Kevin Sinfield, the rugby league star who raised millions for motor neurone disease charities after his teammate Rob Burrow was diagnosed, has been knighted in the King's Birthday Honours. “I'm very overwhelmed by all of it,” he told BBC Breakfast, adding he was “a little bit embarrassed” by the individual award after a team sport career. Sinfield, who scored the most points in Super League history, began fundraising after Burrow’s 2019 diagnosis, embarking on a series of marathons and endurance challenges that raised more than £11m. In one 2023 marathon, he pushed Burrow in a wheelchair along the 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,” Sinfield said. “Since I first played rugby when I was seven, rugby league has given me so much.”
Children’s authors Malorie Blackman and Julia Donaldson were made dames for services to literature. Blackman’s Noughts & Crosses and Donaldson’s The Gruffalo have both been adapted for the screen. Among the Lionesses who won Euro 2025, Chloe Kelly – who scored the winning penalty – was appointed MBE, alongside several teammates. Charlotte Tilbury, founder of her eponymous beauty brand, received a CBE. The actress Dame Helen Mirren and photojournalist Sir Don McCullin were made Companions of Honour, a select group limited to 65 members at any one time, recognised for major contributions to arts, science, medicine or government over a long period.
“Rugby star Kevin Sinfield knighted for MND fundraising; authors Blackman and Donaldson made dames in King's Birthday Honours.”
Two women who set up support groups for families that lost relatives during the pandemic were appointed MBEs: Deborah Lewis for Covid-19 Families UK and Constance McCready for Covid-19 Families Scotland. In entertainment, Peter Lord and David Sproxton, founders of the animation studio behind Wallace & Gromit and Chicken Run, were knighted. Broadcaster Anneka Rice, best known for Treasure Hunt, received an MBE, and Catatonia singer Cerys Matthews an OBE.
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer congratulated the recipients, saying in a post on X: “Across Britain, people are changing lives every day. This list recognises their compassion, resilience and service to others. It reflects the kind, hopeful country we’re proud to be. On behalf of the nation: thank you.”