The Royal Institute of British Architects' (RIBA) Council today approved 14 new RIBA Honorary Fellowships to reward individuals from a wide range of backgrounds, including politics, journalism, architecture, engineering and the arts.

RIBA Honorary Fellowships are awarded annually to people who have made a particular contribution to architecture – in the broadest sense. This includes its promotion, administration and outreach; and its role in building more sustainable communities and in the education of future generations.

The 2012 RIBA Honorary Fellowships will be awarded to:

• Nicole Crockett, Chief Executive, Building Exploratory 
• Robert Elwall Assistant, Director, Photographs Collection, British Architectural Library, RIBA
• Adrian Forty, academic and writer
• Malcolm Hankey, Managing Director, Civic Trust Awards
• Boris Johnson, Mayor of London
• Doug King, environmental engineer, King Shaw Associates
• Fiona MacCarthy, writer
• Frank McDonald, Environment Editor, Irish Times
• Sandra O'Connell, writer and curator, Open House Dublin
• Peter Wynne Rees, Chief Planning Officer, City of London
• Peter Salter, academic and writer
• Richard Simmons, academic and former Chief Executive, CABE
• Chris Smith, National Planning Director, English Heritage
• Ai Weiwei, artist

The RIBA Honorary Fellowships will be presented at a ceremony at the RIBA in London on 9 February 2012.

Speaking today, RIBA President Angela Brady said:

'Each of this year's Honorary Fellows has made an enormous contribution to architecture, whether as a practitioner, designer, curator, writer or policy maker. The RIBA values everything that they have brought – in their very different ways – to the knowledge, understanding and appreciation of the world of architecture. I look forward to presenting them with their Honorary Fellowships in February.'

This year's RIBA Honours Committee was chaired by RIBA President Angela Brady and included architects David Adjaye, Yvonne Farrell, Niall McLaughlin, Sarah Wigglesworth, and Sir Terence Conran.

This lifetime honour allows recipients to use the initials Hon FRIBA after their name.