A HUMANIST celebrant from Oxfordshire in is line for a top honour.

Ian Willox has been short-listed for ‘Celebrant of the Year’ from hundreds of funeral celebrant nominees.

The winners will be announced at the annual Good Funeral Awards ceremony at the Porchester Hall in London on Thursday.

Mr Willox has been a celebrant in Oxfordshire since 2014 and in that time has conducted ceremonies in locations ranging from the sculpture gallery of the Ashmolean Museum to a bronze age burial ground the middle of a field.

Mr Willox, from Clifton near Deddington said he was ‘very flattered’ to have been nominated.

He said: “I’m very pleased because it’s a big deal.”

The 61-year-old became a celebrant after conducting the funerals of two of his producers while he was running a media production company.

He added he became interesting in the line of work and started training.

The Good Funeral Awards are now in their sixth year and excellence in the world of funerals, rewarding the best funeral directors and all associated services

Fran Hall, CEO of The Good Funeral Guide and joint organiser of the event said: “The Good Funeral Awards recognise exceptional service to bereaved people from all aspects of the funeral industry and supporting services.

“By progressing this far, Ian Willox has already demonstrated outstanding professionalism, empathy and a willingness to go the extra mile,”

Brian Jenner, co-organiser, added: “The awards recognise all those unsung heroes who work so hard for the bereaved and whose role can so easily be overlooked. Some of the nicest people in Britain work in the funeral business.”