Commander of the British Empire, or CBE, is one title below knighthood, which means he won't be "sir" Colin Firth - at least not yet.
Recipients of the title are selected by committees of civil servants from nominations made by the government and the public. Most of the honors go to those who are not in the limelight, but the title is awarded to a sprinkling of famous faces every now and then.
This year, 965 people will receive the CBE honor.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
