For only the second time since 1899, dozens of people have been awarded the Freedom of the City of London today. The ceremony saw 40 recipients from a broad spectrum of sectors honoured at the Mansion House for their outstanding contributions in their respective fields, rom the science, medicine, business, academia, education, and arts sectors.
The awards were given as part of the Lord Mayor’s ‘Connect to Prosper’ theme, which focuses on the City’s expertise in areas including finance, law, art, and engineering, and brings together experts from diverse backgrounds to work on critical global challenges, such as climate change and AI.
Some of the recipients include Professor of Warnings and Science Communication at UCL’s Department of Science & Technology Studies, Professor Carina Fearnley; historian, Professor David Edgerton; actress and director, Josette Bushell-Mingo OBE; Deputy Chief Executive Officer, JN Bank, and Deputy Chair of the Windrush Commemoration Committee, Paulette Simpson CBE; autism and race advocacy campaigner, Reena Anand; and restaurateur, Søren Jessen.
They were nominated for the City’s award by the Lord Mayor and elected City of London Corporation Member, Alderman Alastair King.
Speaking after the ceremony, Lord Mayor Professor Michael Mainelli said:
“These people are remarkable individuals who exemplify the City of London’s spirit of innovation and dedication, and have enriched the Square Mile’s diverse tapestry with their impressive achievements and contributions to public life.
“Today’s ceremony embodies the essence of connectivity that underscores my mayoral theme, ‘Connect to Prosper’, celebrating our many Knowledge Miles and showcasing the Square Mile’s ability to bring people together, across different areas of expertise, to find solutions to our planet’s biggest challenges.”
One of the City of London’s ancient traditions, the Freedom is believed to have begun in 1237 and enabled recipients to carry out their trade. As well as being nominated for, or applying for, the Freedom, it is also offered by the City of London Corporation to individuals as a way of paying tribute to their outstanding contribution to London or public life, or to celebrate a very significant achievement.
Recent high-profile recipients include theatre entrepreneurs, Dame Rosemary Squire and Sir Howard Panter; former Managing Director and Chief Privacy Officer at the London Stock Exchange, Vivienne Artz; and Professor Dame Sarah Gilbert, who initiated and led the development of the Oxford-AstraZeneca COVID vaccine.
Full list of recipients of Freedom awards:
| Name of Recipient | Field |
| Anna Landre | Computer Science & Disability Campaigning |
| Reena Anand | Autism & Race Advocacy |
| Julian Hoffmann Anton | Spatial Data Scientist & Data Visualisation Designer |
| Iona Bain | Personal Finance Education |
| Julie Baker | Banking & Climate |
| Dr Diana Beech | Advocacy & Higher Education |
| Maxine Benson MBE | Women in Business |
| Josette Bushell-Mingo OBE | Actress & Director |
| Lindsey Condron | Medicine |
| Clare Connor | Performing Arts & Education |
| Professor Frances Corner OBE | Art |
| Professor David Edgerton | History |
| Dr Comfort Ero | International Affairs |
| Professor Carina Fearnley | Science |
| Vanessa Fernandes | Entrepreneurship |
| Professor Enrique Gaztanaga | Space, Data & Academia |
| Karen Gill MBE | Women in Business |
| Professor Martin Graves | Medicine & Academia |
| Angela Greaves | Radio |
| Professor Jane Harrington | Academia |
| Ahamed Humzah | Business |
| Søren Jessen | Hospitality |
| Vanessa Kingori OBE | Media & Business |
| Peter Loftus | Engineering |
| Robert Lorenz | Medicine |
| Gillian MacLean MBE | Hospitality |
| Vivek Menon | Nature Conservation |
| Isobel Obeng-Dokyi | Entrepreneurship |
| Paraskevi Paxinos | Gender Inclusion in Business |
| Charles Peattie MBE | Cartoon |
| Dr Ole Peters | Economics |
| Paulette Simpson CBE | Media & Government |
| Professor Sir David Spiegelhalter OBE | Maths & Academia |
| Professor Lord Nicholas Stern | Activism, Economics & Humanities, |
| Professor Karen Steel | Genetics, Medicine & Academia |
| Russell Taylor MBE | Arts & Cartoon |
| Dr Yvonn Thompson CBE, DL | Activism & Media |
| David Tyler | Marine Technology |
| Professor Sally Wheeler OBE | Education |
| Professor Randall Whittaker | Education |