About the Prizes

The Queen’s Anniversary Prizes recognise outstanding work by UK colleges and universities that shows quality and innovation and delivers real benefit to the wider world and public through education and training. The Prizes are the highest national Honour awarded in UK further and higher education. Prizes are granted by The Monarch every two years.

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The Prize is a national Honour and is non-monetary
A Prize Medal
in silver-gilt naming the institution.
A Prize Certificate
of award signed by The Monarch.
Use of the Prizes logo
to promote your institution and its work.
Presentation
by a senior member of the Royal Family at an investiture ceremony customarily at Buckingham Palace.
Celebrating the impact of education on public life and human progress

Colleges and universities throughout the UK do outstanding work year after year. All of it has impact and benefit well beyond the institution – positively affecting education, the economy and wider society in many different ways.

Past winners of The Queen’s Anniversary Prizes have been recognised for work in a wide range of disciplines – science, engineering, arts and the creative industries, education, the humanities, the environment and medicine. Prize-winning work has involved vocational training, research and development, resourcing and new facilities, and new approaches to teaching and learning. Direct benefits have been delivered at local, regional, national and international level.

The scheme is unique in the Honours system in that it provides valuable external recognition to the institution as a whole, irrespective of the particular subject selected for the entry. The entry therefore represents the whole university or college, which then has freedom to turn this recognition to its future advantage.

How they work

The Queen’s Anniversary Prizes scheme runs on a two-year cycle. Round 15 (2022-2024) is now open. More information on how to enter can be found here.

Institutions submit a short narrative description of an aspect of their work that they believe meets the criteria for the award of a Prize. The main test is that it is of high quality, is distinctive and innovative, and brings specific benefits to the institution and public benefit in the wider world.

Entries are assessed in an independent review process taking several months and involving a wide range of consultations with experts, specialists and organisations in the public and non-governmental sectors. A shortlist is considered by the Awards Council of the Trust (trustees, senior officials from across the UK and others) and a list of recommended institutions is presented to The Monarch for approval on the Prime Minister’s advice.

The winning entries are formally announced at St James’s Palace in the November of the year of entry. Prize-winners receive the award early the following year from senior members of the Royal Family at a ceremony customarily at Buckingham Palace which is modelled on a personal investiture. See CELEBRATING WINNING section.

A brief history

The creation of The Queen’s Anniversary Prizes was announced in Parliament in 1993 by the Prime Minister, with Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II’s consent and with all-party support. Prizes in the first round were awarded in 1994 and there have been 14 biennial rounds to date.

The 14th round (2020-2022) Prize-winners received their awards from His Majesty King Charles III and HRH Princess Royal at a ceremony at St James’s Palace on 17 February 2022. A total of 296 Prizes have been awarded since the start of the scheme. More information about the Round 14 Prize-winners can be found here.

The Prizes are managed by The Royal Anniversary Trust, which is an independent charity. The Trust was established in 1990 to create a national programme of educational activities and other events marking the 40th anniversary of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II’s accession in 1992 and in appreciation of her many years of service as Head of State. See our video.

Find out more

You can read about current and previous Prize-winners on our PRIZE WINNERS page and find out how to enter on our HOW TO PARTICIPATE page.