A number of Caribbean nationals will be receiving awards on the Queen’s New Year Honours List for 2017.
Citizens of all 15 commonwealth realms may receive honours through the UK honours system. These include Antigua & Barbuda, Barbados, Belize, Cook Islands, Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands, St Kitts and Nevis, St Lucia, St Vincent and the Grenadines and Tuvalu.
This year, there are five awardees from Grenada; four from St Kitts and Nevis and three from Antigua & Barbuda.
Among the honorees is Nevisian Cricket legend Elquemedo Tonito Willet. The Nevisian Cricket icon made his international debut back in March , 1973 becoming the first player from the Leeward islands to be named to the West Indies test team.
Willett paved the way for Cricket Icons Sir Vivian Richards, Andy Roberts Curtly Ambrose, Kieth Autherton and others.
The honours are as follows:
GRENADA:
Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE):
Michael Archibald (for services to banking)
Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE):
Lawrence Anthony Duncan (for services to the cruise ship industry)
Ms. Maudlyn Ferguson (for services to education)
British Empire Medal (BEM):
Jarvis Kelvin Paul Lawrence (for services to horticulture and business)
Norbert Carlvin Simon (for services to the fishing industry)
ST KITTS & NEVIS:
Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE):
Dennis Michael Arthur Morton (for services to commerce and industry)
Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE):
Ms Claudette Althea Manchester (for services to broadcasting and to the community)
Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE):
Ms Eloise Vanta Archibald (for public service)
Elquemedo Tonitto Willett (for services to sport)
ANTIGUA & BARBUDA:
Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE):
Dwight Cuthbert Revirre Gardiner (for services to the national and international marine community)
Queen’s Police Medal (QPM):
Assistant Police Commissioner Philip Nehemiah Isaacs, Royal Police Force of Antigua & Barbuda
Assistant Police Commissioner Alvin Sylvester Thomas, Royal Police Force of Antigua & Barbuda.
The New Year Honours List for the UK included well-known names such as fashion designer and former Spice Girl, Victoria Beckham, Olympian Mo Farah and tennis champ Andy Murray.