I'm glad that international screen hairstyling wasn't overlooked this year!
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Formula 1 champion Lewis Hamilton has been knighted in a New Year Honours list which salutes hundreds of people for their work in the Covid pandemic.
Hamilton, who took his seventh title in November, is on list with actress Shelia Hancock, who is made a dame.
Ex-footballer Jimmy Greaves and musician Craig David become MBEs.
Other awards:
CBE
Lesley Manville. Actress. For services to drama and to charity
Anthony Tudor Browne. Children's author and illustrator. For services to literature
Bob Champion. Former jockey and founder of Bob Champion Cancer Trust. For charitable services
Michael Landy. Artist. For services to art
OBE
Toby Jones. Actor. For services to drama
Anne Keothavong Bretherton. Former British number one tennis player and Fed Cup captain. For services to tennis
Gillian Coultard. Former England captain. For services to football
Sally Dynevor. Actress. For services to drama
Fergus Henderson. Restaurateur. For services to the culinary arts
Margot Henderson. Restaurateur. For services to the culinary arts
Natalie Clein. Cellist. For services to music
MBE
Nina Wadia. Actress. For services to entertainment and to charity
Jed Mercurio. Writer and Producer. For services to television drama
Martin Samuel. Oscar nominated make-up artist. For services to international screen hair styling
Joe Simmonds. Captain, Exeter Chiefs. For services to rugby union
I'm glad that international screen hairstyling wasn't overlooked this year!
Outdated idea bowing to royalty.
Loada bollox
Certainly the title of the awards are outdated but I'm not sure that there is anything wrong with recognising people's contribution to society.
New Year Honours 2021
1,239
Recipients
803
Recognised for work in their communities
603Women (49%)
14%Ethnic minority background
Has Lewis finally settled his VAT bill then?
Beckhams involvement in tax avoidance schemes a few years ago seems to have hindered his chances of a knighthood (for now). Same goes for Gary Barlow I think. As for Lewis I'm a bit surprised hes got one, given the vat status of his private plane, but maybe he's settled that which paved the way for his knighthood?
Curtis Woodhouse has been given an MBE for services to football and boxing
Interesting snippet on the back of yesterday's Michael Sheen story on some of the people who have handed back their 'honours':
https://www.theguardian.com/culture/...n-royal-family
He joins a list of prominent figures who have returned or refused honours, including the musicians John Lennon, Paul Weller and David Bowie; the actors Jim Broadbent, Dawn French and Jennifer Saunders; the poet Benjamin Zephaniah, the playwright Alan Bennett and the celebrity chef Nigella Lawson.
Nigella Lawson was a surprise! But no prominent political donors handing back their knighthoods (damehoods) or seats in the Lords?
Public recognition of ordinary people who devote their lives to doing good is fine - but we still (despite some recent improvements) have got a system of nomination and award that is obscure, clumsy and often corrupt (gongs for the PM's backers) and award titles that are anachronistic and offensive.
I haven't seen the list but I hope the scientists at Oxford and Astra Zeneca who developed the vaccine are recognised. There remains a sense of societal divide attached to these awards;
those below stairs get the BEM; those slightly higher in society get the MBE; those slightly higher still the OBE (Other Bu****rs Efforts) and higher again a Knighthood/Damehood.
It's time the system was revised when people from all walks of life are given the same honours. To me, giving a knighthood to Hamilton for driving the fastest car, is daft but I'm sure many will disagree.