Cerys Matthews has received her OBE from Prince William at Windsor Castle, with the Welsh rock icon and BBC Radio 6 Music host honoured for her services to music at the same investiture ceremony as DJ Carl Cox on Tuesday 10 November.
Matthews, the former Catatonia frontwoman, was officially invested as an Officer of the Order of the British Empire at the ceremony in Berkshire, where Prince William presented honours to a string of well-known names from music, sport and public life. She dedicated the honour to her family and to female freedom, according to reports.
From Catatonia to Radio 6
Matthews first found fame in the 1990s as the lead singer of Catatonia, the Welsh band behind hits including “Mulder and Scully” and “Road Rage”. She later reinvented herself as a broadcaster, becoming one of the most distinctive voices on BBC Radio 6 Music, where she hosts a Sunday morning show celebrated for its eclectic mix of music, poetry and storytelling.
Her investiture stood as part of an exceptional day celebrating British music, with Cox also collecting his OBE for services to music and dance culture across more than four decades. The simultaneous recognition of Matthews and Cox was described by one report as a sign of how the British establishment now values cultural contribution.
A day of honours
Also honoured at Windsor on Tuesday were former marathon world record holder Paula Radcliffe, who received an OBE, and Lionesses boss Sarina Wiegman, who was awarded an honorary damehood. Youth volunteering champion Rhian Moore received an MBE. The Prince and Princess of Wales’ official Instagram account shared insights from the ceremony, showing William presenting the honours at the historic residence. For Matthews, who has spent three decades moving between rock stages and radio studios, the OBE is recognition of a career that has never stood still — and of a broadcaster whose Sunday morning show has become a fixture for listeners who value music with curiosity and warmth.
Matthews’s OBE sits alongside a career that has moved from chart-topping singles to radio presenting without ever losing the warmth that made her a star.
