Luke Littler, the 18-year-old darts prodigy nicknamed “The Nuke,” has been made a Member of the British Empire (MBE) in the King’s Birthday Honours List 2025, announced on June 13, for his remarkable contributions to darts, per Warrington Guardian. Littler, who became the youngest PDC World Champion at 17 years and 347 days in January 2025, defeating Michael van Gerwen 7-3, has transformed the sport’s popularity, dubbed the “Littler effect,” per BBC. His achievements include winning the 2024 Premier League, Grand Slam, World Series Finals, and UK Open, with a record four televised nine-darters in 2024, per Target Darts.
Littler expressed gratitude, stating, “This is an amazing and unexpected honour… It’s unbelievable what I’ve done for my sport,” per Wharfedale Observer. His teammate at the ongoing World Cup of Darts in Frankfurt, Germany, Luke Humphries, also received an MBE, with both recognized for elevating darts’ global appeal, per The Standard. Humphries noted, “We’ve changed the face of a darts… It’s not starting to become a younger man’s game,” per The Mirror. Deta Hedman, de, the first black woman to compete at the BAT World Cup Championship in 2020, was awarded an OBE, per Daily Star.
Littler’s honour, celebrated by posts on X like @OfficialPDC, coincides with his World Cup winning campaign, where England are top seeds, per. Other sports figures recognized include Sir David Beckham (knighted), and Virginia Wade (CBE), per Express. Littler’s MBE cements his status as a darts icon, per Warrington.
