His Excellency the Governor-General, Sir Cornelius Smith ON GCMG, acting on there commendation of the Prime Minister, based on the advice of a blue-ribbon group comprising eminent historians, distinguished retired public servants, and leading figures in the media and cultural community, is pleased to announce for general information that the persons named below have been selected for the Special Golden Jubilee of Independence Award in recognition of their outstanding contributions to The Bahamas in various spheres of human endeavor encompassing both the pre-Independence and post-Independence periods of Bahamian history.

This Special Golden Jubilee Award is conceptually similar to the award made in 1998 on the SilverJubilee of Independence except that on this historic occasion, the Award has been expanded toinclude not only persons who are still living but also, in approximately equal number, personswho are to be honoured posthumously.

The Special Golden Jubilee Awards will be formally presented at a public ceremony later this yearat which time a special commemorative book containing brief biographies and photographs ofthe honourees will be published as well.

It is to be noted that the Special Golden Jubilee Award is distinct from the awards under theNational Honours system which will be the subject of a separate announcement on July 10th,2023.

- Mr. Cleophas Adderley Jr. – OBE (posthumously)
- Dame Anita Mildred Allen – DBE
- The Rt.. Hon. Paul L. Adderley – CB (posthumously)
- Mr. Rodney E. Bain – CMG (posthumously)
- Sir Baltron Bethel – KCMG, CMG
- Mrs. Marion Bethel-Sears
- Sir Michael Barnett – KT.
- Mr. Edward Clement Bethel (posthumously)
- His Excellency Eldred Edison Bethel (posthumously)
- Dr. Keva Bethel – CMG (posthumously)
- The Rt. Hon. Dame Janet Gwennett Bostwick – CB, DBE
- Dr. Cornville Brown - CD
- Rev. Dr. H.W. Brown (posthumously)
- Mr. Jackson Burnside III (posthumously)
- The Rt. Excellent Sir Milo Boughton Butler- NH, ON, GCMG, KT,GCVO (posthumously)
- Mr. Ronnie Butler – MBE (posthumously)
- Rev. Kenris Carey - OBE
- Sir Edward Charles Carter – KCMG (posthumously)
- Mrs. Eileen Dupuch Carron – CD, CMG
- The Most Hon. Sir Gerald Cash – ON, GCMG, KT, GCOV, KCVO, OBE (posthumously)
- Mr. Jasrado Prince Hermis Arrington Chisholm Jr.
- The Rt. Hon. Perry Gladstone Christie
- Mr. Winston Cooper (posthumously)
- Dr. Desiree Cox
- Mrs. Sheila M. Culmer
- The Most Hon. Sir Clifford Darling – ON, KT,GCVO, (posthumously)
- The Most Hon. Dame Ivy Dumont - ON, GCMG
- Sir Alfred Etienne Jerome Dupuch – KT, OBE (posthumously)
- Rt. Reverend Michael Hartley Eldon – CMG (posthumously)
- His Grace Bishop Neil C. Ellis - CMG
- The Rt. Excellent Sir Randol Francis Fawkes – NH, KT (posthumously)
- The Most Hon. Sir Arthur Foulkes – ON, GCMG, KCMG
- The Hon. Carlton E. Francis – CB (posthumously)
- Mr. Percy Francis – MBE
- Mr. Stephen Gardiner
- Mr. Edward Gerald Patrick St. George - (posthumously)
- The Rt. Hon. Timothy Gibson –CB, MBE(posthumously)
- His Grace the Most Reverend Drexel Gomez – CMG
- Mr. Peter John Goulandris – CBE
- Captain Betram Rolly Gray – OM, MB (posthumously)
- Sir Burton P.C. Hall - KT
- The Most Hon. Arthur D. Hanna – ON (posthumously)
- Sir Frederick Asa Hazelwood – KCMG
- The Rt. Hon. Hubert Alexander Ingraham
- Mrs. Mary Ingraham (posthumously)
- The Rt. Hon. Sir Kendal G.L. Isaacs – CB, KCMG, CBE (posthumously)
- His Excellency Wendall K. Jones
- The Hon. Dame Doris Johnson – OB, DBE (posthumously)
- Sir Geoffrey Adams D. Johnstone – KCMG (posthumously)
- Mrs. Nikki Kelly
- The Rt. Hon. Sir Durward Knowles - CB, KT, OBE (posthumously)
- Mr. Richard Brent Malone - MBE (posthumously)
- The Rt. Hon. Sir Clement T. Maynard – CB, KT (posthumously)
- Mrs. Margaret McDonald – CBE, CVO (posthumously)
- Mrs. Patricia Glinton-Meicholas – OM
- Mr. Eddie Minnis
- Ms. Mary Moseley - (posthumously)
- Captain Fernley Palmer – MBE
- Dr. Sandra Dean-Patterson – OD
- His Grace the Most Reverend Patrick Pinder – CMG
- The Hon. Cynthia Pratt - CD
- Monsignor Preston Moss – OM, CMG (posthumously)
- Dr. Myles Egbert Munroe – MB, OBE (posthumously)
- The Hon. Dr. Bernard Nottage – DM (posthumously)
- The Rt. Excellent Sir Lynden O. Pindling – NH, ON, KCMG, (posthumously)
- The Most Hon. Dame Marguerite Pindling – ON, DCMG,
- Sir Sidney Poitier – KBE (posthumously)
- Pastor Hugh Roach – OBE (posthumously)
- Dr. Robin Roberts – OBE
- Mrs. Sue Roberts - MBE
- Mr. Thomas A. Robinson – MBE (posthumously)
- Mr. Andre Rodgers – CM (posthumously)
- Dr. Nicola Virgill-Rolle
- Mr. Robert Sands – DM
- Rev. Dr. Charles W. Saunders – CBE(posthumously)
- Dame Joan Sawyer – MB, DBE
- The Rt. Hon. Dr. Gail Saunders –CB, OBE, DM (posthumously)
- The Hon. George Smith – CB (posthumously)
- Mr. James H. Smith, CBE
- Mr. Joseph Spence (posthumously)
- Mr. Cyril Stevenson (posthumously)
- The Hon. Justice Mr. Joseph Strachan (Retired) - MB, CMG
- The Rt. Excellent Sir Roland Symonette – NH, KT, (posthumously)
- Rev. Edwin Taylor – CBE (posthumously)
- The Most Hon. Sir Henry Taylor – ON, KT (posthumously)
- Mr. Maxwell Taylor – MBE
- Bishop Brice Thompson – CBE
- The Hon. Justice Jeannie Thompson - OB
- The Hon. Jeffrey Thompson – CMG (posthumously)
- Mr. Michael Thompson – OM
- Mrs. Pauline Davis-Thompson – CM, OBE
- Archdeacon William Thompson – OBE (posthumously)
- Bishop William Thompson – CMG
- Mrs. Loretta Butler-Turner
- The Most Hon. Sir Orville Turnquest - ON, GCMG, QC
- Mrs. Shaunae Miller-Uibo -OLV
- Dr. C.R. Walker (posthumously)
- The Rt. Excellent Sir Cecil Wallace-Whitfield – NH, KT (posthumously)
- Mr. Bert Williams - (posthumously)
- Mrs. Beverley Wallace-Whitfield – MVO, Governor- General's Gold Award
- Sir Franklyn R. Wilson – KCMG