Shirley Bassey and Michael Eavis among music legends awarded top honours

Dame Shirley Bassey, Glastonbury co-founder Michael Eavis, and Gladiator and Napoleon director Sir Ridley Scott are among stars from the entertainment world to get gongs in the New Year Honours list.

Best-selling author Jilly Cooper becomes a Dame, fellow novelists Kate Mosse and Alexander McCall Smith are made a CBE and knighted respectively, while singer Leona Lewis receives an OBE.

Dame Shirley, 86, who has recorded three James Bond songs and has sold more than 135 million records, said she was “truly humbled” to be made Companion of Honour for her services to music.

She becomes the 64th living member of the order – which can only have 65 members at any one time.

“My heart is full of emotion and I am truly humbled,” she said.

Mr Eavis, who hosted his first Glastonbury Festival in 1970 at Worthy Farm in Somerset, said he was “really surprised” when his daughter Emily came with the official letter announcing his knighthood for services to music and charity.

“It took 25 years for the public to catch on. We started with 500 people in 1970 and we’ve finished up with millions wanting to come every year now,” he told Glastonbury’s official website.

The festival organiser, who is made a Knight Bachelor, revealed he had met King Charles previously when he got a suit especially for the occasion.

“And he said, “Why aren’t you wearing your shorts?” But I think William might do the ceremony. He’s made a few mentions of wanting to come to the Festival. So I’ll probably take a couple of tickets in my pocket.”

Ms Cooper, who has sold 11 million books in the UK alone, with Rishi Sunak among the fans of her racy novels, said she was “absolutely and incredibly bowled over” by her damehood.

“I cannot believe I am a DBE, which in my case also stands for Delighted, Bewildered and Ecstatic.”

Director and producer Sir Ridley, whose films include Napoleon and Alien, is made a Knight Grand Cross, upgrading his previous knighthood.

Sir Justin Welby, the Archbishop of Canterbury, is made a Knight Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian Order (RVO) for his personal service to the Crown during the coronation of King Charles at Westminster Abbey in May.

The honour is given at the discretion of the Sovereign and not on the advice of the Prime Minister.

Great British Bake Off star and chef Paul Hollywood is made an MBE, while Roald Dahl’s widow Felicity Dahl, said she was “amazed and grateful” to be made a dame for services to philanthropy, literature and young people.

Mosse, founder director of the Women’s Prize for Fiction, said of her CBE: “It does feel that although obviously this is for me, it’s very much an acknowledgement of the importance of the Women’s Prize, and that it matters that women support other women.”

Sir Alexander McCall Smith, who was knighted for services to literature, academia and charity, said he felt “very touched”.

His series of novels The No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency have sold more than 20 million copies in English.

Game Of Thrones star Emilia Clarke, who suffered a life-threatening stroke during her height of fame on the fantasy series, has been made an MBE, alongside her mother Jenny, as co-founders of SameYou, a brain injury recovery charity.

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She suffered two brain aneurysms over three years and described the honour as “remarkable”, adding that it was “life-enhancing and magical” to see her mother – who has also needed surgery to remove a brain aneurysm – being recognised.

Oliver Ford Davies, who also starred in the hit HBO show, said he was “honoured” by his OBE.

Veteran radio DJ Tony Blackburn described his OBE as “the icing on a very lovely cake” while fellow disc jockey Steve Wright and broadcaster James Whale get MBEs.

Oscar-winning actor James Martin, the first person with Down syndrome to win an Academy Award, for the short film An Irish Goodbye, said he “cried his eyes out” after learning he was to be made an MBE.