New York, NY (Top40 Charts) Sir Van, 69, a six-time Grammy Award winner whose best-known hits include Brown Eyed Girl and Have I Told You Lately That I Love You, heads a list of famous names in the Queen's Birthday Honours list. They include the newly-knighted Sir Lenny Henry, Kevin Spacey, who is made an honorary knight, and the actor Benedict Cumberbatch, who finally bested his award season rival Eddie Redmayne with a CBE to Redmayne's OBE.
Van Morrison, the Belfast-born singer-songwriter, has said he is "hugely honoured" after he was knighted for his unique contribution to music over the past half century.
"Throughout my career I have always preferred to let my music speak for me, and it is a huge honour to now have that body of work recognised in this way.
Sir Van Morrison has been compared to the poet WB Yeats: "I would like to take this opportunity to thank all the fans who have supported me on my musical journey."
Previously awarded the OBE, Sir Van appears in the honours list under his full name, George Ivan Morrison.
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