College honours
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Honorary awards are conferred during the Royal College of Art’s convocation ceremonies to a select international group of outstanding people and are the highest recognition the College can bestow upon an individual.
Lubaina Himid CBE receives her Honorary Doctorate from Chancellor Sir Jony Ive at Convocation 2022
The conferral of these honours provides an opportunity for the College to acknowledge exceptional accomplishment. Such recognition is given to persons who have made an outstanding contribution to the achievement of the College’s mission, to scholarship or professional practice in one or more disciplines or professions of interest to the College, to the advancement of society in the UK or overseas or to the life and objectives of the University.
College Honours are approved by the Senate and the Council on the recommendation of the Honours Committee
Criteria
Honorary Doctor
Their work should be held in international esteem and they should have brought distinction to their chosen discipline, contributing to a specific field or society in general. There is a strong presumption that Honorary Doctorates will be conferred upon individuals whose life work is related to the academic disciplines and research programmes of the RCA.
Honorary Doctors do not need to have a prior link with the College but could be:
- Academics with an international reputation who have an existing or potential link with the College.
- National or international figures whose work serves to make a statement about the College’s mission and vision.
- Recognition of achievements which have not previously been recognised.
- Persons who bring distinction through association, future advocacy or support to the College.
- The RCA will ensure that honorary doctorates are awarded in accordance with its values and policies concerning equality, diversity, inclusion, and widening participation.
Honorary Fellowship
A number of the following criteria will be used when awarded honorary fellowships:
- distinguished associates of the College, they will have achieved distinction in their area of practice, academia or public life;
- Council members who have rendered exceptional service during their appointment;
- Departing Deans/ Heads of Programme who have rendered exceptional service but do not meet the criteria for Professor Emeritus (i.e. are not retiring);
- Supporters and champions of the College who have rendered exceptional service to the College.
Fellowship
Fellowships are awarded to employees of the College and the criteria are:
- Employees who have made an important contribution to the College in their area of work or expertise.
- Recognition of exceptional service to the College.
Exclusions
The College does not normally consider nominations for:
- Currently serving politicians (British or overseas) or from those who hold responsibility for Higher Education or research funding in the United Kingdom. Members of the House of Lords are not normally excluded as long as they are not holding formal government posts at the time.
- Individuals who are currently closely involved with the College such as in the role of Visiting or Research Professor.
- Members of Council, except where they have indicated their intention to step down.
- Members of College staff on the basis of their service to the College, but they may be considered on the basis of exceptional service at a regional, national or international level (applies to Honorary Doctorates/ Honorary Fellowships).
Honorands
Honorary doctors
2022
Archie Boston Jr
David Constantine MBE
Marc Newson CBE
Baroness Rebuck
2021
Robert Del Naja
Dame Magdalene Odundo DBE
2020
Sir Frank Bowling OBE RA
Asif Kapadia
Bridget Riley CH CBE
2019
Professor Sonja Boyce OBE
Irma Boom
Alison Britton OBE
2018
Dr Sue Black OBE
Siobhan Davies CBE
Peter Gabriel
2017
Tim Brown
J Mays
Frances Morris
2016
Margaret Calvert
Jacques Herzog and Pierre de Meuron
Hito Steyerl
Professor Jeremy Myerson
Lady Hamlyn
2015
Ridley Scott
Luc Tuymans
2014
Paola Antonelli
Alber Elbaz
Grayson Perry CBE
2013
Christopher Bailey
Eva Jiricná
Faith Ringgold
Cindy Sherman
2012
Thomas Demand
Thomas Heatherwick
Professor Tony Hunt
Kazuyo Sejima
2011
Dr Junichi Arai
Rineke Dijkstra
Bernard Tschumi
Jan van Toorn
2010
Rolf Fehlbaum
William Kentridge
Professor Simon Schama
Yinka Shonibare
2009
Tony Cragg
Professor Sir Christopher Frayling
Jonathan Ive
2008
Sir Jonathan Miller
Paula Rego
Dame Vivienne Westwood
2007
Tracey Emin
Brian Eno
Peter Schreyer
2006
Nick Park CBE
Ingo Maurer
2005
Jun Kaneko
2004
Zaha Hadid
Bill Viola
Marina Warner
2003
Laurie Anderson
Professor Stuart Hall
Jack Lenor Larsen
2002
Jean Nouvel
Sergio Pininfarina
James Turrell
2001
Eve Arnold
Manolo Blahnik
Professor Quentin Blake
2000
Gordon Baldwin
Jack Cardiff
James Dyson
Miuccia Prada
1999
Sir David Attenborough
David Mellor
1998
Sir Peter Blake
Dr William Brown
Ken Loach
1997
Rei Kawakubo
Ellsworth Kelly
Martin Scorsese
Hans Wegner
1996
Sir Terence Conran
Claes Oldenburg
Charlotte Perriand
1995
Ken Adam
Milton Glaser
1994
Sir Anthony Caro
Sir Michael Hopkins
Stanislav Libensky
Freddie Young
1993
Jack Lang
Roy Lichtenstein
Issey Miyake
1992
David Hockney
Sir Kenneth MacMillan
John Sculley
1991
Giorgio Armani
Lord Norman Foster
R B Kitaj
David Lynch
Dieter Rams
1990
Anni Albers
Roy Boulting
1989
Richard Avedon
Erte
Terry Gilliam
Jean Tinguely
1988
Sir Jeremy Isaacs
Saul Steinberg
Eva Zeisel
1987
Achille Castiglione
Susie Cooper
Umberto Eco
Patrick Heron
Michael Powell
1986
Sir Edward Hulton
Zandra Rhodes
Lord Rogers
1985
Kenneth Grange
Sir David Lean
1984
Giorgetto Giugiaro
Sir Ernst Gombrich
1983
Kaj Franck
André Kertész
1982
Roberto Burle-Marx
Michael Cardew
Elisabeth Frink
Karl Gunnar Pontus Hulten
Raymond Loewy
1981
Jean Muir
Antoni Tàpies
1980
Colin Chapman
1979
Milner Gray
Professor Sir Eduardo Paolozzi
James Stirling
1978
Robin Campbell
Joris Ivens
Roberto Matta
Lord Reilly
1977
Bill Brandt
André François
Sir Anthony Lousada
1976
Ernestine Carter
Kenneth Martin
Sir Robert Sainsbury
1975
Sir Hugh Casson
Jack Pritchard
William Scott
Sir John Summerson
1974
Magdalena Abakanowicz
H L Beales
Robert Goodden
Satyajit Ray
1973
Shoji Hamada
Berthold Lubetkin
Sir John Pope-Hennessey
1972
Bernard Leach
Sir Duncan Oppenheim
Lilian Somerville
1971
Sir Robin Darwin
Giacomo Manzu
Benedict Nicolson
Jean Renoir
Tapio Wirkkala
1970
Edward Bawden
Duncan Grant
Max Nicholson
John Osborne
Andrew Ritchie
Ettore Sottsass
1969
Kenneth Armitage
Rodrigo Moynihan
José de Azeredo Perdigão
Lucie Rie
Michael Scott
Joseph Svoboda
1968
Sir Misha Black
Sir Christopher Cockerell
Victor Pasmore
Gio Ponti
Berthold Wolpe
1967
Sir Colin Anderson
René Clair
Naum Gabo
Henry Moore
Alex Moulton
HRH The Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh
Lord Robbins
Timo Sarpaneva
Honorary Fellows
Honorary Fellows are either friends of the College, or retiring members of staff whose contributions have greatly benefited the College.
2022
Phil Harvey
Kai-Lu Hsiung
Caragh Merrick
Tom Van Oss
2021
Mark Esiri
Lady Ritblat OBE
2019
Professor Ricky Burdett CBE
Robert Careless
Bracken Darrell
Professor Paul Freemont
Dr Louise Kiesling
Dame Marjorie Scardino
2018
Dinah Casson
Judith Hall
Professor Hiroshi Kashiwagi
Ben Kelly
Stephen Rockman
Kinya Tagawa
2017
Andrew Bolton
Aaron Cezar
Dame Vivien Duffield DBE
Dr David Good
Dr Joanna Kennedy OBE
Paul Priestman
Vanessa Rolf
Cathy Turner
2016
Derek Boshier
Don Tae Lee
Guy Weston
2015
Simon Foxton
Sarah Griffin
Peter Longfellow
Colum Lowe
Sarah Miller
Rohan Silva
Aitor Throup
2014
Margaret Hickish
Robert Lane
Dr Victor Lo
Sarah Mower
Sue Osborn
Anne Toomey
2013
Dr Glenn Adamson
Nick Hedley
Karen Nicol
Professor Peter Siddell
Ralph Turner
Julie Verhoeven
Nelson Woo
2012
Reginne Debatty
David Gann
David Kester
Yanki Lee
Pam Martin
Theresa Sackler
Alan Tye
Philippa Watkins
2011
Dr Christopher Breward
Eileen Cooper
Grant Gibson
Lee Grandjean
Lord Jonathan Kestenbaum
Beverley Saunders
Alan Selby
Juliet Thorp
2010
Peter Allen
Janice Blackburn
Ben Evans
Okwui Enwezor
Garry Philpott
Professor Dale Russell
Antonella de Simone
Graça Tavares de Almeida
Alice Temperley
2009
Victoria Conran
Catherine Mitchell
George Kessler
Graham Lawson
Richard Rome
Malcolm Shirley
Bob Tipper
Martha Turinas-James
2008
Henrietta Goodden
Hugh Gordon
Colin Henry
Corinne Julius
Andrew Nahum
Gill Nock
Professor Christopher Orr
Gillian Plummer
2007
Sebastian Conran
Penny Egan
Bill Green
Lynda Relph-Knight
Carolyn Sargentson
Auriol Stevens
2006
Jane Dillon
Richard Doust
Kim Evans
Teresa Gleadowe
Dorothy Hogg
Alan Kitching
Sue Timney
2005
Dr Christopher Bridgett
Spencer Childs
Tim Molloy
Jan Murton
Mary Restieaux
Alison Richmond
Moria Tait
2004
Professor Bruce Brown
Miss Lilian Dodd
Ms Bobby Gill
Dr Roger Hibberd
Mr Hirofumi Kurino
Mr Roger Law
Mr Martin Layton
Ms Joanna Quinn
Dr Louise Taylor
2003
Christopher Bailey
Chris Beetles
Serenella Ciclitira
Dr Paul Ewing
John Hewitt
Barbara Rae
2002
Iwona Blazwick
David Ciclitira
Alan Crawford
Anthony Hendley
Diana Tammes
Nigel Wood
2001
David Bennington
Sheilagh Brown
Anne George
Michael Heindorff
James Hogan
Professor Rees Rawlings
2000
Cyril Frankel
Professor Paul Huxley
Mary Mullin
Professor James Park
Professor Penny Sparke
Martin Spink
Dr Paul Thompson
1999
Marjorie Althorpe-Guyton
David Constantine
Lord Evans
Lady Amabel Lindsay
Simon Relph
Dirk van Dooren
1998
Julian Harrison
Judith Nesbitt
Michael Perry
Frances Spalding
Anne Tyrrell
Guy Wrightson
John Murphy
1997
Peta Levi
Lady Lewinton
Gerald Margolis
Beatrix Miller
Tim Miller
Julia Peyton Jones
Anthony Powell
Floris van den Broecke
1996
Garth Clark
Inge Cordsen
Alf Dunn
Delfina Entrecanales
Professor Gillian Naylor
Professor John Norris Wood
John Steer
Susan Kasen Summer
1995
Patricia Belford
Wilfred Cass
Mary Farmer
Dennis Gatland
Donald Smith
Harry Streets
Alan Tilbury
1994
Adrian Berg
Félix S Brunau
Li Edelkoort
Laurence Gane
Monica Seymour
Yr jo Sotamaa
Richard Taylor
1993
Helen Auty
Manuel Costa Cabral
Mark Fisher
Tricia Guild
Norbert Lynton
James Roddis
David Shah
John Styles
1992
Zeev Aram
Jonathan Ashley Smith
Nigel Chapman
Alan Couldridge
David Dalziel
1991
Alan Borg
Kevin Coates
Tissa Ranasinghe
Barry Robinson
Charles Saumarez Smith
Julius Scholfield
1990
Fred Allen
John Bury
Dame Elizabeth Esteve-Coll
Joseph Ettedgui
Rodney Fitch
Lord Gavron
Eizi Hayashi
Eva Jiricna
Bruce Oldfield
1989
Joan Bakewell
John Chambers
Sir Philip Dowson
Michael Foreman
Harry Greenaway
Professor Betty Jackson
Fiona McCarthy
Peter Murray
Helen Robinson
John Stolworthy
Heathcote Williams
Rosemary Wilson
1988
Fred Daden
Janet Daley
Rodney Kinsman
Robert Minkin
William Packer
Naomi Sargant
Leonard Wingfield
1987
Basil Alkazzi
Brian Cooper
Sir Neil Cossons
Michael Frye
John Golding
1986
Derek Birdsall
Russell Brown
Sir Anthony Caro
Peter de Francia
Professor Frank Height
Peter Kardia
Audrey Levy
Alexander Reid
Su Rogers
1985
Douglas Coyne
Robert Heritage
John Miller
1984
Martin Hunt
Ray Leigh
John Lowe
David Mlinaric
John Read
Sir Norman Rosenthal
Brian Tattersfield
James Trimble
Alan Yentob
1983
Harry Denyer
Sam Herman
Vico Magistretti
1982
Denis Hayes
Alan Irvine
1981
Sir Peter Blake
David Gentleman
Jean Southwood
1980
John Barnicoat
Siri Blakstad
Peter Byrom
Bernard Myers
Cob Stenham
1979
Oliver Makower
Lady Bessborough
1978
Dominic deGrunne
Martin Hardingham
Stuart Hood
Leonard Rosoman
1977
Val Drumm
1975
Nicholas Frewing
1974
Ronald Carter
Robert Goodden
David Pye
1972
Robert Welch
1971
Dosia Verney
1968
John Drummond
Lawrence Lee
Keith New
1966
David Mellor
1962
HT Cadbury-Brown
Senior Fellows
Please note, the College stopped awarding the honour of Senior Fellows in 2016.
2016
Charles Allen-Jones
Professor Adrian Forty
Orla Kiely
Professor Tadanori Nagasawa
2015
Sir Neil Cossons
2014
Celia Birtwell CBE
Eric Hagman CBE
Sir Mark Jones
2013
Asif Kapadia
Robin Levien
2012
Sir Idris Pearce
Edmund de Waal
2011
Sheilagh Brown
Sandy Nairne
John Thackara
2010
Ken Garland
Colin McDowell
Matilda McQuaid
2009
Elsbeth Juda
Jan Svankmajer
Michael Wolff
2008
Tord Boontje
David Constantine
Julia Peyton-Jones
Oliver Stocken
2007
David Adjaye
Ian Hay Davison
Chris Smith
Deyan Sudjic
2006
Paola Antonelli
Brian Godbold
Mark Haworth-Booth
Wendy Ramshaw
Matthew Slotover
2005
Basil H Alkazzi
Charles Jencks
Richard Seymour
Professor Ann Sutton
2004
Thomas Heatherwick
David Hillman
Janet Ritterman
2003
Professor Peter Cook
John Drane
Sir Brian Fender
Tatjana Marsden
2002
Alice Rawsthorn
Philip Treacy
Daniel Weil
2001
Gavin Bocquet
Margaret Calvert
Gillian Crampton Smith
Paul Langford
Helen Robinson
2000
Norman Ackroyd
Professor David Hamilton
Bryan Robertson
1999
John Bellany
Lucienne Day
Suzy Menkes-Spanier
Joseph Studholme
1998
Graham Hughes
Rosamind Julius
1997
Sir Michael Butler
Nick Butler
David Liddle
Fiona MacCarthy
1996
Gillian Ayres
Martin Hunt
Anthony Jones
Vico Magistretti
Sir Nicholas Serota
1995
David Carter
Dame Elizabeth Esteve-Coll
Elizabeth Fritsch
Bryan Kneale
1994
Ron Carter
Angela Flowers
Lady Hamlyn
1993
Alberto Alessi
Patrick Caulfield
Sir Edmund Happold
Derek Jarman
Leslie Waddington
1992
Sir Eric Ash
Frank Guille
Professor John Hedgecoe
Bill Moggridge
Sir Alastair Pilkington
Lord Rothschild
Vivienne Westwood
Richard Williams
1991
Alan Davie
Robin Day
Sir Nicholas Goodison
Mary Quant
Sir Denis Rooke
David Sylvester
Robin Wade
1990
Terence Altham
Sir Alan Bowness
Carl Giles
Robert Hughes
Professor Phillip King
Lord Queensberry
Sir Jocelyn Stevens
1989
Alan Fletcher
Bob Godfrey
Paula Rego
Alexander Reid
Michael Rothenstein
Michael Samuelson
1988
Professor Quentin Blake
Joanne Brogden
Fleur Cowles
George Davies
John Halas
F H K Henrion
Sir Denis Mahon
1987
Lord Brooke
Len Deighton
Sir John Egan
Sir Hugh Ford
James Gardner
The Rt Hon The Earl of Gowrie
David Kindersley
Enid Marx
John Piper
1986
G B R Feilden
The Earl of Snowdon
Charles Suckling
Julian Trevelyan
Dame Margaret Weston
1985
Sir Roger de Grey
Muriel Pemberton
Sir David Piper
David Pye
Sir Ridley Scott
1984
HRH The Duke of Gloucester
Philip Popham
Carel Weight
1983
Lord Flowers
Sir Roy Strong
1982
Peter Byrom
1981
Robert Goodden
Professor Richard Guyatt
1980
Lady Margaret Casson
Sir Huw Wheldon
1979
Sir Hugh Casson
1978
Lord Esher
1976
John Crittall
Dosia Verney
1974
Lord Howard of Henderskelfe
1973
Sir Michael Cary
1972
Lord Reilly
1971
Sir Robin Darwin
Milner Gray
Stewart Mason
1970
Edgar Anstey
Lord Goodman
Barbara Hepworth
1969
Sir Michael Balcon
Hans P Juda
J R P Moon
1968
Lord Jackson of Burnley
Alfred Whitaker
1967
Sir Anthony Lousada
1966
Sir Philip Hendy
Sir Barnes Wallis
1965
Edward Le Bas
Sir Roland Penrose
1964
E M Forster
Lord Menuhin
1963
Sir William Coldstream
1962
Rt Hon The Viscount Eccles
Sir Herbert Read
1961
Lord Redcliffe-Maud
Sir Duncan Oppenheim
1960
Sir Gordon Russell
1959
Augustus John
1958
Arthur A Houghton, Jr
1956
Sir Colin Anderson
Sir Jacob Epstein
Hon Josiah Wedgwood
1955
HRH The Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh
1954
Lord Clark of Saltwood
1952
P H Jowett
Henry Moore
1950
Alvar Aalto
Stanley Morison
Sir Charles Tennyson
Fellows
Fellows are existing members of staff whose contributions have greatly benefited the College .
Mike Alexander
Professor Paul Anderson
Felicity Aylieff
Professor Naren Barfield
Emma Bayne
Jo-Anne Bichard
David Blamey
John Bound
Alison Britton
Jenny Brown
Mark Byrne
Daniel Charny
Sheila Clark
Padraig Coogan
David Crowley
Nadia Danhash
Kate Davis
Denise de Cordova
Dr Catherine Dormor
Margaret Durkan
Dr Chantal Faust
John Gallally
Rama Gheerawo
Professor Dale Harrow
Ian Higgins
Heather Holford
Peter Kennard
Teresa Kosmider
Dr Adrian Lahoud
Brigitte Lelievre
Dr Nick de Leon
Roger Lewis
Yve Lomax
Martina Margetts
Len Massey
Ed Matthews
Darlene Maxwell
Chris McGinley
Chris Mitchell
Pam McDonald
Karen Nicol
Tim Olden
Maria Ohlson
Lesley O’Reilly
Gary Parker
Maybelle Peters
Abid Qayum
Qona Rankin
Octavia Reeve
Michelle Richards
Professor Olivier Richon
Freddie Robins
Michael Rowe
Carolyn Runcie
Kay Sandford Beal
Corinne Smith
Dr Amanda Spencer
Lewin St Cyr
Stefan Stefanou
Professor Jo Stockham
Professor Hans Stofer
Tim Stroud
Professor Teal Triggs
Michael Turco
Dr Emma Wakelin
Dr Kevin Walker
Tim Webb
Tristan Webber
Jeff Willis
Hermione Wiltshire
Jon Wozencroft
Professor Victoria Walsh
Pauline Watkins
Alex Watt
Amanda White
Professor Emeritus
2021
Professor Jeremy Myerson
2018
David Rayson
2015
Clare Johnston
Martin Smith
2014
Wendy Dagworthy OBE
Andrzej Klimowski
2011
Nigel Coates
Alan Cummings
2010
Dan Fern
2009
Ron Arad
Sir Christopher Frayling
David Watkins
Glynn Williams
2008
Roger Coleman
2000
David Hamilton
1998
Paul Huxley
1994
John Hedgecoe
1990
Phillip King
1988
Bruce Archer
1986
Frank Height
1981
Richard Guyatt
1980
Bernard Meadows
