Helena joins celeb aristocracy

OSCAR-nominated actress Helena Bonham Carter and golf prodigy Rory McIlroy led the list of recipients of Britain's New Year's honours on Saturday. Bonham Carter received a CBE, or Commander of the Order of the British Empire, award after the most successful year of her career, capped by her performance in The King's Speech about the stammering King George VI. Her distinctive sense of style - she took to the red carpet at the Golden Globes wearing one red shoe and one green - will ensure her attire is the focus of attention at the investiture ceremony at Buckingham Palace next year. McIlroy, who this year became the youngest US Open champion for 88 years at the age of 22, became an MBE, or Member of the Order of the British Empire. "Many people on the honours list have made huge personal sacrifices and contributed significantly to society during their lives," McIlroy said. "I feel very fortunate to be in their company." He is joined by fellow Northern Irish golfer Darren Clarke, who was a popular winner of the British Open in 2011, five years after his wife died of breast cancer. He was awarded an OBE. As Britain prepares to welcome the Olympics to London in 2012, there is a strong sporting flavour to the honours' list. Nigel Mansell, who won the Formula One motor racing world crown in 1992, gets a CBE for his charity work helping children and young people. Veteran cricket umpire Dickie Bird was given an OBE, while there was an MBE for Scottish rugby player Chris Paterson - who retired from the game in 2011 after winning a record 109 caps for his country. Andre Geim and Konstantin Novoselov, the Russian-born 2010 Nobel Prize-winning professors of physics at the University of Manchester in northwest England, were awarded knighthoods. From the world of showbusiness, veteran comedian Ronnie Corbett, the surviving half of The Two Ronnies, receives a CBE for services to entertainment and charity. Australian-born author, broadcaster and critic Clive James was also awarded a CBE. In the year that Apple founder Steve Jobs died, the company's British-born designer Jonathan Ive was made a KBE (Knight Commander, Order of the British Empire) for his work in shaping the look of the iMac, the iPod and the iPhone. Two big names behind television formats that have spread around the world were also honoured - Peter Bazalgette of Endemol, the company behind "Big Brother", and Paul Smith, of Who Wants To Be A Millionaire? creator Celador. In a rare move, Gerald Ronson, 72, the man who brought self-service petrol stations to Britain in the 1960s, was awarded a CBE for services to charity despite being convicted for his role in the Guinness affair over 20 years ago. Ronson, the uncle of music producer Mark Ronson, was convicted in 1990 for his involvement in the share-trading scandal. He served six months of a one-year jail sentence, but bounced back to become a property tycoon. Criminal convictions generally exclude people from winning honours. Alex Crawford, the Sky News reporter who achieved fame by reporting from the war-torn streets of Libya in 2011, said she she was surprised to have been awarded an OBE. "I am staggered and honoured and can't quite believe this is not a prank thought up by one of my more mischievous colleagues," she said. Honours lists are produced twice a year, at New Year and to coincide with the queen's official birthday in June. Most recipients are not celebrities, but people who have given their time for charity work or helping their local communities. Anyone can nominate someone for an award.