Malta's 2025 Republic Day honours list: Who are the recipients?

A scientist who worked with NASA, a music conductor and Dar Tal-Providenza are among the 20 or so people and organisations to receive honours on Republic Day.

Eleven people were appointed to the National Order of Merit during the Republic Day Award Ceremony on Saturday. 

Two of them - former civil service chief and Heritage Malta chair Mario Cutajar and military historian Stephen C. Spiteri - were made Officers of the National Order of Merit. Others were appointed Members or Honorary Members.

A further 11 recipients, which include 10 people and Dar Tal- Providenza, received the Midalja għall-Qadi tar-Repubblika.

President Myriam Spiteri Debono awarded the recipients of Malta’s highest honour at a ceremony held at the Presidential Palace in Valletta.

Every Republic Day, the honours are presented to the people or organisations that “distinguish themselves in different fields of endeavour”.  There are four grades of the Order of Merit, the republic’s highest form of recognition.

For the second consecutive year, there were no recipients of the National Order of Merit's two highest ranks, Companion of Honour and Companion.

Similarly, there were no awardees for the Xirka Gieħ ir-Repubblika or Midalja ghal Qlubija, two other civilian honours. Instead, there were nine awards for the Midalja għall-Qadi tar-Repubblika and two for the Distinguished Service Medal. 

Appointments are made following proposals by the Nominations Committee set up in accordance with the Ġieħ ir-Repubblika Act, and on the advice of the Prime Minister to the President.

Republic Day honours list 2025

Officer of the National Order of Merit

Mario Cutajar

Mario Cutajar is Chairman of Heritage Malta and director of MUŻA, the national museum of community art. He is also the founder and president of the Malta Biennale.

Between 1988 and 2001, Cutajar was elected to various posts within the General Workers’ Union, including secretary of the Public Services Section and deputy general secretary.

Under his leadership, the Public Services Section became the largest within the union and negotiated more than 50 sectoral agreements during the public service restructuring exercise.

He served as head of the public service and secretary to the Cabinet between 2013 and 2022. During his tenure, he was responsible for major reforms, including the streamlining of administrative processes and the digitalisation of government services.

Stephen C. Spiteri

Stephen C. Spiteri is one of Malta’s foremost military historians and a leading authority on the island’s fortifications.

His work focuses on the strategic role of Malta’s military architecture, especially the defences built by the Knights Hospitaller. He served as Superintendent of Fortifications for 10 years, playing a key role in protecting and restoring historic military sites.

Before retiring in 2024, he spent over a decade as Research Coordinator at the Restoration Directorate, contributing to heritage preservation projects across the island.

Spiteri also lectured part-time at the University of Malta’s International Institute for Baroque Studies and is a prolific author.

Member of the National Order of Merit

Professor Joseph Borg

Professor Joseph Borg is a leading Maltese scientist whose pioneering work has placed Malta at the forefront of biomedical and space bioscience research.

A professor of genetics and experimental haematology at the University of Malta, he has made major contributions to the study of hereditary blood disorders, identifying DNA mutations and molecular mechanisms with potential therapeutic value.

He is the founder and principal investigator of the Maleth programme, Malta’s first space bioscience initiative. Under his leadership, the country has carried out three life science missions aboard the International Space Station each a national first.

His work has connected Malta to major international space agencies, including NASA, ESA, JAXA and SpaceX, helping position the country as a partner in global scientific research.

Dr Louis Buhagiar

Louis Buhagiar is a medical specialist best known for helping establish Malta’s dialysis programme and for organising the country’s first kidney transplant in 1983. 

He is also the founder and director of St Thomas Hospital. 

After training in several London hospitals, he established the Renal Unit at St Luke’s Hospital in 1982, offering life-saving dialysis treatment to patients with advanced kidney disease.

The service later expanded to Mater Dei Hospital and remains a critical part of Malta’s healthcare system. Buhagiar also trained generations of doctors as a senior lecturer at the University of Malta. 

Buhagiar was a Labour MP between 1992 and 2003 and briefly served as Parliamentary Secretary for the Elderly.

Victor Fenech

Victor Fenech is a prominent poet, writer and translator who has made a lasting contribution to Maltese literature.

Fenech is a founding member of the Moviment Qawmien Letterarju in the 1960s. He played a key role in revitalising literary culture and nurturing a new generation of writers.

His work spans poetry, novels and critical studies of Maltese poets and visual artists. He is widely credited with introducing innovative forms to Maltese literature, particularly the prose-poem, through his 1979 collection F’Altamira.

His 2014 book Malta Poema Viżiva is a notable example of visual poetry, blending text and image to explore Malta’s historical landscape.

Dr Lawrence Scerri

Lawrence Scerri has played a leading role in the development and modernisation of dermatology in Malta.

He served as clinical chairman of the Department of Dermatology and Venereology for 21 years, working to expand the specialty and improve patient care nationwide.

A founding member of the Euromelanoma Task Force, he is widely recognised for raising awareness about skin cancer.

He currently serves as president of the Maltese Association of Dermatology and Venereology, which promotes high standards in the treatment of skin conditions and sexually transmitted infections.

Scerri is also committed to medical education. He is a senior lecturer and postgraduate training coordinator at the University of Malta.

Dr Charles Swain

Charles Swain is a pioneering surgeon who helped advance plastic and reconstructive surgery in Malta.

In 1989, he established the Burns Unit at St Luke’s Hospital, offering specialised care for burn victims and patients needing reconstructive procedures.

He went on to set up the Breast Care Unit in 2000, a multidisciplinary team supporting breast cancer patients. The unit’s approach has helped reduce breast cancer mortality in Malta to levels comparable with the best in Europe.

Swain also played a key role in medical education, lecturing and examining in surgery at the University of Malta. His efforts were central to establishing plastic surgery as a recognised specialty in Malta.

Prof. Alfred J.Vella

Alfred J. Vella has served as rector of the University of Malta since 2016, following a long academic career that began at Junior College in 1971 and moved to the University from 1987.

He introduced environmental chemistry as a new field and held key roles, including head of the Chemistry Department, dean of the Faculty of Science and pro-rector for academic affairs between 2006 and 2016.

He launched quality assurance processes, promoted research, and set up the Doctoral School. Vella’s research has focused on environmental contaminants such as tributyltin, nitrates, black dust, benzene, heavy metals and perchlorate.

He trained hundreds of students now working across scientific, regulatory and industrial fields. A forensic science expert, he provided analysis and testimony in cases involving fires, explosions and chemical accidents for over 30 years.

Dr Theresa Zammti Lupi

Theresa Zammit Lupi is an internationally recognised book and paper conservator. 

She studied at the University of Malta, trained in Florence and London, and earned her PhD in 2008. In 2017, she was a Fellow at Harvard University.

Her international experience spans the UK, Italy, Egypt and Ethiopia. In 2021, she became Head of Conservation at Graz University Library, Austria.

She previously worked at Heritage Malta and led the conservation of Malta’s National Registers Archive under the ERDF project.

In 2023, she discovered the world’s oldest known codex-like manuscript, an Egyptian papyrus from the third century BC. For this achievement, she received the Medal of Honour for Science, Research and Art from Styria, Austria. 

Honorary Member of the National Order of Merit

Emanuele Grimaldi

Emanuele Grimaldi is a shipping mogul whose Grimaldi Group has helped shape Malta’s shipping sector.

Grimaldi Group began expanding its Euro-Med services in the 1970s and launched Malta Motorways of the Sea (MMOS) in 2005. This ensured links between Malta and Italian ports, giving access to over 130 global destinations.

He supported maritime education in Malta, helping upgrade the MCAST Maritime Institute’s simulator. Over 100 Maltese cadets have trained aboard Grimaldi vessels.

He is a former Chairman of the International Chamber of Shipping. Grimaldi remains MMOS President and continues promoting Malta as a strategic hub. 

Fabio Gualandris

Dr Fabio Gualandris is president of STMicroelectronics Malta and has led the company’s major expansion on the island.

Under his direction, it became one of Malta’s largest foreign direct investments, significantly strengthening the country’s semiconductor industry. This sector contributes over €1.2 billion annually in exports and supports thousands of technology-focused jobs.

Gualandris continues to play a central role in positioning Malta as a regional centre for advanced manufacturing and microelectronics.

Midalja għall-Qadi tar-Repubblika

Maestro Joe Brown

Maestro Joe Brown is a veteran conductor and arranger whose career spans over 40 years in Malta’s cultural scene.

He has directed music for more than 300 concerts and 600 television programmes, both locally and abroad, including performances in the UK and Australia.

Brown is known for bridging classical and popular genres, with national shows such as Music from the Movies, Notte Italiana, and Noche Latina.

Currently Associate Conductor of the Malta Concert Orchestra, he continues to shape some of the country’s most attended performances.

Felix Busuttil

Felix Busuttil is a dancer, choreographer and artistic director whose work transformed Malta’s dance scene.

He trained in Malta and the UK and performed internationally before founding The YADA Dance Company in 1984.

His work helped professionalise dance in Malta and gave opportunities to local performers, with YADA performing in 29 countries across four continents. In 1989, he co-founded The College of Dance with Justin Barker.

Busuttil directed dance for the 2005 CHOGM Opening Ceremony and contributed to CHOGM 2015. He earned an MA in Dance Studies from the University of Malta and was awarded the Italian Eccellenza della Danza in 2017. 

Tony Camilleri

Tony Camilleri, known as l-Għannej, is one of the foremost voices in Maltese folk music. 

From an early age, he committed himself to preserving and performing għana. Known for his improvisation and storytelling, Camilleri helped modernise and popularise għana while remaining true to its roots.

He gave countless performances on stage, radio and television in Malta and in communities abroad including Australia, the US, the UK and Canada. He also represented Malta in countries such as Algeria, Libya, Moscow and the Czech Republic.

He has inspired a new generation of folk singers and contributed significantly to the global appreciation of Maltese folk culture.

Profs Alexander E.Felice (awarded posthumously)

Professor Alexander E. Felice was a pioneering geneticist whose work advanced international research into rare diseases, particularly thalassaemia.

He founded the Laboratory of Molecular Genetics at the University of Malta and helped establish the Malta Biobank, which holds DNA from 30,000 individuals and over 11,000 clinical samples. This biobank remains central to personalised medicine and population studies in Malta.

Among his scientific achievements is the discovery of the KLF1 gene, essential to red blood cell development.

Felice played a leading role in EU research networks such as BBMRI-ERIC and EUROBIO-BANK, promoting cooperation across Europe in biobanking and molecular medicine.

Felice was nominated for the award prior to his death last month.

Dr Edwin Lanfranco(Awarded posthumously) 

Edwin Lanfranco was a leading botanist and passionate educator.

After earning his degree from the University of London, he began teaching in Malta and joined the University of Malta as a full-time lecturer in 1988.

His research covered endemic, native and alien plant species and the ecology of Mediterranean island habitats. Lanfranco's work was instrumental in identifying Malta’s protected flora and conservation areas.

Over decades of teaching, writing and fieldwork, he inspired generations of students and environmentalists. His contributions helped shape Malta’s natural heritage protection. 

Lanfranco died in June aged 78.

Fabio Spiteri

Fabio Spiteri is a leading ultra-endurance athlete and coach who has represented Malta in triathlon, duathlon, cycling and running for over 30 years.

A multiple-time national champion, he earned medals at the Small Nations Games and international events.

In 2024 and 2025, he completed three Deca Ironman races, consisting of 38km swim, 1,800km cycling and 422km running, finishing second overall in France and Taiwan, cutting his time from 264 to 233 hours. He placed sixth in the 2024 DECA Italy World Cup and won the over-50 world title for both the Quintuple Ironman and World Cup rankings.

Beyond sport, he is an animal activist who has raised nearly €400,000 for local animal shelters since 2017.

Sonia Young

Sonia Young has been a respected voice in Maltese broadcasting for nearly three decades.

She hosted programmes on RTK Radio for 28 years and has been with Campus 103.7 since 2022. Her popular shows include Għalina Lkoll, Insellimlek and Campus Magazine, known for their engaging discussions on social and general interest themes.

She co-founded RTK’s New Year’s Day fundraiser in aid of Id-Dar tal-Providenza, now a national tradition and supported many other charitable causes, especially those involving vulnerable families and refugees.

She presented programmes promoting civic engagement following the creation of local councils and volunteered with the Malta Community Chest Fund and the Malta Osteoporosis Society.

Id-Dar tal-Providenza

Founded in 1965 by Mgr Mikiel Azzopardi, Id-Dar tal-Providenza provides residential care for people with disabilities.

Under the stewardship of Mgr Martin Micallef, it supports 115 residents across three villas in Siġġiewi, Villa Monsinjur Gonzi, Villa Papa Giovanni, and Villa Papa Luciani and four community homes in Siġġiewi, Qawra, Birkirkara and Żurrieq. Three more homes are planned for 2026 to further support independent living in line with the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.

The institution promotes dignity, inclusion and person-centred care. Its operations are sustained through public generosity and national fundraising events such as Festa ta’ Ġenerożità and the Volleyball Marathon.

In 2021, it received the European Citizens’ Prize.

Max Gibbons(Awarded posthumously)

Professor Max Gibbons was a renowned orthopaedic oncology surgeon and Honorary Senior Clinical Lecturer at the University of Oxford.

He co-founded the Oxford Sarcoma Service, one of the UK’s top centres for treating bone and soft tissue cancers. For over 30 years, he supported Maltese patients with sarcomas, initially through visits to Malta and surgeries in Oxford.

Recognising the need for local expertise, he worked closely with Maltese orthopaedic surgeons and oncologists, enabling more patients to receive treatment in Malta. He continued visiting regularly until 2025, providing consultations and ongoing care.

He died in November aged 67, after he was nominated for the Republic Day honour. 

Distinguished Service Medal

Captain Mark Anthony Cassar

Captain Mark Anthony Cassar serves in the Operations Branch of the Armed Forces of Malta.

He has been instrumental in improving air and maritime operations and has contributed significantly to the success of the Malta Rescue Coordination Centre and the AFM Joint Operations Centre.

His work has helped secure EU assets for Malta’s border surveillance efforts. Captain Cassar also trains junior officers in search and rescue coordination, upholding high professional standards. 

Captain Darren Debono

Captain Darren Debono is a pilot within the Armed Forces of Malta.

Over the past decade, he has demonstrated consistent professionalism and commitment to Malta’s security. In addition to his flying duties, he has voluntarily taken on the responsibility of training new pilots, ensuring operational excellence and continuity within the force.

Known for his dedication and leadership, Captain Debono is widely respected across the AFM.