Nicola Benedetti has a chuckle with the Queen

This is the first picture released today of Nicky receiving the Queen’s Medal for Music, 2016.

UPDATE: Nicky tweets: I am humbled & grateful for this honour, & will continue to fight for people’s access to the arts. The soul of this country needs nurturing.

She is the youngest person to receive the award, which is for contributing to the musical life of the nation.

There are her predecessors:

2006    Sir Bryn Terfel CBE

2007    Judith Weir CBE

2008    Kathryn Tickell OBE DL

2009    Sir Colin Davis CH CBE

2010    Dame Emma Kirkby DBE

2011    Nicholas Daniel

2012    National Youth Orchestra of Great Britain

2013    Sir Thomas Allen CBE

2014    Simon Halsey CBE

2015    Oliver Knussen CBE