DUP MP Gregor Campbell has been made a CBE in the UK Easter honours.
The East Derry representative is among a Tory donor and three other MPs to have been awarded on the recommendation of British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak.
The DUP stalwart was named a Commander of the British Empire (CBE) in a list that included British filmmaker Christopher Nolan and his wife and producer Emma Thomas, who are to receive a knighthood and damehood for their services to film.
Their recognition comes after their biopic Oppenheimer - which features Oscar-winning Cork actor Cillian Murphy - swept the 2024 awards season.
Mr Campbell has been the MP for his constituency since 2001, and has also served as an MLA.
He recently backed party leader Sir Jeffrey Donaldson when the DUP returned to Stormont.
The DUP spokesperson for International Development was recognised “for public and Parliamentary service”.
Earlier this month, London-born filmmaker Nolan won his first Oscar for directing the movie about the “father of the atomic bomb”, which starred Irish actor Cillian Murphy in the titular role.
He had previously been nominated for six Academy Awards for examining important questions throughout his body of work but had never won an Oscar for directing until this year’s ceremony.
Nolan and Thomas have collaborated on all of his major feature films including The Dark Knight trilogy, 2010′s Inception, 2014′s Interstellar, 2017′s Dunkirk and 2020′s Tenet.
Born in London to a British father and American mother, Nolan read English at University College London (UCL), choosing the school because of its filmmaking facilities.
Businessman Mohamed Mansour, who gave £5m to the Tories in 2023 and is a senior treasurer at the party, was knighted for business, charity and political service.
Labour Party chairwoman Anneliese Dodds hit out at the Prime Minister for recommending the honour.
She said: “This is either the arrogant act of an entitled man who’s stopped caring what the public thinks, or the demob-happy self-indulgence of someone who doesn’t expect to be Prime Minister much longer.
“Either way, it shows a blatant disrespect for the office he should feel privileged to hold.”
Senior No 10 sources pointed to Sir Mohamed’s charitable work and record of public service, including support for The Prince’s Foundation - now The King’s Foundation - and a major contributor to St Paul’s Cathedral’s Remember Me project, which raised money for a physical memorial to those who died of Covid-19 in the UK.
The timing of the announcement, while Parliament is in recess and on the eve of the Easter bank holiday weekend, has also raised eyebrows - although sources said the timing of the honours was linked to the need to make appointments to the Privy Council, including the new First Minister of Wales Vaughan Gething.
Other recipients of honours include Philip Davies - whose wife is the Government’s “common sense” minister Esther McVey - who has been knighted for public and parliamentary service.
Former sports minister Tracey Crouch, who led a review of football governance in the wake of proposals for a breakaway European Super League, has been given a damehood for public and parliamentary service.
Farming minister Mark Spencer has also been given a knighthood, while Treasury Select Committee chairwoman Harriett Baldwin becomes a dame.