Luke Littler and Luke Humphries have been awarded MBEs in the king’s birthday honours list in recognition of the heights to which their rivalry has taken them in darts.
Littler became the youngest world darts champion at the age of 17 years and 347 days at the beginning of 2025 while Humphries, who beat the teenager in the world championship final 12 months prior, came out on top in Premier League Darts.
Deta Hedman, who has won world-ranked darts titles in each of the past five decades and became the first black woman to play at the PDC World Championship in 2020, has become an OBE.
While the headline names on the list are the knighthoods awarded to David Beckham and rugby league great Billy Boston, a host of other sports stars have been recognised, among them the former Wimbledon tennis champion Virginia Wade, who becomes a CBE, and the former Gloucestershire bowler David Lawrence, who took 625 wickets for the county, who has been made an MBE. The 61-year-old, affectionately nicknamed “Syd”, was diagnosed with motor neurone disease last year.
Lawrence said: “It is an incredibly proud moment to have been awarded an MBE in the King’s birthday honours. It is not something I ever thought would sit after my name, but I am absolutely delighted that it will do so for however long I am here and will be a part of my legacy when I am gone.
“As a proud Gloucester man who achieved his dream to play for England on the cricket field, it means a great deal to me and to my family who have supported me with all their love during some difficult times. I have always put my heart and soul into any challenge I have faced and that is how I have approached things since my diagnosis with motor neurone disease. With awareness and funds for research, we can make a positive difference for those who will need it in the future.”
Another former England pace bowler, Devon Malcolm, has been made an OBE while Steven Davies, who in 2011 became the first male international cricketer to come out as gay, has been made an MBE.
There is further recognition for the two-time Olympic triathlon champion Alistair Brownlee, who has become an OBE, and Rachel Daly, one of the stars of the England women’s football team that won the European Championship on home soil in 2022, who has been made an MBE.
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Frank Rothwell, the owner of Oldham, has become an OBE for services to dementia research.
Monica Vaughan, a 10-time Paralympic swimming gold medallist, becomes an OBE while Andy Lapthorne, a 18-time grand slam champion in wheelchair tennis, has been made an MBE. Two-weight boxing world champion Natasha Jonas becomes an MBE, as does motorcycle rider Michael Dunlop, golfer Trish Johnson and BBC gymnastics commentator Christine Still.
