London , England ( CNN ) -- He has played kings , princes , captains and professors on stage and screen , but now actor Patrick Stewart will have a new title all his own : `` Sir . '' The 69-year-old Yorkshire , England , native tops the list of those receiving New Year 's honors from Britain 's Queen Elizabeth II , the Cabinet Office announced Thursday . Stewart , well-known for playing Capt . Jean-Luc Picard on `` Star Trek : The Next Generation , '' will receive a knighthood . It means he will now be known in Britain as `` Sir Patrick . '' Others on the list include designers , restaurateurs and two famous names from Formula 1 racing . Ross Brawn , who started the Brawn GP Formula 1 team that won the constructors championship in 2009 , will receive an OBE , which stands for Officer of the Order of the British Empire . Brawn started his eponymous team this year after buying out the existing Honda team . Mercedes-Benz took over the team last month , announcing that Brawn would remain at the helm and that the team would be renamed Mercedes GP . Jenson Button , who won the 2009 Formula 1 drivers championship , will receive an MBE , or Member of the Order of the British Empire . He races with the Brawn-Mercedes team . The 2008 F1 champion , Lewis Hamilton , received an MBE last year . British designer Amanda Wakeley , whose designs grace models on the catwalk and celebrities on the red carpet , will receive an OBE . Two other British designers will receive MBEs . Cath Kidston is known for putting traditional floral prints on modern accessories , and Luella Bartley was hailed for mixing prim and punk before her label was forced to close last month . Also receiving an MBE are Rose Gray and Ruth Rogers , who together started the River Cafe in London , along the Thames . Their passion for Italian cuisine has led critics to call the restaurant one of the most influential in Britain , and the two have written several cookbooks together . A committee within the British Cabinet Office assembles the honors list , which is released twice a year -- at New Year 's and on the queen 's birthday in June . Queen Elizabeth awards the honors to recipients in ceremonies at Buckingham Palace . The awards recognize service and achievement in all fields and are considered a major honor for British citizens . Noncitizens may also be recognized . A knighthood is the highest honor . Men are made knights , after which they are called `` sirs , '' and women are made dames . Below that comes CBE , which stands for Commander of the Order of the British Empire . OBE and MBE follow respectively .
Patrick Stewart played Capt . Jean-Luc Picard on `` Star Trek : The Next Generation '' Queen Elizabeth II bestows knighthood on actor who 's played kings , princes , captains . Others on honors list include designers , restaurateurs , Formula 1 racing figures . Honors given twice a year -- at New Year 's and on queen 's birthday in June .