Her Majesty The Queen Consort honours Dani Stephenson with a Platinum Champion honour for The Platinum Jubilee

In honour of Her late Majesty Queen Elizabeth II and the great example she has set in her 70 years of service, The Royal Voluntary Service, headed by Her Majesty The Queen Consort unveiled the Platinum Champions Award, in celebration of the exceptional contributions of volunteers. Among these esteemed volunteers is entrepreneur and philanthropist Dani Stephenson.

The highly coveted award had thousands of contenders aged between 16 and 101, each hailing from across the United Kingdom. Only 490 of these esteemed nominees were handpicked on the 4th of June 2022 by a judging panel that included Ade Adepitan MBE, Gyles Brandreth, Elaine Page OBE, Felicity Kendal CBE, Julie Siddiqi MBE and Myleene Klass.

All the honorary individuals were awarded a uniquely designed Platinum Champion Jubilee pin and a signed certificate from Her Majesty The Queen Consort on behalf of Her Late Majesty The Queen Elizabeth II for her Platinum Jubilee. Dani Stephenson received the coveted Platinum Champions honour for his exceptional voluntary work that has spanned over 21 years.

Prince Ermias Sahle-Selassie Honours Dani Stephenson with The Order of the Star of Ethiopia

Washington, DC: የካቲት 28, 2015 / March 7, 2023 — British music entrepreneur Daniel (Dani) Stephenson was recognised on March 4, 2023, at a ceremony in Washington, DC, by the Crown Council of Ethiopia, for his voluntary work and his hand in creating a memorial to the Ethiopian patriot fighters and British and Commonwealth forces who created the first Allied victory of World War II.

Mr Stephenson was created a Knight Commander of the Ethiopian Crown’s Order of the Star of Honour (KCSE) for helping to create the memorial for the Victory of Gondar, the final battle which ended the five-year occupation of Ethiopia in November 1941 by invading Italian forces. This major victory of World War II had gone largely unrecognised, even though it was the first time Allied forces had taken back territory which had been seized by the Axis forces.

Mr Stephenson, who is President of the Straight Forward Music Group, worked with the Ethiopian Crown Council to create the memorial tablets, which will be placed in a key location in London and in the Ethiopian city of Gondar in 2023. He also began working with the Crown Council — the last surviving legal entity of the Imperial Government of Ethiopia — to support humanitarian efforts in support of the Ethiopian people.

His Imperial Highness Prince Ermias Sahle-Selassie Haile-Selassie, President of the Crown Council of Ethiopia, said, after investing Mr Stephenson with his knighthood, that he had contributed significantly to restoring the great ties of respect which were so dramatically demonstrated with the British and Commonwealth support for the liberation of Ethiopia in 1941.

The Victory of Gondar never received the attention it deserved, despite its strategic importance and high cost of human life, because it was so quickly followed by the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbour, which brought the US into World War II. But, Prince Ermias said, “We can never allow the great sacrifices by Ethiopian, British, and Commonwealth peoples to be forgotten. We need that comradeship to be restored today.”

Dani Stephenson awarded a prestigious peoples honour, the ‘British Citizen Award’ (BCAc)

Dani Stephenson has been awarded the prestigious peoples honour, the ‘British Citizen Award’ (BCAc) in recognition of his exceptional contribution to society within entertainment and philanthropy.

He was be honoured with the BCA medal at The Palace of Westminster during the nominal ceremony on 26th January 2023. His name will also appear on The British Citizen Award ‘Roll of Honour’.

Dani Stephenson awarded the prestigious Points Of Light honour by UK’s Prime Minister Boris Johnson

Dani Stephenson has spent the last 21 years volunteering to help people through various community and charity initiatives. Since the age of 16 years old he started volunteering at Tovil Quality of Life community house which was a community project set up by local Councillors in 1995 and run by his mother Amanda Stephenson and Susan Finnigan. He also collaborated with the Maidstone Village Hotel to raise money for Children In Need by putting on a concert for the local children. Dani is currently a mentor for The Prince’s Trust Foundation where he helps mentees get back into full-time work and education.

In 2015 Dani Stephenson formed Straight Forward Giving an initiative created to give back to communities through the power of Music, Education, TV and Film, volunteering his time, resources and money to help aid, inspire and educate the next generation of deprived communities worldwide.

On 8th February 2022, Dani was invited to 10 Downing Street and awarded the prestigious ‘Points Of Light’ honour by UK’s Prime Minister Boris Johnson for his continued contribution to communities nationwide, highlighting the voices of young artists from disadvantaged backgrounds. Straight Forward Giving helps to provide opportunities for the next generation of young people from deprived communities nationwide.

Patron of The Royal Versailles Ball

On 6th April 2022 The Royal Versailles Ball announced Dani Stephenson as Patron, a Guests of Honour and distinguished members of British society for the prestigious royal occasion. Dani stands alongside fellow Royal Patrons His Royal Highness Prince Michael of Kent, His Imperial Highness Prince Jean Napoleon, His Grace Duke of Kent, His Grace Duke of Fife, The Right Honourable Lord Winston and British composer Debbie Wiseman OBE.

The Royal Versailles Ball is in celebration of the anniversary for Queen Victoria's visit to the Palace of Versailles at the invitation of Emperor Napoleon III in 1855 and the Resultant Cobden Chevalier Treaty, deemed the first modern international trade agreement. It is being hosted with the support of both the British and French governments and will be attended by individuals from 46 different countries and 28 royal families.

Notably, it was be the first official Royal Ball since the French Revolution, the first British white tie Ball ever to be held in the Palace of Versailles and the first time that anyone will have reeled at the Palace of Versailles since 1855.