Adele, Atkinson and other artists honoured by Queen Elizabeth II

The British Queen's annual Birthday Honours list includes a sprinkling of famous faces.

Adele, who has been awarded an MBE. AP Photo / Jeff Christensen
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Adele is getting a new medal to go alongside her Grammys and Academy Award – an honour from Queen Elizabeth II.

The singer was named a Member of the Order of the British Empire, or MBE, on Friday in the queen’s annual Birthday Honours list.

Her award, for services to music, caps 12 months in which the 25-year-old singer won an Oscar for her James Bond theme song and gave birth to her first child.

The twice-yearly royal honours lists reward hundreds of people for services to their community or national life. Most go to people who are not in the limelight, but there is also a sprinkling of famous faces.

Adele wasn't the only honoree connected to Skyfall, the 23rd James Bond thriller. Cinematographer Roger Deakins was named Commander of the Order of the British Empire, or CBE, in recognition of a career that has gained him 10 Oscar nominations for films including No Country for Old Men and The Shawshank Redemption.

The list includes a knighthood for Tony Robinson, an actor and political activist best known as the dim sidekick Baldrick from the comic TV series Blackadder. He was honoured for his political work and public service.

His Blackadder co-star Rowan Atkinson – best known around the world as bumbling Mr Bean – received a CBE. The same honour went to actress Claire Bloom, whose career stretches from a film appearance opposite Charlie Chaplin to a role in The King's Speech.

The Turner Prize-winning artist Grayson Perry, who creates elaborately decorated ceramics, also was named a CBE.

The author Jackie Collins was named an Officer of the Order of the British Empire, or OBE, for services to fiction and to charity. There were also OBEs for Dylan Jones, the editor of British GQ, the fashion editor Hilary Alexander and the novelist Kate Mosse, the author of the best-selling Labyrinth.

The genre-crossing British musician PJ Harvey received an MBE, as did the Welsh comedian Rob Brydon and the novelist Joanne Harris, the author of Chocolat. * AP

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