New Year Honours List 2026: 29 incredible West Midlands people honoured by the King, including Meera Syal

From comedy acting stars to community leaders and health care champions - the West Midlands is home to some of the UK’s most honourable people.

King Charles III New Year Honours list for 2026 features thirty people across the region with Meera Syal receiving a damehood. Two people were awarded OBEs, twelve received MBEs, thirteen received BEMs and one received a King’s police medal. See all the people listed from Staffordshire here. 

Dames Commander of the Order of the British Empire (DBE)

1) Meera Syal CBE. Comedian, Writer and Actor born in Wolverhampton. For services to Literature, to Drama and to Charity. (London, Greater London)

Officers of the Order of the British Empire (OBE)

2) Dr Harjinder Singh Lallie. Founder, Gurmat Sangeet Academy. For services to Musical Heritage, to Faith Communities and to Integration. (Birmingham, West Midlands)

3) Ann-Marie Riley. Chief Nurse, University Hospitals of North Midlands NHS Trust. For services to Nursing. (West Bromwich, West Midlands)

Members of the Order of the British Empire (MBE)

4) Safaraz Ali. Chief Executive Officer, Pathway Group. For services to Diversity and Inclusion in Business. (Birmingham, West Midlands)

5) Laurence Richard Beard. Lately Chief Executive, Jericho. For services to Social Enterprise and to the community in Birmingham. (Birmingham, West Midlands)

6) Rebecca Jane Bollands. Head Teacher, Earlson Primary School, Coventry. For services to Cultural Education in the West Midlands. (Kenilworth, Warwickshire)

7) Matthew Ian Daniels. For services to the LGBTQ+ Community in Birmingham and the West Midlands. (Smethwick, West Midlands)

8) Professor David Hastings Dunn. Chair, West Midlands Military Education Committee. For services to Military Education and to Recruitment. (Birmingham, West Midlands)

9) Professor Jacquelyn Bridget Dunne. Vice-Chancellor, Birmingham Newman University. For services to Higher Education. (Coventry, West Midlands)

10) Sarah Ellis. Director of Creative Innovation, Royal Shakespeare Company. For services to Technology in the Arts. (Birmingham, West Midlands)

11) Margaret Antoinette Fisher. Lately Chair of Governors, Dorridge Primary School. For services to Education. (Solihull, West Midlands)

12) Beth Gibson. Head of Attendance and Inclusive Pathways, Birmingham City Council, West Midlands. For services to Education. (Nuneaton, Warwickshire)

13) Jonathan Patric Gilchrist. Joint President, UK Theatre. For services to Theatre. (Birmingham, West Midlands)

14) Hazrat Islam. Senior Manager, Regions and Providers Directorate, Department for Education. For services to Further Education. (Birmingham, West Midlands)

15) Kerry Lorraine Turner. Chief Executive Officer, Citizens Advice Solihull Borough. For services to Citizens Advice and the community in Solihull. (Walsall, West Midlands)

Medallists of the Order of the British Empire (BEM)

16) Francis Joseph Chamberlain. Director and Project Coordinator, Brierley Hill High Street Heritage Action Zone. For services to Heritage and to the community in Brierley Hill, West Midlands. (Brierley Hill, West Midlands)

17) Sandra Crowder. Foster Carer. For services to Adoption and Foster Care. (Coventry, West Midlands)

18) Joan Catherine Fairley. For services to the community in Sutton Coldfield, West Midlands. (Tamworth, Staffordshire)

19) Stanley Izak Fisher. British Army Veteran. For services to Holocaust Remembrance. (Solihull, West Midlands)

20) Sabhijinder Singh Hayer (Sam Hayer). Gym Manager, Sam's Gym and Head Coach, Oldbury Academy Weightlifting Club. For services to Weightlifting and to the community in the West Midlands. (Bromgsrove, Worcestershire)

21) Amy Elizabeth Jackson. Co-Founder and Operations Manager, The Lily Mae Foundation. For services to Bereaved Parents. (Coventry, West Midlands)

22) Ryan Paul Jackson. Co-Founder and Managing Director, The Lily Mae Foundation. For services to Bereaved Parents. (Coventry, West Midlands)

23) John Melvyn Johnson. Volunteer, Wolverhampton Grammar School, West Midlands. For services to Education. (Wolverhampton, West Midlands)

24) Manjinder Singh Kang. Community Safety Manager, Network Rail. For services to Rail Safety and to Charity. (Wolverhampton, West Midlands)

25) Susan Ann Nichols. Deputy Manager, Fledglings Day Nursery, Solihull.  For services to Early Years Education. (Solihull, West Midlands)

26) Pritesh Pattni. Postmaster, Bristol Street Post Office. For services to the community in Birmingham and to Charity. (Birmingham, West Midlands)

27) Katherine Anne Smith. Fundraiser. For services to Brain Tumour Research and to Charity. (Stourbridge, West Midlands)

28) Colin Henry Wells. Ambulance Support Volunteer, West Midlands, British Red Cross. For Voluntary Service. (Coventry, Warwickshire)

KING'S POLICE MEDAL (KPM)

29) Mark Royston Plant. lately, Detective Constable, West Midlands Police. (West Midlands)