How to nominate
Find out how to nominate someone for a UK honour, whether they live in the UK or abroad.
Nominate someone who lives in the UK
Nominate someone whose service is overseas
Nominate someone in the UK armed forces, veterans and Ministry of Defence employees
Nominate someone who lives in the UK
You can nominate someone for the King’s Birthday and New Year Honours Lists by filling out the nomination form.
An easy read version of the nomination form, along with advice about what to include and how the process works, is available.
Suggesting someone for an honour – Easy read version (PDF, 34 pages – 5.5MB)
The way we give honours – Easy read version (PDF, 13 pages – 3.9MB)
All you have to do is provide evidence of the extraordinary things your nominee has accomplished and how they’ve made things better for others. Every nomination is different but it’s important that you tell the story of what your candidate has done that is extraordinary. In your nomination, you must:
- Describe your candidate’s achievements
- Show what impact they had
- Demonstrate how they made a difference
- Describe what obstacles they have overcome
- Demonstrate how they have gone the extra mile
You can include any evidence you have of recognition your nominee has received for their achievements, for example articles, photos or letters.
The nominee must not know that they are under consideration. You do not need your candidates permission to supply their personal information this is because, under the Data Protection Act of 2018, the honours system is exempt from the usual requirement under GDPR to inform someone that you hold and are processing their personal data. Nominators are nevertheless asked to undertake their inquiries in the strictest confidence.
We protect the integrity of the honours system by carrying out propriety and probity checks with a number of Government departments before names are submitted to the Prime Minister and The King for approval.
To find out more, you can directly contact the Honours and Appointments Secretariat in Cabinet Office. You can also ask the unit questions about the nomination process.
Honours and Appointments Secretariat
honours@cabinetoffice.gov.uk
Telephone: 020 7276 2777
Find out about call charges
Nominate someone whose service is overseas
You can nominate someone for an honour if they live or work abroad and they’ve made achievements in either:
- the UK and/or their achievement has a significant international element
- another country
They’ll be given an ‘honorary award’ if they have given service to the UK and they’re not:
- British
- a national of a country where the King is Head of State
The Royal, Ceremonial and Honours Unit, part of the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO), manages the the nomination process.
Royal, Ceremonial and Honours Unit
Protocol Directorate
Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office
King Charles St
London
SW1A 2AH
Royal, Ceremonial and Honours Unit
Honours.Secretariat@fcdo.gov.uk
Nominate someone in the UK armed forces, veterans and Ministry of Defence employees
The Ministry of Defence Medal Office issues medals to currently serving members of the armed forces, veterans and MOD employees and should be contacted directly regarding any military-related honours.