J.K. Rowling received an OBE, or Officer of the Order of the British Empire, in 2001 for services to children’s literature. The honor was announced in the 2001 Queen’s Birthday Honours.
The OBE is a rank within the Order of the British Empire, a British honors system recognizing contributions to public life, the arts, science, and other fields. Rowling was recognized after the enormous cultural and commercial impact of the Harry Potter books.
An OBE is not the same as a CBE, MBE, or damehood. Those are different honors or ranks, which is why they are plausible but incorrect alternatives. Rowling later received other honors, including the Companion of Honour in 2017, but the specific award connected with her 2001 recognition was the OBE.