New gongs are a big hit for Emeli and Ed

SCOTS singer-songwriter Emeli Sande has been honoured with an MBE.

The 30-year-old Brit Award winner, from Alford, Aberdeenshire, wrote her first song aged 11 and went on to win two Ivor Novello Awards for her huge hit Next To Me.

She has carried out charitable work to help those suffering from cancer and HIV and Aids. Emeli, far right, was also part of the 2014 Do They Know It’s Christmas recording to raise funds for the Ebola crisis in west Africa.

Fellow pop star Ed Sheeran, right, is honoured with an MBE for services to music.

The double-Grammy winner, 26, had a “trial run” for receiving a gong when Princess Beatrice accidentally slashed his face with a sword as she pretended to “knight” singer James Blunt at a fancy dress party last year.

In 2015, his album X won a Brit Award and his single Thinking Out Loud earned him two Grammy Awards.

He will celebrate his new honour next weekend by headlining at the Glastonbury festival.