Rugby league star Kevin Sinfield has received a knighthood in the King’s Birthday Honours, with the Kevin Sinfield knighthood honours also recognising children’s authors Malorie Blackman and Julia Donaldson, who are both made dames.
Sir Kevin, who scored the most points in Super League history and captained England, is recognised for his sporting achievements and for raising more than £11 million for charities tackling motor neurone disease (MND). His fundraising campaign began after his teammate Rob Burrow was diagnosed with MND in 2019.
Since 2020, Sinfield has undertaken a series of marathons and endurance challenges. According to MSN, the funds raised have supported six MND charities across the UK, underlining the breadth of his campaign beyond any single organisation. During one challenge in 2023, Sinfield pushed Burrow in a wheelchair along a marathon course before carrying him over the finish line. Burrow died a year later.
‘I am deeply honoured and grateful to receive this award on behalf of the rugby and MND communities,’ said Sir Kevin. Speaking to BBC Breakfast, he added he was ‘a little bit embarrassed’ by the honour and ‘very humbled, very overwhelmed’. He said Rob ‘is never out of my thoughts but I would have loved to have seen his smile when I told him this news.’
Lindsey Burrow, Rob Burrow’s widow, said: ‘I know he has said he is dedicated to supporting the MND Association community for however long it takes to find a cure, and that means so much to so many people to have a champion like Kevin in their corner.’
Kevin Sinfield Knighthood Honours Sit Alongside New Dames in Literature
Dame Julia Donaldson has written more than 200 books. She is best known for The Gruffalo, first published in 1999, with a third instalment due in September. ‘Receiving this honour has been a very happy surprise,’ she said, adding she was grateful for the ‘enthusiastic support’ she had received throughout her career.
Dame Malorie Blackman is the author of more than 70 books, including her Noughts & Crosses series, which explores the divide between a black elite and a white underclass in a dystopian London. Both The Gruffalo and Noughts & Crosses have been adapted for the screen.
The actress Dame Helen Mirren and photojournalist Sir Don McCullin are made Companions of Honour, of which there are only 65 at any one time. Members are recognised for major contributions to arts, science, medicine or government over a long period of time.
Lionesses, Animators and Further Honours
Several of the Lionesses who won Euro 2025 are appointed MBEs, including Chloe Kelly, who scored the penalty to win the tournament. Also honoured are Michelle Agyemang, Jess Carter, Hannah Hampton, Lauren James and Alessia Russo. At 20 years old, Agyemang is the youngest among nearly 1,200 recipients on the list.
Peter Lord and David Sproxton, founders of Aardman Animations, are knighted for services to the creative industries and to charity. The pair founded the studio in 1972 after meeting at school. It produced the first Wallace & Gromit short film, A Grand Day Out, in 1989, and has since gone on to produce Chicken Run and Shaun the Sheep. ‘We both feel it is an extraordinary privilege and an honour, as well as a complete and utter surprise, to be recognised in this way,’ the duo said.
Charlotte Tilbury, founder of her eponymous beauty brand, is made a CBE. Others in entertainment include Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels actor Dexter Fletcher, who receives an OBE, and former Black Sabbath guitarist Tony Iommi, who becomes an MBE for services to music and charity. Broadcaster Anneka Rice is made an MBE and Catatonia singer Cerys Matthews an OBE.
Stuntman David Holmes, who became permanently paralysed from the chest downwards while working on a Harry Potter film, is made an MBE for charitable work and services to film and media.
In sport, golfer Luke Donald and rugby union player Emily Scarratt are both made OBEs. Donald has captained the European team to two consecutive Ryder Cup wins and would be the first skipper to win three in a row if victorious in Ireland next year. Scarratt, the Red Roses’ record points scorer, retired last autumn after winning her second women’s rugby union World Cup.
Patrick Vernon is knighted for services to racial equality. He led the campaign to establish Windrush Day. Merope Mills has been appointed a CBE for services to patient safety, having created a scheme allowing concerned hospital patients to request an urgent review of their treatment following the death of her daughter Martha.
In politics, former Conservative MP David Gauke is knighted after carrying out an independent review of sentencing. Chris Mullin, a former Labour MP who played a key role in the release of the wrongly convicted Birmingham Six, is knighted for political and public service. ‘At this late stage in my life, I am grateful for any sliver of recognition that comes my way,’ he said. Labour MP Jessica Morden is made a dame and former Tory MP Greg Hands is knighted, both for political service.
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer congratulated all recipients, writing on X: ‘Across Britain, people are changing lives every day. This list recognises their compassion, resilience and service to others.’
