Pop star Annie Lennox has said she is"genuinely honoured" to receive an OBE for her work fighting Aids and poverty in Africa despite being "somewhat of a renegade".

The former Eurythmics singer heads a host of entertainment and sport stars recognised in the New Year Honours List, including Poirot actor David Suchet and Ryder Cup-winning golfer Graeme McDowell.

Gongs also go to football referee Howard Webb, who made up for England's disappointing World Cup performance by taking charge of the final in Johannesburg, and veteran actress Sheila Hancock.

Some of the honours for senior figures from the business world could prove controversial. There are knighthoods for Martin Broughton, chairman of British Airways, Roger Carr, chairman of energy giant Centrica, and Richard Lambert, the outgoing director-general of the CBI.

This year, Sir Roger, 64, who lives in Kensington, London, has presided over a huge increase in profits and a consumer price hike at Centrica-owned British Gas, and the hotly-disputed sale of Cadbury to US food giant Kraft.

Sir Martin, 63, who lives in Oxted, Surrey, had a busy 12 months dealing with strikes by BA cabin crew and massive disruption to flights caused by snow and the Icelandic volcanic ash cloud, as well as overseeing the sale of Liverpool Football Club.