Idris Elba, David Oyelowo part of Queen’s New Year Honours list

Elba, 43, who known for his role in the hit crime drama Luther, described the honour as “beyond special,” while Oyelowo, who played Martin Luther King Jr in 2014’s “Selma,” said the award holds a particular sentimental meaning for him.

“To be honoured by the Queen in this way having been aided by her son’s charity feels like a beautiful full-circle moment,” said Oyelowo, who was given 325 Pound grant by Prince Charles’ charity, the Prince’s Trust, while he was pursuing his dream to become an actor.

Veteran actresses Barbara Windsor and Sian Phillips are to be given damehoods, while Imelda Stauton, who is currently performing on the West End, will be upgraded from an OBE (Most Excellent Order of the British Empire) to a CBE (Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire).

Other names from the entertainment industry to be honoured include Irish actor, James Nesbitt and “Blur” frontman Damon Albarn, while medics who helped in the fight against the Ebola epidemic also received knighthoods.