A host of actors and theatre people have been honoured in the King’s birthday honours list 2025.
Much-loved West End star Elaine Paige has received a Damehood for services to Music and to Charity.
Dame Elaine Paige said she was in “complete disbelief” at the honour.
A statement from Elaine on social media said: “Music, and the charitable causes I support, are the mainstays of my life. To receive this acknowledgment for doing what I love is the ultimate privilege. It’s the icing on the cake of six decades of collaboration with the very best in our wonderful arts industry. In the words of Rodgers and Hammerstein, “There Is Nothin’ Like A Dame” – and this newly-minted one is absolutely over the moon and truly grateful. Wow!”,
Rufus Norris & Alex Beard
Outgoing artistic director of the National Theatre, Rufus Norris, 60, has been made a knight in the list, for services to Theatre, saying that the honour was an “extraordinary privilege”. He joins other former National Theatre heads, including Sir Trevor Nunn and Sir Nicholas Hytner, in the honour.
Norris’s full statement said: “I’m very honoured to receive this recognition. It has been a privilege to work at the National Theatre and to play a part in supporting the extraordinary talent and creativity that defines the UK’s cultural sector. This award is a reflection of the dedication and passion of so many colleagues, artists, and collaborators I’ve had the joy of working with over the years.”
Sir Damon Buffini, Chair of the National Theatre Board, said: “We are absolutely thrilled that Rufus has been recognised with a Knighthood for his exceptional service to Theatre. As Director of the National Theatre, he has shown extraordinary commitment, vision, and passion for the UK’s cultural life. Rufus’s leadership throughout his tenure has set a benchmark across the sector, and this honour is a fitting tribute to his remarkable contribution. We offer Rufus our warmest congratulations.”
Another gong for the National Theatre goes to dresser Ralph Mills, who receives a British Empire Medal (BEM) for services to Theatre.
The Royal Ballet and Opera’s Alex Beard CBE has also been awarded a Knighthood, for services to the Arts. Sir Alex has been CEO of the Royal Ballet and Opera since 2013.
Sir Alex Beard said in a statement: “The Royal Ballet and Opera is an extraordinary collective of remarkable talents, whose achievements bring joy and fulfilment to so many, both in our theatres and in communities right across the country. I am deeply honoured to be their colleague, and to have been recognised in this way.”
Gary Oldman & Tracy-Ann Oberman
Other high-profile actors honoured include stage and screen star Gary Oldman, 67, who is knighted for services to Drama.
Oscar-winner Sir Gary Oldman (The Darkest Hour, Slow Horses, Harry Potter) recently starred in Samuel Beckett’s Krapp’s Last Tape at the York Theatre Royal in York.
Actor, writer and campaigner Tracy-Ann Oberman (EastEnders, Friday Night Dinner, The Merchant of Venice 1936) has been made an MBE for services to Holocaust education and combating antisemitism. Oberman is about to star in The Assembled Parties at Hampstead Theatre in London.
Music, Arts and Theatre
From the world of music, Roger Daltrey is knighted, for services to Charity and to Music. Daltrey is patron of the Teenage Cancer Trust.
Other theatre and music practitioners awarded OBEs include Kate McGrath, Artistic Director and Chief Executive Officer of Fuel, for services to Theatre; David Pickard, former Director of BBC Proms, for services to Music; and Stuart Worden, head of The BRIT School, for services to Creative Arts Education, to Music and to the Creative Industries.
MBEs have also gone to Richard Vallis for services to Theatre, to Sport and to People with a Disability; Ann Atkinson Sharp, Opera Singer and Artistic Director of North Wales International Festival, for services to Music; Surdarshan Singh Chana, Indian Classical Musician, for services to Music and Sikh Culture; Gabriella Di Laccio, Soprano and Founder of the Donne Foundation, for services to Music and to Gender Equality; Graham Gouldman, Songwriter and Musician, for services to Music; and Wayne Parmel, Co-Founder of ACE Dance and Music, for services to the Arts.
British Empire Medals (BEM) have also been awarded to Cheryl Ferner-Reeves, founder of New Horizons Theatre Company, for services to Young People and the community in North Finchley; and David Meredith, Chair of the Albany Theatre Trust, for services to Theatre and to the community in Coventry.
A total of 1,215 people have been honoured in this year’s list. See the full list of the King’s Birthday Honours, below.
The New Year honours list for 2025, announced in January, featured honours for actors including Stephen Fry, Sarah Lancashire, Anne Reid and Anne-Marie Duff.
In the King’s second Birthday Honours list in 2024, honours went to theatre luminaries including Dame Imelda Staunton, Six producer Kenny Wax and West End owner Nica Burns.
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