NASSAU, The Bahamas -- Minister of Foreign Affairs and Chairman of the National Honours Committee, the Hon. Fredrick Mitchell said in accordance with the provision of Section 5 of the National Honours Act 2016 and Regulations made thereunder, the Advisory Committee for National Honours invites nominations from the general public for award of Honours under the established Societies of Honour.
The nomination period runs from February 1 - March 31, 2025, Minister Mitchell said during a press conference held at the Ministry on Monday, January 27, 2025.
He listed the Societies of Honour as follows:
- The Order of National Hero
- The Order of The Nation
- The Order of The Bahamas
- The Order of Excellence
- The Order of Distinction
- The Order of Merit
- The Order of Lignum Vitae
The Minister said, “The Societies of Honour are listed in order of seniority, and persons or organizations making nominations may indicate the area of service to which they wish to nominate persons.”
He noted that The Order of Lignum Vitae is reserved for young persons under the age of 25.
Minister Mitchell said additionally, regulations made under the National Honours Act also provide for the award of medals as follows:
- Distinguished Service Medal - Citizens of The Bahamas in recognition of exceptional service in the public service or Civil Society or;
- Badges of Honour - persons in Civil Society who perform exceptional service to The Bahamas; and
- Medals for acts of Bravery undertaken in The Bahamas by any person.
He said, “It is important to note that persons recommended for awards must be Bahamian Citizens, and must have made a significant contribution to the building and uplifting of The Nation.
“However, these are a few Societies of Honours that are limited in scope to a specific category of persons. These include the Order of National Hero, The Order of The Nation and The Order of The Bahamas.
“The Order of Excellence is reserved for Foreign Dignitaries or friends of The Bahamas who are not Bahamians but have made a positive impact on the Nation. With the few exceptions highlighted, all other Societies of Honours are opened for nominations to all Bahamians who qualify.”
The Minister added that recommendations for persons of good standing who are deserving of awards for exceptional service, should be sourced from a wide section of society to ensure that no person is left behind.
Nomination forms are available and obtainable online via The Bahamas Government website at www.bahamas.gov.bs; the Cabinet Office, Trade Winds Building, Downtown, Nassau, Bahamas; Office of the Administrator in all Districts of the Family Islands and must be submitted to the National Honours Secretariat located in the Cabinet Office, no later than March 31, 2025 to enable the Committee to consider nominations and make recommendations for awards.
Forms should be completed in full and where possible, a passport size photograph of the nominees should accompany the nomination.
Minister Mitchell said, “In order to avoid any disappointment or misunderstanding, it is advisable that nominees should not be informed of a nomination on their behalf as the final decision for the conferment of awards rests with the Advisory Committee.”
He added, “Public announcements of approved awards will be made by the Governor General on July 10, 2025 in accordance with the requirements of the Act. Conferment of all awards will take place on the second Monday in October of this year.”
