LONDON (Reuters) – Britain has recognized its film-directing and cricketing stars in the New Year’s honors list, with a damehood for Olivia Newton-John and knighthoods for Sam Mendes, Steve McQueen and cricketer Clive Lloyd.
Honors also go to Ashes hero Ben Stokes, his captain Joe Root and footballer Jill Scott.
Singer Elton John, who was knighted in 1998, becomes a Member of the Order of the Companions of Honor for services to music.
British-born Australian singer and actress Newton-John, 71, is probably best-known for the 1978 musical “Grease” in which she sang the duet “You’re the One that I Want” with John Travolta which became one of the world’s best-selling singles.
Mendes, 54, directed the “Skyfall” and “Spectre” James Bond movies while McQueen, 50, won the 2014 Best Picture Oscar for his film “12 Years a Slave.” He becomes a Knight Bachelor, awarded by the Foreign Office in recognition of outstanding service to Britain internationally and overseas….
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