New Year Honours: Ewan McGregor to Receive OBE

With the New Year now almost upon us, we thought we’d take a quick gander at the New Year Honours List. The list is usually peppered with arty and filmy types, and this year is no different – even with the British sporting prowess exhibited at the London Olympics very definitely taking centre stage.

Most notably, actor Ewan McGregor has been awarded an OBE for services to drama and charity. McGregor is known for what is possibly his most famous role, that of Jedi Master Obi-Wan Kenobi in the Star Wars prequels (where he played a younger version of Alec Guinness), and for his starring role in Danny Boyle’s cult classic Trainspotting.

Speaking of Danny Boyle, it seems that the Oscar-winning director has this year turned down his own offer of a knighthood for his work on the Olympic opening ceremony. According to reports, Boyle feels that accepting a knighthood would go against the ideas of equality in modern Britain that the ceremony was intended to convey. He told BBC Radio Four: “I’m very proud to be an equal citizen and I think that’s what the Opening Ceremony was actually about.”

Other famous faces on this year’s list include illustrator Quentin Blake, artist Tracy Emin, fashion designer Stella McCartney, and singer/songwriter Kate Bush.

As always the list also gives a large share of honours to unsung heroes such as health and charity workers, but undoubtedly the most lauded of this year’s recipients are sporting personalities such as Mo Farah, Bradley Wiggins and Jessica Ennis, all of whom are being honoured for services to their respective sports.

If you’d like to take a look at the full honours list (it’s very very long, we warn you) then the Guardian website has a comprehensive one. And, last but not least, Happy New Year from everyone on the Farm! We hope your 2013 is filled with cinematic goodness.