American Music Icon, 52, Receives Highest Civilian Honor in France

American Music Icon, 52, Receives Highest Civilian Honor in France originally appeared on Parade.

Musician, actor, fashion designer… and French Knight?

One American legend is adding a big European honor to his already stacked resume.

In a decree published Sunday, July 13, the French government announced this year’s 589 recipients of the Legion of Honor, the highest national honor in all of France. Established by Napoleon Bonaparte in 1802, the Legion of Honor is awarded for “outstanding merits acquired in the service of the Nation,” according to the official website for the French administration.

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The announcement came one day before Bastille Day, France’s national holiday celebrating the storming of the Bastille prison which marked the start of the French Revolution.

The President of France is the Grand Master of the Order and appoints all other members, with the honorees divided into one of 5 degrees: Chevalier (Knight), Officier (Officer), Commandeur (Commander), Grand officier (Grand Officer), and Grand croix (Grand Cross).

This year, among the French Knights is one all-American legend.

Pharrell Williams, a 13-time Grammy Award-winning musician, singer, and music producer-turned fashion designer, can now add French Knight to his list of achievements.

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The Songwriters Hall of Fame reports that Virginia-born Williams got his start as half of the hip hop and R&B production duo The Neptunes in the early 1990s. According to the same report, he went on to become the lead singer of the band N.E.R.D. in 1999, and went on to help create instant classics like Robin Thicke’s “Blurred Lines,” JAY-Z’s “I Just Wanna Love U (Give it 2 Me),” Britney Spears’ “I’m A Slave 4 U” and Justin Timberlake’s “Like I Love You.”

In 2023, the 52-year-old musician shifted from entertainment to high fashion when he was appointed Men’s Creative Director at Louis Vuitton. Williams moved from his native USA to France for the role, where he quickly made a name for himself in the fashion world. His innovative blend of luxury streetwear reinvented the Louis Vuitton menswear line and brought him international acclaim, including his French Knighthood.

With his Legion of Honor appointment, Williams joins the ranks of fellow fashion greats like Yves Saint Laurent, who was named Grand Officer in 2007, and Karl Lagerfeld, named Commander in 1997.

American Music Icon, 52, Receives Highest Civilian Honor in France first appeared on Parade on Jul 14, 2025

This story was originally reported by Parade on Jul 14, 2025, where it first appeared.