Luke Humphries and Luke Littler, England’s premier darts players, were both awarded Members of the Order of the British Empire (MBEs) in the King’s Birthday Honours List 2025, announced on June 13, for their outstanding services to darts, per Warrington Guardian. Humphries, 30, the world No. 1, and Littler, 18, the reigning PDC World Champion, have been lauded for elevating darts’ global appeal, with Littler’s meteoric rise dubbed the “Littler effect,” per BBC. The honours were revealed as the duo compete for England at the BetVictor World Cup of Darts in Frankfurt, starting June 12, aiming to defend the nation’s title, per Sky Sports.
Humphries, who won the 2024 World Championship and World Cup with Michael Smith, described the MBE as “the proudest moment of my life,” telling Sky Sports on June 13, “To be recognised with Luke shows darts is thriving,” per The Mirror. Littler, who clinched the 2025 World Championship at 17, defeating Michael van Gerwen 7-3, and swept the 2024 Premier League, Grand Slam, and UK Open, expressed shock, saying, “I’m truly grateful… It’s unbelievable for our sport,” per Warrington Guardian. His four televised nine-darters in 2024 set a new benchmark, per Target Darts.
Other darts figures honoured include Deta Hedman, awarded an OBE for her pioneering role as the first Black woman at the PDC World Championship, per Daily Star. Posts on X, like @OfficialPDC, hailed the duo, with @SkySportsDarts noting their impact on darts’ youth surge, per. As Humphries and Littler face their World Cup last-16 match today, June 14, their MBEs highlight their transformative legacy amid rivals’ “ego” jabs, per SPORTbible.
