2009 Special Honours (New Zealand)
The 2009 Special Honours in New Zealand were announced in August 2009 as a result of the reinstatement of the appellations of "Sir" and "Dame" to the New Zealand Royal Honours System by passing Special Regulation 2009/90 Additional Statutes of The New Zealand Order of Merit, a legally binding regulation with the force of law in New Zealand. The effect of the change was that individuals who had been appointed as Principal Companions or Distinguished Companions of the New Zealand Order of Merit were given the option of accepting titular honours: Principal Companions could opt to become Knights or Dames Grand Companion, and Distinguished Companions could become Knights or Dames Companion.
Source: Wikipedia — 2009 Special Honours (New Zealand) (CC BY-SA 4.0)