Gibraltar Medallion of Honour

The Gibraltar Medallion of Honour (GMH) is a civil award scheme established by the Government of the British overseas territory of Gibraltar. Its creation was announced in July 2008 by Chief Minister of Gibraltar, Peter Caruana.[1][2] It ranks below the Freedom of the City of Gibraltar.[2]

Gibraltar Medallion of Honour
LocationGibraltar City Hall
CountryGibraltar
Presented byMayor of Gibraltar
First awarded2008
Currently held bySee Recipients

Award

edit

The Gibraltar Medallion of Honour was created by a motion of the Gibraltar Parliament on the 18 July 2008 and is awarded annually by the Gibraltar Parliament on "living or deceased Gibraltarians and others who the Parliament considers have served and contributed to the interests of Gibraltar and its people in an exceptional manner that is particularly worthy of special recognition by the House on behalf of the people of Gibraltar".[3][2][4][5]

Once approved by Parliament, the awards are officially announced by the Mayor of Gibraltar prior to the symbolic release of the red and white balloons on Gibraltar National Day.[6] The Mayor then presents the recipients with the Medallions in a private ceremony held at a later date.[7]

In July 2011, the Gibraltar Parliament passed a motion allowing all Medallion recipients to use the post-nominal letters GMH after their name.[8][9]

Recipients

edit
 
Former Chief Minister of Gibraltar, Adolfo Canepa, recipient of the Gibraltar Medallion of Honour in 2009.
 
Miss World 2009, Kaiane Aldorino, recipient of the Gibraltar Medallion of Honour in 2011.

2008

edit

Upon the award's establishment, the Gibraltar Medallion of Honour was bestowed, posthumously, upon the following persons:[10]

2009

edit

The 2009 recipients of the Gibraltar Medallion of Honour were:[5][6]

2010

edit

The 2010 sole recipient of the Gibraltar Medallion of Honour was:[11]

2011

edit

The 2011 sole recipient of the Gibraltar Medallion of Honour was:[9]

2013

edit

The 2013 sole recipient of the Gibraltar Medallion of Honour was:[12]

  • Perry Stieglitz – for his work defending Gibraltar's rights from the Gibraltar office in Washington

2014

edit

The 2014 recipients of the Gibraltar Medallion of Honour were:[13]

The 2014 recipients of the Gibraltar Medallion of Distinction were:

2015

edit

The 2015 recipients of the Gibraltar Medallion of Honour were:[14]

  • James Levy CBE KC – for serving and contributing to the interests of Gibraltar and its people in an exceptional manner in particular for their services to the Community in the economic development of Gibraltar.
  • George Bassadone OBE – for serving and contributing to the interests of Gibraltar and its people in an exceptional manner in particular for their services to the Community in the economic development of Gibraltar.
  • John Bassadone OBE – for serving and contributing to the interests of Gibraltar and its people in an exceptional manner in particular for their services to the Community in the economic development of Gibraltar.
  • Felix Pizzarello CBE – for his service to the public service in various ranks of the judiciary.
  • Anthony Dudley – for his service to the Community in various ranks of the judiciary and marking his appointment as the first Gibraltarian Chief Justice.
  • Joe Garcia MBE – for his service to the Community in the fields of journalism and publishing.
  • Juan Carlos Perez – for his service to the Trade Union movement, politics, HM Government of Gibraltar and the development of telecommunications.

The 2015 recipients of the Gibraltar Medallion of Distinction were:

  • Joe Schembri – for service to the sporting community in particular the Commonwealth Games Association in Gibraltar.
  • Mark Randall – for his service to the Royal Gibraltar Regiment and in particular his contribution to the Royal Gibraltar Regiment Benevolent Fund and other charities.
  • Mark Miles – for the international promotion of Gibraltar through outstanding professional achievement in his service to His Holiness the Pope, Pope Francis.
  • James Felices – for services to the youth and in particular the Cheshire Homes in Morocco.
  • Humbert Hernandez – for the successful abolition of conscription and the establishment of the Action Group for the Abolition of Conscription as well as the recording of that period in the history of Gibraltar in his book on the subject, Conscript or Convict.
  • Alfred Cortes – for the successful abolition of conscription and the establishment of the Action Group for the Abolition of Conscription.
  • Henry Pinna – for the promotion of the rights of those seeking housing in through Action for Housing.
  • Tommy Finlayson MBE – for services in the recording of the history of Gibraltar.
  • Joe Gingell – for the recording of the history of the evacuation of Gibraltar and to local charities.
  • Juaquin Bensusan MBE – for services to the Gibraltar Museum.
  • George Palao BEM (deceased) – for services to the recording of the history of Gibraltar.
  • William Serfaty – for the promotion of the right to self-determination of the People of Gibraltar.
  • Joey Gabay (deceased) – for services in activism in defence of the rights of the political rights of the People of Gibraltar.
  • Joseph "Pepe" Romero – for services to education as the first Gibraltarian headmaster of Bayside School.
  • Mario Arroyo – for services to education and the arts.
  • Robert Balban BEM – for services to the youth of Gibraltar and to local charities.
  • Leslie Zammitt MBE (deceased) – for services to education and the performing arts.
  • Jenny Montegriffo – for services to education, latterly as Headmistress (now retired) of St Paul's School.
  • Henry Sacramento – for services to the community, in particular community policing, and the arts.
  • Mariola Summerfield MBE – for creating awareness of women's issues
  • Carmen Gomez for outstanding achievements in the performing arts.
  • Brian Callaghan OBE for services to tourism in the hotel industry.
  • Ernest Francis (Sr) – for services to tourism in the hotel industry.
  • James Bossino – for services to tourism in the hotel industry.
  • Georgina Cassar – for outstanding representation of Gibraltar in sport, in Rhythmic Gymnastics, as part of the United Kingdom Olympic Team in 2012.
  • Chris Walker – for services to Sport, in particular the Triathlon, and the outstanding representation of Gibraltar in international competitions including becoming World Champion in this sport.
  • Arturo Taylor – for services to sport, in particular shooting.
  • Joe Santos – for services to sport, in particular swimming and the coaching thereof.
  • Anthony Avellano – for services to sports journalism.
  • John Shepherd Snr – for services to sports journalism.
  • A B Massias – for his contribution to the economy of Gibraltar through property development.
  • Louis Peralta – for his contribution to the economy of Gibraltar through property development.
  • Lucio Randall – for his contribution to the development of telecommunications as managing director of Gibtel.
  • Charlie Fortunato – for his contribution to the development of telecommunications as managing director of Gibraltar Nynex Communications.
  • James Ferro MBE – for his services to the development of the Port in Gibraltar and the welfare of seamen.
  • Robert Goldwin MBE – for services to the Community in his role in the Public Services Commission.
  • Douglas Harrison – for his services to patients with kidney problems.
  • Salvador Perez – for services to the Royal Gibraltar Regiment Association as its chairman.
  • Rene Beguelin – for services to medicine and charities.
  • Olivier Wasnaire – for services to Gibraltar in the establishment and maintenance of a presence in Brussels.
  • Solomon Levy MBE ED JP FRICS – for services to Gibraltar in the promotion of intercommunity understanding amongst different religions and cultures.

2019

edit

The 2019 recipients of the Gibraltar Medallion of Honour were:[15]

  • Karel Mark Chichon – for excelling outside Gibraltar in his field of music as a conductor.
  • Elisa Sheriff- (posthumous) – for campaigning in London in the 1960s and standing for election to the House of Commons against then Foreign Secretary Michael Stewart to promote Gibraltar's cause.
  • Karen Prescott – for becoming the first Gibraltarian woman Judge.
  • Louis Triay QC – for services to Politics, the Law and Sailing.

The 2019 recipients of the Gibraltar Medallion of Distinction were:

For services to education

edit

For services to promoting Europe and education

edit

For promoting Gibraltar abroad

edit

For charitable work

edit

For services to health

edit

For services to our environment and quality of life

edit

For services to culture

edit

For services to tourism

edit

For public service

edit

For services to sport

edit

2021

edit

The 2021 recipients of the Gibraltar Medallion of Honour were:[16][17]

  • Sohail Bhatti – for public health services during the COVID-19 pandemic
  • Kenelm Creighton KBE CVO (posthumous) – for protecting Gibraltarians during their World War II evacuation.

The Roll of Honour

edit

A roll of Medallion recipients is kept: the Roll of Honour. Every year the historical roll is published. Besides the recipients of the Medallion, all recipients of the Freedom of the City are automatically entered into the roll.[2] They are the following:[10]

References

edit
  1. ^ Gibraltar Medallion of Honour
  2. ^ a b c d "Government proposes a scheme for Parliament to recognise and honour" (PDF). Government of Gibraltar. 15 July 2008. Retrieved 2 January 2010.
  3. ^ "Gibraltar Parliament Hansard 2008" (PDF). Gibraltar Parliament. Gibraltar Parliament. Retrieved 30 May 2024.
  4. ^ "Gibraltar Chronicle – Mayor's National Day message, 'We Are Gibraltar'". Archived from the original on 27 September 2011. Retrieved 2 January 2010.
  5. ^ a b "Gibraltar Medallion of Honour – 2009 Awards". Government of Gibraltar. 17 June 2009. Retrieved 2 January 2010.
  6. ^ a b "Gibraltar Chronicle – 'We Are Gibraltar'". Archived from the original on 27 September 2011. Retrieved 2 January 2010.
  7. ^ Gibraltar Chronicle – Gibraltar Honours Past and Present Citizens Archived 27 February 2012 at the Wayback Machine
  8. ^ "Gibraltar Parliament Hansard 2011" (PDF). Gibraltar Parliament. Gibraltar Parliament. Retrieved 30 May 2024.
  9. ^ a b "Kaiane Receives Rock's Top Accolades For Miss World Triumph". Gibraltar Chronicle. 8 July 2011. Archived from the original on 9 July 2011. Retrieved 15 July 2011.
  10. ^ a b "Gibraltar Medallion" (PDF). Government of Gibraltar. July 2008. Archived from the original (PDF) on 13 November 2009. Retrieved 2010-01-02.
  11. ^ Mascarenhas, Alice (9 September 2010). "Top Gib Award Honours Bernard Linares". Gibraltar Chronicle. Retrieved 12 October 2010.
  12. ^ "Gibraltar National Day 2013 SDGG Rally". Your Gibraltar TV. 11 September 2013. Retrieved 16 October 2023.
  13. ^ "Chief Minister to move motions to award 27 people". Gibraltar Broadcasting Corporation. 27 June 2014. Retrieved 16 October 2023.
  14. ^ "48 members of the community presented with Medallions of Honour and Distinction". Gibraltar Broadcasting Corporation. 9 September 2010. Retrieved 14 October 2023.
  15. ^ "Gibraltar Medallions – The Full List". Your Gibraltar TV. 17 August 2019. Retrieved 14 October 2023.
  16. ^ "Govt to mark Commodore Creighton's bravery with Medallion of Honour". Gibraltar Chronicle. 19 January 2021. Retrieved 14 October 2023.
  17. ^ "Parliament passes motion to bestow Medallion of Honour on outgoing Director of Public Health". Gibraltar Broadcasting Corporation. 30 July 2021. Retrieved 14 October 2023.