The Queen’s Anniversary Prizes recognise outstanding work by UK colleges and universities. Following the publishing of the winners of the Round 15 Prize (2022-2024) in The Gazette, we take a closer look at the Prizes’ history.

What are The Queen’s Anniversary Prizes?

The Queen’s Anniversary Prizes recognise outstanding work by UK colleges and universities that show quality and innovation and deliver 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.

Granted by the reigning monarch every two years, the scheme is unique in that it provides valuable external recognition to the institution as a whole. Past winners of The Queen’s Anniversary Prizes have been recognised for work in a wide range of disciplines, including:

• science
• engineering
• arts and the creative industries
• education
• the humanities
• the environment
• 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.

Who were The Queen’s Anniversary Prize winners for 2022-2024?

A total of 22 Prizes were announced for the 15th Round of The Queen’s Anniversary Prizes. See the full list of Prize-winners in a special Gazette supplement below.

The Queen's Anniversary Prizes 2022-2024

Celebrate your award with a commemorative edition

If you have been awarded with The Queen’s Anniversary Prize, The Gazette is available to buy as a personalised commemorative edition. Each pack contains a complete edition of The Gazette from the day the honour was published.

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When were The Queen’s Anniversary Prizes created?

The creation of The Queen’s Anniversary Prizes was announced in 1993. Prizes in the first round were awarded in 1994 and there have been 15 biennial rounds since, with a total of 318 Prizes awarded since the start of the scheme.

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 40^th anniversary of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II’s accession in 1992 and in appreciation of her many years of service as Head of State.

How do you apply for The Queen’s Anniversary Prizes?

The Queen’s Anniversary Prizes scheme runs on a two-year cycle. The scheme is open to all UK colleges and universities that are recognised by the QAA (Quality Assurance Agency) as qualification-awarding institutions.

To compete for a Queen’s Anniversary Prize, institutions submit a short narrative description of an aspect of their work that they believe meets the criteria for the award of a Prize. Entries can be in any subject, field or discipline. It must be evidence-based and persuade reviewers that:

• it is of very high quality and an example of the best the UK can do in the particular field you have chosen
• it is innovative or ground-breaking – and distinct from comparable work elsewhere
• it brings specific benefits to your college or university, its educational activities, programmes and methods, and its standing
• it delivers identifiable and verifiable public, scientific, educational and other practical benefits 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.

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 more information on how to enter.

See also

Birthday and New Year Honours lists (1937 to 2024)

The King's Award for Voluntary Service

The King's Awards for Enterprise

Find out more

The Queen’s Anniversary Prizes

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The Queen’s Anniversary Prizes

The Gazette

Publication date

22 February 2024