Honorary awards
A number of honorary awards, one of higher education’s most significant accolades, are conferred at our graduation ceremonies each year.
Edge Hill’s honorary awards celebrate individuals who have roots in, or connections to, the region and have achieved at least one of the following:
- Made an exceptional and outstanding contribution to the development of the University over a prolonged period.
- Gained recognition for national or international excellence in an academic area relevant to the University.
- Made a significant contribution to the national cultural, academic, educational, professional or economic arena.
2026 honorary award nominees
This year’s honorary doctors have been chosen in line with the University’s mission and values – to inspire minds and shape a better future – and each one is a role model and source of inspiration for graduating students.
Gee founded the Anthony Walker Foundation following the racially motivated murder of her 18-year-old son, Anthony, in 2005. Rather than letting tragedy break her spirit, she chose to channel her grief into a powerful force for positive change and her pain into purpose.
Read more about Gee’s ceremony
Professor Barabash, a distinguished scholar with nearly 160 scientific publications to his name, is a Member of the National Academy of Legal Sciences of Ukraine and has served as Vice-Rector for Academic Affairs at Yaroslav Mudryi National Law University in Kharkiv since 2010.
Read more about Iurri’s graduation
Daniel Yuen and Edge Hill alumnus Kieran Riddell-Austin co-founded the Liverpool-based sportswear range in 2019.
The pair will receive Honorary Doctorates of Business Administration during the University’s summer graduation ceremonies, which will see about 4,000 students celebrate the completion of their degrees.
Following the loss of her husband Mark to suicide, Angela has dedicated her career to transforming conversations around mental health and suicide prevention. Her tireless advocacy has made her one of the UK’s leading voices on the subject, notably co-authoring the award-winning Zero Suicide Alliance training, which has now been accessed by over three million people worldwide.
Read more about Angela’s graduation
Born and raised in Liverpool, Max began his working life at Liverpool City Council in 1975, followed by 25 years at the Housing Corporation working in housing and regeneration.
In 2003, he became Chief Executive of Elevate East Lancashire, before going on to be Chief Executive of Liverpool Vision, where he led Liverpool’s award-winning participation in the World Expo Shanghai 2010.
Liverpool-born Bellew, achieved significant success during an 11-year professional career, including holding the WBC cruiserweight title from 2016 to 2017, with his professional record standing at 30 wins, 20 by knockout.
Read more about Tony’s graduation
Previous nominees
Below you can find some of the most recent recipients of our honorary awards, as well as a full list of honorary graduates throughout our history.
Chris Kirkland
- Honorary Doctor of Philosophy
- Recognised for his contributions to sport and mental health advocacy
Chris Kirkland is an English football coach and former professional goalkeeper. As a player, he made 321 league and cup appearances in an 18-year professional career from 1998 to 2016 and won one cap for the English national team in 2006.
He has been open and honest about his battle with a long-term addiction to painkillers and struggles with poor mental health. He helped to set up the “Make Talk Your Goal” campaign, helping young boys to be more open about their own struggles.
Clive Myrie
- Honorary Doctor of the Arts
- Recognised for his work his work bringing major news of recent history to the television screen.
Clive Myrie worked for 30 years as a BBC journalist. He has reported from close to 100 countries, covering some of the most important stories of our time including every US Presidential election since 1996.
He’s won among other accolades the Royal Television Society Award for TV Journalist of the Year and Presenter of the Year, a Peabody Award for his reporting of the Rohingya/Myanmar crisis, the David Bloom Award for coverage of Mexico’s deadly drug gangs, and he’s been nominated for two BAFTA Awards and two Emmys. A fan of classical music, he is now a regular presenter of the BBC Proms. As host of Mastermind, Clive continues to promote the value of knowledge to audiences across the UK.
Amy Truesdale MBE
Amy is a distinguished British para taekwondo athlete who has won multiple World and European titles; she was the first Briton to represent the sport at the Paralympic Games. As a trailblazer for inclusion and representation in martial arts, she has inspired countless others to follow in her footsteps
Nisha Katona MBE
- Honorary Doctor of Business Administration
- Recognised for her success as a restauranteur, food writer and broadcaster.
Nisha Katona opened her first Mowgli Street Food restaurant in 2014, serving contemporary Indian cuisine, and she now has 10 restaurants across the country, with her eleventh due to open in Bristol before the end of the year.
In 2018 Mowgli was listed in The Sunday Times Fast Track 100 Businesses, and the following year Nisha was appointed by the Cabinet Office as Ambassador for Diversity in Public Appointments and recognised with an MBE for services to the food industry.
Another central pillar of the business is Nisha’s dedication to charitable giving through The Mowgli Trust.
Professor Phil Scraton
“Whatever you choose to do, never ever be told you’re not worthy, never ever by told you’re not good enough or your chosen path isn’t for the likes of you.”
Professor Phil Scraton
- Honorary Doctor of Philosophy
- Recognised for his contribution to the campaign for justice for the victims and survivors of the Hillsborough Disaster.
For nearly three decades, Professor Phil Scraton, a founder member of the charity INQUEST, has worked alongside bereaved families and survivors of the 1989 Hillsborough Disaster. His initial research critiqued the Taylor inquiry, media coverage and police insensitivity, while his later work exposed the systematic review and alteration of police statements.
Phil headed the research of the Hillsborough Independent Panel and was the primary author of its 2012 report which led to the original inquest verdicts being quashed and new inquests established.
