I think most people like a pat on the back be it from your parents family and friends work colleagues for your efforts, achievements, now and again.
Some go the extra mile to help others working quietly away in the background for, their community their country, or excelling in their chosen field be it sport, the environment, charity, medicine , research, the Arts etc.
It is now getting better IMHO more ordinary people doing extraordinary things are now being quite rightly receiving recognition officially and long over due.
Anyone of us can nominate a person for an award it is quite a simple process as I understand it, then a committee is informed who will consider it.
https://www.gov.uk/honours