King’s Birthday Honours NZ 2025: Full List of Recipients & Details

When the King’s Birthday Honours list drops each year, it’s a moment of recognition for hundreds of New Zealanders who’ve made a real difference in their communities. The 2025 list, announced on 2 June, honoured 188 people across categories from knighthoods to the King’s Service Medal. Here’s what you need to know about who made the cut and how the system works.

Announcement date: 2 June 2025 · Awarding authority: King Charles III (official birthday) · Award levels include: Knight/Dame, Companion, Officer, Member, Medal

The pattern across recent years shows a stable number of honours — roughly 180–200 per year — with the majority going to community service rather than high-profile public figures.

The five key details above anchor the honours timeline: the machinery stays consistent year to year.

What date are the King’s birthday honours announced?

Announcement timeline for 2025 New Zealand honours

The 2025 King’s Birthday Honours for New Zealand were officially published on 2 June 2025, according to the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet (official honours administrator). The honours are released each year on the first Monday of June, aligning with King Charles III’s official birthday celebrations. The full list, including all levels from Knight/Dame Grand Companion to the King’s Service Medal, is available on the DPMC website.

The 2025 list included 188 recipients, as confirmed by the National Council of Women of New Zealand (advocacy group).

Who is getting a knighthood in 2025?

Notable Knights and Dames in the 2025 NZ list

Four individuals were appointed Knight Companion or Dame Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit in the 2025 list. According to the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet (official honours administrator), the recipients are:

• Dame Ranjna Patel (DNZM) – services to ethnic communities, health and family violence prevention (Foundation North (community funder))
• Sir Mark Leslie Smith Cooper (KNZM) – services to the State and business
• Sir Brendan Jon Lindsay (KNZM) – services to business and the community

The DPMC dedicated citation pages for each honour category show that Officers and Members also drew public attention: Sophie Devine was appointed Officer (ONZM) for services to cricket, and Emeritus Professor George David Baxter received an ONZM for services to physiotherapy and health.

The 2025 King’s Birthday Honours in New Zealand, celebrating the official birthday of King Charles III, were announced on 2 June 2025.

— Wikipedia (open encyclopedia)

Full list of recipients (knights and dames)

The complete list of Knight and Dame appointments is published on the DPMC King’s Service Order page and the ONZM page. Local news coverage from the NZ Herald / Northern Advocate (regional news) highlighted that Northland alone produced 12 recipients, reflecting strong community-level participation in the honours system.

The implication: recipients from smaller regions like Northland show the system captures grassroots contributions alongside national figures.

What is the King’s birthday honor list?

How the honours system works in New Zealand

The King’s Birthday Honours list is part of the New Zealand Royal Honours system, awarded on the official birthday of the monarch. The Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet (official honours administrator) explains that the system comprises three main orders: the New Zealand Order of Merit, the King’s Service Order, and the King’s Service Medal. Each has multiple ranks, from Knight/Dame Grand Companion to Member or Medal recipient.

• Nominations are reviewed by the Honours Secretariat, which assesses impact and service duration.
• The Prime Minister makes final recommendations to the King.
• Announcements occur twice a year: the King’s Birthday Honours in June and the New Year Honours in December.

How to nominate someone for King’s Birthday Honours

Anyone can nominate a candidate online through the DPMC nominations portal (official honours administrator). The process requires a detailed submission describing the nominee’s contribution and impact, along with supporting referees. The Honours Secretariat advises that nominations for the 2026 list should be submitted well before the January deadline to ensure full consideration.

Do you get paid if you are knighted?

Financial and ceremonial benefits of a knighthood

Knighthoods and damehoods do not come with a salary or pension. According to the Royal Household website (official monarchy information), they are honorary titles that confer the right to use “Sir” or “Dame” before one’s name. Recipients may attend royal garden parties or investitures, but no financial reward is attached. In New Zealand, the same applies: the DPMC (official honours administrator) confirms that the honour is purely ceremonial.

Are there any monetary rewards?

No. Unlike some other national honours systems that include a stipend, the New Zealand Royal Honours bestow no monetary benefit. Recipients pay for their own regalia and travel to investiture ceremonies unless sponsored by their community. The trade-off is access to exclusive ceremonial events and the lasting prestige of the title.

Is a MBE higher than an OBE?

Order of precedence in the New Zealand Honours system

OBE (Officer of the Order of the British Empire) is higher than MBE (Member). The Wikipedia (open encyclopedia) explains the British hierarchy: OBE is the fourth rank, MBE is the fifth. However, in New Zealand, the equivalent ranks are part of the New Zealand Order of Merit: Officer (ONZM) corresponds to OBE, and Member (MNZM) corresponds to MBE. The DPMC (official honours administrator) lists ONZM and MNZM as distinct categories, with ONZM senior to MNZM.

What is the difference between MBE and OBE?

In the British honours system, MBE is awarded for outstanding service to the community, while OBE is for a major local role or notable national impact. The rank gap is significant: OBE holders are considered to have made a higher-level contribution. In New Zealand, the same logic applies to ONZM vs MNZM. The DPMC dedicated citation pages show that ONZM recipients typically have career-spanning achievements, while MNZM recipients often have focused community work.

Timeline: King’s Birthday Honours NZ

• 2 June 2025 – Announcement of the 2025 King’s Birthday Honours (New Zealand) (DPMC (official honours administrator))
• 13 December 2025 – New Zealand Bravery Awards announced
• 5 June 2026 – Announcement of the 2026 King’s Birthday Honours (New Zealand) (projected date based on pattern)

The pattern: the honours calendar is predictable, which helps nominators plan but also means the gap between submission and announcement stretches roughly six months.

Confirmed facts vs what’s unclear

Quotes from recipients and observers

King’s Birthday Honours 2025: The full list – knights, dames and all other recipients

— NZ Herald (national news outlet) 1 June 2025

The 2025 list included both individual recipients and couples or paired community figures, such as John and Lily Coleman and Ngahau and Debbie Davis.

— NZ Herald / Northern Advocate (regional news)

Summary: What this means for future nominees

The 2025 King’s Birthday Honours reinforced what the system rewards: sustained, verifiable community impact rather than celebrity. For New Zealanders considering a nomination for the 2026 list, the implication is clear: build a documented record of service, gather strong referees, and submit early. The deadline will likely fall months before the announcement, and the panel will look for evidence of real difference, not just longevity. The catch: community volunteers on modest incomes must weigh the honour against the cost of attending an investiture ceremony.

Related reading: NZ Prime Minister List

For those interested in the broader context of the honours, the Kings Birthday 2025 NZ page offers details on the date and history of the public holiday.

Frequently asked questions