Idris Elba is in the running to pick up a Bafta television award for his performance in Luther.

The star is nominated for the best actor award alongside Ben Wishaw, Mark Rylance and Stephen Graham.

The nominations were announced at Bafta’s London headquarters in Piccadilly by X Factor host Dermot O’Leary and last year’s leading actress winner Georgina Campbell, who starred in Murdered By My Boyfriend.

Anton Lesser was recognised in the best supporting actor category.

The historical drama, which depicts Thomas Cromwell’s rise to power through Henry VIII’s royal court, was also nominated for best drama series. It will need to fend off competition from Humans, The Last Panthers and No Offence.

TV favourite The Great British Bake Off, which sees amateur bakers face off in a series of challenges, received its fifth consecutive nomination. It is nominated in the features category, which it won in 2012 and 2013.

The British Academy of Film and Television Arts (Bafta) was founded in 1947. Photo: Jonathan Brady/PA Wire

Singer Adele has received her first Bafta nomination, for the TV special Adele at the BBC. The programme saw her in conversation with Graham Norton about her career and comeback, and she also performed songs from her new album, 25.

She is up for best entertainment programme alongside Britain’s Got Talent, Strictly Come Dancing and the TFI Friday anniversary special.

Peter Kay’s Car Share and This is England ’90 have received three nominations each. This is England ’90, which is Shane Meadows’s spin-off from the 2006 film This is England, a sequel to This is England ’86 and This is England ’88, is nominated for mini-series.

In addition to Graham’s best actor nomination, Chanel Cresswell has been nominated for supporting actress.

Car Share received nods including Sian Gibson for female performance in a comedy programme, Peter Kay for male performance in a comedy programme, and scripted comedy.

The awards ceremony will be held on May 8.