Bafta TV Awards 2015 nominations: Benedict Cumberbatch up for Sherlock in year of the crime drama

The Missing, Happy Valley, Line of Duty and Marvellous lead with three nods

Benedict Cumberbatch has enjoyed huge success as detective Sherlock Holmes (BBC)

Benedict Cumberbatch may have lost out on an Oscar in February, but the popular Sherlock star is nominated for a Bafta TV Award for the third time for his role as the famous detective.

Cumberbatch will go up against James Nesbitt for abduction drama The Missing, Toby Jones for Marvellous and Jason Watkins for The Lost Honour of Christopher Jefferies.

Bafta TV Awards nominations list in full

The BBC looks set to enjoy a bumper year at the awards, with dramas Happy Valley, Line of Duty, Marvellous and The Missing leading the nominations field with three nods each.

Sheridan Smith will likely be favourite to take home the Leading Actress gong for her performance in Cilla, but faces tough competitoin from Sarah Lancashire for Happy Valley, Keely Hawes for Line of Duty and Georgina Campbell for Murdered By My Boyfriend.

Olivia Colman has earned her fourth consecutive Bafta TV Award nomination, this time for her role as a vicar's wife in comedy Rev. She won for her highly-acclaimed performance as DS Ellie Miller in Broadchurch last year.

Actors Freddie Fox and Amanda Abbington announced the contenders in London this morning, with the ceremony due to take place on 10 May at Theatre Royal on Drury Lane, hosted by Graham Norton for the ninth time.