Luke Littler and Luke Humphries handed MBEs as sports stars recognised in King’s Birthday Honours
Luke Littler and Luke Humphries, England’s dynamic darts duo, were both made Members of the Order of the British Empire (MBEs) in the King’s Birthday Honours List 2025, announced on June 13, for their transformative contributions to darts, per Warrington Guardian. Littler, the 18-year-old PDC World Champion, and Humphries, the 30-year-old world No. 1, have been recognized for elevating the sport’s global profile, with Littler’s meteoric rise dubbed the “Littler effect,” per BBC. The honours coincide with their World Cup of Darts campaign in Frankfurt, where they aim to defend England’s title, starting June 12, per Sky Sports.
Littler, who became the youngest world champion in January 2025, defeating Michael van Gerwen 7-3 at age 17, expressed disbelief, stating, “I’m truly shocked and so grateful… It’s incredible to be recognised,” per Warrington Guardian. His 2024 accolades include the Premier League, Grand Slam, World Series Finals, and UK Open, with four televised nine-darters, per Target Darts. Humphries, the 2024 World Cup winner with Michael Smith, called the MBE “the proudest moment of my life,” adding, “Darts is booming because of players like Luke [Littler],” per The Mirror.
Other sports stars honoured include Deta Hedman, the first Black woman at the PDC World Championship, awarded an OBE, and Sir David Beckham, knighted for football and charity work, per Daily Star, Express. Posts on X, like @OfficialPDC, celebrated the darts duo, with @SkySportsDarts noting their role in making darts a “younger man’s game,” per. As Littler and Humphries face rivals’ taunts about “egos” at the World Cup, their MBEs underscore their monumental impact, per The Standard.
