UK hands New Year Honours to Graham King, Tessa Ross

Patrick Stewart earns a knighthood for his services to drama and Peter Jackson becomes a Knight Companion Of The New Zealand Order Of Merit.

King (pictured), the GK Films founder and London-born Oscar winning producer of The Departed, said when he was informed of the honour it was one of the proudest moments of his life.

In a statement King said, “This is also a wonderful moment for my family, colleagues and friends who sacrifice and support me every day to allow me to do the work I do. I could not do it without their love and friendship and am so thankful to them.

“I never imagined a lad from North London would be recognised in this way for following his dream. It is an honour beyond words and a great privilege that I hope will inspire others to continue to strive towards achieving their goals and believing that everything is possible.”

King moved to the US in 1982 and rapidly immersed himself in Hollywood. As president and CEO of Initial Entertainment Group he served as an executive producer on such films as Ali and Traffic.

In more recent years he cemented relationships within the upper echelons of the industry. His frequent work with Martin Scorsese (The Departed and The Aviator) led to the Oscar in 2007, and there have been regular collaborations with Leonardo DiCaprio and Johnny Depp.

In 2007 King and business partner Tim Headington founded GK Films, which recently launched a TV division, and went on to produce The Young Victoria, as well as upcoming releases like crime drama London Boulevard starring Colin Farrell and Keira Knightley, The Rum Diary with Depp, and Gore Verbinski’s Rango for Paramount. King produced the Mel Gibson thriller Edge Of Darkness, which opens in the US and UK on January 9.

Ross was an executive producer on Slumdog Millionaire and a driving force behind the film, which went on to become a critical and commercial smash and won eight Oscars in 2009.

She has played a key role in such films as The Lovely Bones, The Last King Of Scotland,The Motorcycle Diaries, and Nowhere Boy, serving as executive producer on each, as well as on Happy-Go-Lucky, In Bruges, Billy Elliot and the upcoming Eagle Of The Ninth.

Stewart, perhaps best known for his television role as Captain Jean-Luc Picard in Star Trek: The Next Generation, earned a large following for his big-screen portrayal of Charles Xavier in the X-Men franchise.

Jackson has been recognised in in New Zealand’s honours list. The New Zealander won the best picture, director and adapted screenplay Oscars in 2004 for The Lord Of The Rings: The Return Of The King.

He most recently directed The Lovely Bones, which is about to expand wide in North America through Paramount, and produced the 2009 sleeper hit District 9.

Upcoming films as director, producer or writer include The Hobbit and Tintin films. His credits include The Lord Of The Rings trilogy, King Kong, and Heavenly Creatures.