How to get an honours nomination form (MBE, OBE, CBE & KBE / DBE)
Any worthy person, based anywhere in the world, can be nominated for a Royal Honour – you don’t need to be based in the UK or even be a UK citizen. MBEs, OBEs, CBEs and knighthoods/damehoods are open to anybody who has gone that extra mile to benefit the UK or commonwealth, or the people living in those countries, in some significant way. You don’t get an honour for simply doing your job – otherwise, every firefighter or nurse would automatically get one – you have to be a truly exceptional individual.
But how do you nominate someone for an honour? Obtaining an honours nomination form is simple and can be accessed online free of charge on the gov.uk website. However, completing an honours nomination form that will stand out and be approved by the honours committee is a much more difficult task. Awards Intelligence are the leading awards specialist, and we have helped countless individuals successfully complete their MBE, OBE, CBE or Knighthood/Damehood honours nomination forms. Directly access the official honours nomination form via the link below.
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About Honours Nominations
Anyone can make a nomination, and you do not need any special standing to do so. The one rule is that you cannot nominate yourself, and someone else must put you forward. A friend, colleague, family member or organisation can all make a nomination, and the nominee does not have to be told.
You also do not apply for a specific level of honour. You put forward the person and their achievements, and the relevant committee decides whether an award is appropriate and at what level, whether that is a BEM, MBE, OBE, CBE or higher. Honours are announced twice a year, in the New Year and on the King’s Birthday in June, but there is no deadline to work towards. A nomination can be submitted at any time and will be considered for the next available list once it has worked through the process.
What the official honours nomination form asks for
The nomination form was updated by the Cabinet Office in early 2026, so it is worth making sure you are working from the current version. It is also more involved than many people expect. Don’t expect a quick set of boxes to tick– there is far more to it than that. You need to provide a detailed account of your nominee and the difference they have made, supported by evidence and letters. Knowing what each part of the form is looking for before you start makes the whole process far easier. Here is what you will be asked to provide.
Nominee details
The opening section covers the practical facts about your nominee: their full name, any name they are known by, date of birth, address and contact details. You will also be asked for their nationality, as this affects the type of award that can be given. Nominees who are not UK or Commonwealth citizens can usually only be considered for an honorary award.
Equality monitoring
The form then asks a series of questions on your nominee’s background, covering ethnicity, disability, sexual orientation, schooling and socio-economic circumstances. The socio-economic questions are a recent addition, reflecting a wider drive to see more honours go to people from working-class and underrepresented backgrounds who have achieved something exceptional. For example, you will be asked:
- What type of school did the nominee mainly attend between the ages of 11 and 16, state or fee-paying?
- When the nominee was around 14, would they describe themselves as coming from a lower socio-economic background, compared to people in general?
It is worth knowing that this section is collected for monitoring only. It plays no part in how a nomination is judged and has no bearing on the outcome, so there is no advantage or disadvantage in how it is answered.
Contribution and impact
This is the heart of the form and where a nomination is generally successful or a failure. You begin with a short summary of your nominee’s service, the short phrase that appears alongside an honour, for example ‘for services to the prevention of knife crime’, along with what they do, how long they have done it and whether the role is paid or voluntary.
You then complete two substantial written sections, each a minimum of 250 words. The first asks what contribution your nominee has made, the need they met and the obstacles they overcame. The second asks about impact, with factual, quantified evidence of the difference they have made and how far that difference has reached. The 250 words is a minimum, not a target. A nomination that stands a real chance is more detailed and focuses on impact, which is why a strong nomination typically takes many hours to put together.
The form also asks whether anyone else provides a similar service – a reminder of how competitive the honours system is and that a strong nomination has to show how your nominee goes further than others doing comparable work.
Letters of support
You will need at least two letters of support, though more can be included, and as with the word count, the minimum may sell your nominee short. Two will satisfy the form, but the strongest nominations are usually backed by further letters, often somewhere between five and fifteen. Each letter of support adds weight from a different perspective.
The letter should be around 500 words and come from someone who knows your nominee’s work first-hand. One point often missed is that each letter has to add something different. Letters that simply repeat the same points will not not be persuasive, so your supporters need to be chosen and briefed with care.
Details and the declaration
The final section asks for your own details as the nominator, including your relationship to the nominee, along with a few administrative questions for the Cabinet Office’s records. You then sign a short declaration confirming the information is accurate and complete. Nominations are made in confidence, and there is no requirement to obtain your nominee’s consent.
Ensure Your Honours Nomination Is Successful
Completing the nomination form is one thing. Giving an honours nomination the necessary time, expertise, and attention is an entirely different matter. This is where most nominations come undone, which is understandable as it is a long and time-consuming process to do well. We spend about 100–150 hours on a typical nomination and many people just don’t have that kind of time to devote to it. A rushed nomination is unlikely to be successful, which is why we dedicate the time.
Nominations typically outline the nominee’s achievements, contributions, and reasons as to why they deserve the honour. While you could, in theory, write up an honours nomination on a wet Sunday afternoon or even in your lunch break, is it really going to cut it at the Cabinet Office? We suggest that it’s doubtful given the high level of competition. After all, these are the most prestigious awards in the world and a life-changing achievement for most people.
Why Most Nominations Fail
Most unsuccessful nominations fail for the same handful of reasons. They lean on a job title or long service rather than evidence of genuine impact. They read like a CV instead of telling the story of why the person is exceptional. They are thin on the factual, quantified proof that the committees look for, or they fail to show how the nominee goes further than others doing similar work. Strong supporting letters are missing, or they simply repeat one another. Our tips for writing a compelling honours nomination cover how to avoid these in practice.
Your Chances
The honours system is far more competitive than most people realise, and the numbers make the case for getting it right:
- The Cabinet Office receives an estimated 20,000 nominations a year, and only around 1 in 10 are successful
- Awards Intelligence has a 2 in 3 success rate, more than six times the national average
- 97% of our clients tell us we are value for money
Whichever level of honour you have in mind, you can give it the best possible chance by speaking to one of our specialists. If you book a free assessment with Awards Intelligence, you will be armed with all the facts and information you need to enable you to make a balanced decision on the next steps, whether you decide to go it alone or bring in our experts.
What is the process after a nomination is made?
After your honours nomination has been put forward, the following process will take place:
- Assessment After receiving your nomination, the honours committee undertake a thorough assessment process, evaluating the nominee’s achievements and the positive changes they’ve driven in society.
- Recommendation Once the assessment has been completed, the committee will identify the strongest candidates and make recommendations to the Prime Minister.
- Approval The Prime Minister then receives the committee’s recommendations and advises the monarch on the honours to be awarded. The final decision is made by the sovereign, who officially approves the awards.
- Announcements After approval, the names of those who have been awarded honours are revealed twice a year – the King’s Birthday and at New Year.
- Awards – Ceremonies mark the final stage of the honours process, where recipients are formally presented with their awards by a senior member of the royal family or a representative of the Crown.
The process typically takes 18 to 24 months from submission to announcement, but this does vary. If you know somebody who deserves a successful royal honours nomination then we can help make that a reality. We are the best at what we do having had nearly 20 year’s experience and thousands of honours nomination forms completed. Call us on 01444 230130 to arrange a free assessment, or fill out our contact form for more information.