South Asian excellence has been recognised at the very top of the King’s New Year Honours List 2026, with two damehoods and a knighthood marking a landmark moment for representation across arts, academia, science and public service.
Among the highest accolades is a damehood awarded to trailblazing actress and writer Meera Syal, who becomes the first Asian woman to receive a damehood for services to arts and culture. Born in Wolverhampton to Punjabi parents, Syal rose to national prominence in the 1990s as a co-writer and performer on the BBC’s Goodness Gracious Me, a groundbreaking comedy that centred British Asian life and challenged long-held stereotypes.
The programme became a cultural landmark, paving the way for greater diversity on British television. Syal’s career has since spanned film, television and theatre, with notable credits including The Kumars at No. 42, Broadchurch, Mrs Sidhu Investigates, Bhaji on the Beach, Anita and Me, Paddington and Yesterday.
A second damehood has been awarded to Professor Meena Upadhyaya, a professor emerita in medical genetics whose four-decade career has combined academic leadership, global research collaboration and equality advocacy. Professor Upadhyaya has authored more than 200 scientific publications, mentored generations of researchers and held honorary professorships in the UK and India.
Completing the trio of top honours, Professor Nishan Canagarajah, vice-chancellor of the University of Leicester, has been knighted for services to higher education. His journey from scholarship student at the University of Cambridge to senior academic leadership has been widely praised as a testament to social mobility and educational excellence.
Beyond the top honours, South Asians were recognised across public life, business, health, sport, culture and community leadership. Notable awards include an OBE for Paavan Popat, chief executive of TLC Care, for services to intergenerational housing and care, and an MBE for Dr Ritan Mehta, a key figure in the medical success of the England women’s football team, including their historic UEFA Women’s Euro 2022 victory.
Cricket commentator and inclusivity advocate Isa Tara Guha was also awarded an MBE for services to inclusivity and cricket, while playwright Ishtiaq Din received an MBE for services to the arts and young people in the North East, marking a remarkable journey from taxi driver to nationally acclaimed writer.
Of the 1,157 honours awarded this year, around five per cent were received by people of Asian heritage. The government confirmed that overall ethnic minority representation on the list has doubled to 14 per cent compared with last year.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer said the list celebrated “the very best of Britain – people who put the common good ahead of themselves to strengthen communities and change lives”.
Here is the full list of King’s New Years Honours 2026
Companions of the Order of the Bath (CB)
Daljit Singh Rehal. Chief Digital Information Officer, HM Revenue and Customs. For services to Technology and to Public Service. (London, Surrey).
Commanders of the Order of the British Empire (CBE)
Omar Ali. Global Financial Services Leader, Ernst and Young. For services to the Financial Services Industry. (London, Greater London).
Neeta Avnash Kaur Atkar MBE JP. Lately Senior Independent Director to the Board, British Business Bank. For services to Small Business Finance and the British Business Bank. (Marlow, Buckinghamshire).
Shazia Hussain. Director of Children’s Social Care, Department for Education. For services to Children and Families. (London, Greater London).
Rupesh Mohan Mehta. Lately Director, Planning, Department for Transport. For services to Transport Planning. (Gerrards Cross, Buckinghamshire). Dhruv Prashant Patel OBE. For services to Civic Leadership and to Charity. (London, Greater London).
Officers of the Order of the British Empire (OBE).
Shah Ruhul Amin. Co-Founder and Chief Architect, Onfido. For services to Fintech and Artificial Intelligence. (London, Greater London)
Professor Syed Saeed Ashraf. Consultant Cardiothoracic Surgeon, Morriston Hospital, Swansea. For services to Cardiac Surgery, the Provision of Training Surgeons from Abroad, and Academic Contribution. (Swansea, West Glamorgan).
Abby Ghafoor. Founder and Chief Executive Officer, Arc Management Consulting. For services to Business and to Diversity and Inclusion. (London, Greater London).
Mohamed Isap. Chief Executive, IN4 Group. For services to Education. (Blackburn, Lancashire). Professor Gurpreet Singh Jagpal. For services to Enterprise, Entrepreneurship Education and Policy. (Daventry, Northamptonshire)
Professor Gurpreet Singh Jagpal. For services to Enterprise, Entrepreneurship Education and Policy. (Daventry, Northamptonshire)
Rukshana Kapasi. Director of Health, Barnardo ‘s. For services to Transforming Care, to Health Equity and to the Patient Voice. (St Albans, Hertfordshire).
Dr Harjinder Singh Lallie. Founder, Gurmat Sangeet Academy. For services to Musical Heritage, to Faith Communities and to Integration. (Birmingham, West Midlands).
The Hon. Paavan Popat. Chief Executive, TLC Care. For services to Intergenerational Housing. (Bushey, Hertfordshire).
Narinder Kaur Shergill. Security Advisor, Serious Fraud Office. For services to the Administration of Justice. (London, Greater London).
Members of the Order of the British Empire (MBE)
Shamsul Abdin. Head, H&K Cycle Club. For services to Charitable Fundraising. (London, Greater London).
Dr Nazee Akbari. Chief Executive Officer, New Citizens’ Gateway. For services to Refugees and Asylum Seekers. (London, Greater London).
Harith Sadiq Ali. Fundraiser. For Charitable Service. (Edinburgh, Edinburgh)
Monwara Ali. Chief Executive Officer, Waltham Forest Community Hub. For services to the community in Waltham Forest. (London, Greater London)
Safaraz Ali. Chief Executive Officer, Pathway Group. For services to Diversity and Inclusion in Business. (Birmingham, West Midlands).
Fatima Benzbir. Regional Manager Airports and Festival and Events, National Express. For services to the State Funeral of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. (Horley, Surrey).
Rishi Bhuchar. Philanthropist. For services to Philanthropy. (London, Greater London)
Jadavji Karsan Bhudia. Systems Commissioning Manager, Tideway. For services to Improving Water Quality. (London, Greater London).
Dr Raja Biswas. Consultant Physician in Care of the Elderly, Cwm Taf Morgannwg University Health Board. For services to the NHS in Wales. (Cardiff, South Glamorgan).
Ishtiaq Ahmed Din. Playwright and Screenwriter. For services to the Arts and Young People in the North East. (Middlesbrough, North Yorkshire).
Isa Tara Guha. Founder and Chair, Take Her Lead. For services to Inclusivity and Cricket. (High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire)
Shanaz Begum Gulzar. Creative Director, Bradford Culture Company. For services to Culture in Bradford. (Keighley, West Yorkshire).
Rokia Khair. For services to Heritage and to Charity in Derbyshire. (Saltash, Cornwall). Maninder Kohli. For services to Fashion. (London, Greater London)
Deepa Korea. Director, Royal College of Nursing Foundation. For services to Nursing and Midwifery. (London, Greater London)
Dr Nasser Kurdy. For services to Community Interfaith Reconciliation. (Altrincham, Greater Manchester).
Professor Avtar Singh Matharu. Professor of Chemistry, University of York. For services to Equality, Diversity and Inclusion and to Interfaith and Community Cohesion. (York, North Yorkshire).
Dr Ritan Ashvinkumar Mehta. Head of Medical and Team Doctor, England Senior Women’s Football Team. For services to Association Football. (London, Greater London)
Ranu Mehta-Radia. Founder, Sai School of Harrow, London Borough of Harrow. For services to the community in Greater London. (London, Greater London).
Bhishma Raj Niraula. Hindu Religious Teacher (Pandit Ji), Royal Gurkha Rifles, Brunei. For services to British Forces Brunei.
Babar Ali Qureshi. Co-Founder, The Research Club and i-view London. For services to Business, to Charity and to Cricket. (London, Greater London).
Kambiz Ramzan Ali. For services to the Sport of Taekwondo and the community in Harrogate, North Yorkshire. (Harrogate, North Yorkshire).
Dr Dwarampudi Rama Krishna Reddy. Director, Homeless Housing. For services to Homeless People in Preston. (Preston, Lancashire).
Kulwant Singh Sehmi. Lately Departmental Head, Imaging Service, Moorfields Eye Hospital NHS Foundation Trust. For services to the NHS and to Diagnostic Ophthalmic Imaging. (London, Greater London)
Ramona Senior. Police Staff, West Yorkshire Police. For services to Policing. (Huddersfield, West Yorkshire)
Sajda Khatoon Shah. Strategy and Transformation Lead, Sajda Shah Consultancy. For services to Community Development. (London, Greater London).
Mohammed Shaukat. Volunteer, Glasgow Central Mosque. For services to the community in Glasgow. (Glasgow, Glasgow).
Balbir Singh. Artistic Director, Balbir Singh Dance Company. For services to Dance. (Bradford, West Yorkshire).
Abu Taher. Co-Founder, Shanghati Literary Society. For services to the Bangladeshi Community. (London, Greater London).
Sajid Ebrahim Varda. Founder and Chief Executive Officer, UK Muslim Film and Muslim International Film Festival. For services to Diversity and Inclusion in the Film and Television Industry. (London, Greater London).
Medallists of the Order of the British Empire (BEM).
Fatima Ahmad. Foster Carer, Kirklees Council. For services to Foster Care. (Huddersfield, West Yorkshire).
Amila Begumahmed (Amila Ahmed). Teaching Assistant, Cyril Jackson Primary, London Borough of Tower Hamlets. For services to Education. (London, Greater London).
Asma Reyaz Haq. Founder, Marks Gate Relief Project. For services to the communities in the London Boroughs of Barking
Manjinder Singh Kang. Community Safety Manager, Network Rail. For services to Rail Safety and to Charity. (Wolverhampton, West Midlands).
Bhajan Matharu. Assistant Headteacher, Deanesfield Primary School, London Borough of Hillingdon. For services to Education and Early Years. (London, Greater London).
Pritesh Pattni. Postmaster, Bristol Street Post Office. For services to the community in Birmingham and to Charity. (Birmingham, West Midlands).
Indra Rukmani Perera. Early Years Leader, Rainbow House, London. For services to Early Years Education. (London, Greater London).
Kanti Karsan Pindoria. Police Staff, Special Constable and Volunteer Police Cadet Leader, Metropolitan Police Service. For services to Policing and to the community in London. (London, Greater London).
Shaeera Fatima Sahi. For services to Young People. (London, Greater London). 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).
Sahina Ugradar. For services to the community in Ilford, London Borough of Redbridge. (London, Greater London).
Member (MVO)
Surinder Singh Rawat. Lead Network Engineer, Digital Services, Royal Household.
DIPLOMATIC Service Member of the British Empire MBE
Dr. Ahmad Masood Cheema. Consultant Surgeon, King Edward Memorial Hospital, Stanley, Falkland Islands. For services to the Falkland Islands.
KING’S VOLUNTEER RESERVES MEDAL (KVRM).
Major Neeraj Shah VR.
