a gender imbalance at the highest levels of industry, business, politics and academia.



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Sir Jonathan Stephens, chair of the honours committee, admitted “there is still a way to go”, stressing that the committee worked hard with departments and organisations to “get the widest possible pool of nominations to feed through”. Women overtook men in the lower ranked honours.

Morrison thanked his fans in a statement on his website: “Throughout my career I have always preferred to let my music speak for me and it is a huge honour to now have that body of work recognised in this way. I would like to take this opportunity to thank all the fans who have supported me on my musical journey.”

Laura Bates, 28, founder of the Everyday Sexism Project, who receives a BEM [British Empire Medal] for services to gender equality, said: “I think it’s probably broadly representative of the problem that we see across different areas of society. You see the same thing, for example in business where you’ll often see women appointed to non-executive roles but it doesn’t necessarily mean the balance is being addressed at the very top. This is a massive problem across society, but obviously I would like to see the [honours list] balance redressed at the top, it’s important.”



Facebook Twitter Pinterest Everyday Sexism founder Laura Bates receives a BEM. Photograph: Stefan Rousseau/PA

Those named as dames include Zarine Kharas, founder of JustGiving.com, Oxford physiologist Professor Frances Ashcroft, former European commission chief scientific adviser Professor Lesley Anne Glover and Dr Nemat Shafik, former deputy managing director of the International Monetary Fund.

Henry, the comedian and co-founder of Comic Relief, whose knighthood was widely leaked in advance, to the dismay of the committee, said the honour was “for everyone who has done something for Comic Relief, every person who has helped us raise £1bn”.

GMB leader Kenny, knighted for services to trade unions, said he had accepted it “as recognition of the crucial role trade unions play in society”.

There is an honorary knighthood for American actor Kevin Spacey, outgoing artistic director of the Old Vic theatre in London, who said he felt like “an adopted son” on being recognised for services to international culture.

Facebook Twitter Pinterest Kevin Spacey, who receives an honorary knighthood Photograph: Samir Hussein/Getty Images

Sherlock star Benedict Cumberbatch, 38, secured his CBE, also leaked in advance and provoking debate on whether younger “celebrity” stars should receive such high honours so early in their careers. Eddie Redmayne, 33, whose portrayal of Stephen Hawking in The Theory of Everything pipped Cumberbatch to the best actor Oscar, receives an OBE.

Chiwetel Eijofor, the 12 Years a Slave star, upgrades his OBE to CBE. Actor Lesley Manville, a favourite of director Mike Leigh, said she was extremely proud on receiving an OBE, while Doc Martin star Martin Clunes professed himself tremendously proud about his OBE.

Among politicians knighted is Simon Burns, Conservative MP for Chelmsford since 1987, who once called Commons Speaker John Bercow a “stupid sanctimonious dwarf” then apologised to those with dwarfism and was criticised for using a chauffeur-driven car while rail minister. Simon Hughes, former Liberal Democrat deputy leader who lost his seat in the elections last month, and Henry Angest, Tory donor and friend of David Cameron, also get knighthoods.

From sport, Welsh rugby star Gareth Edwards becomes a knight, footballer Frank Lampard gets an OBE along with record-breaking cricketer James Anderson, while England women’s football captain Casey Stoney is made an MBE. Rugby star Jonny Wilkinson, who was left embarrassed after his name was wrongly reported to be in the last honours, claims a CBE for dedication to rugby union.



Facebook Twitter Pinterest William Pooley, who contracted and survived Ebola, is honoured for his ongoing work to combat the disease in Africa. Photograph: Andrew Matthews/PA

Will Pooley, who contracted and survived Ebola after nursing patients in west Africa, receives an MBE for his ongoing efforts to combat the disease in Africa, with his mother, Jackie, saying the family was very proud of him for “doing something that most people would not dream of”.

Also recognised is Duwayne Brooks, the friend who witnessed the murder of Stephen Lawrence which ultimately exposed institutional racism in the Metropolitan police. Brooks, who served as a Liberal Democrat councillor, is awarded an OBE for public and political service.

TV presenter Loyd Grossman, given a CBE for services to heritage, said it was like “unwrapping a wonderful present”. Singer Michael Ball, “chuffed to bits” with his OBE, said his father, Tony, burst into tears on hearing the news.

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Honours for those in education include a knighthood for Nicholas Weller, executive principal at Dixons Academies Bradford – the announcement comes two days after the stabbing of a teacher during a science class at Dixons Kings Academy in Bradford. There are knighthoods, too, for Dr Kevan Collins, chief executive of the Education Endowment Foundation, and Professor Charles Downes, principal and vice-chancellor of Dundee University.

Restaurateurs Henry Dimbleby and John Vincent, founders of the Leon chain, get MBEs for their work on improving school lunches.

Historians Philippa Langley and Louis Ashdown-Hill, who were instrumental in the retrieval of Richard III’s remains from beneath a Leicester council car park, are rewarded with MBEs.

And Michael Bond, almost 60 years after he created Paddington, the bear with the very hard stare and an emergency stash of marmalade sandwiches in his hat, is honoured with a CBE at the age of 89.

Facebook Twitter Pinterest Paddington Bear and his creator Michael Bond, who receives a CBE. Photograph: Edmond Terakopian/PA

In total, 1,163 people, from Helston on the Lizard to Orkney, are recognised in the 2015 birthday honours, ranging in age from 103-year-old Dr William Frankland, a pioneer in allergy research who receives an MBE, to 17-year-old Natasha Lambert, who has athetoid cerebral palsy and receives a BEM for her fundraising. There are 295 at BEM, 481 at MBE and 237 at OBE.

Slightly fewer than 2% refused an honour – which compares with levels at past honours announcements. Almost 7% are from ethnic minorities and just over 6% have a declared disability. Of the total recipients, 70% are people who have undertaken outstanding work in their communities.

Stephens said: “This list is about ordinary people doing extraordinary things on behalf of their community.” But, he added: “There is still more to do in making the list truly representative.”