The event recognises actors’ efforts on stage over the last year and this year includes many faces from the small screen. Here are some of the best known names from television featured among this year's nominees.

Adrian Lester
Adrian Lester began his career treading the boards in Birmingham’s Youth Theatre at the age of thirteen, and earns himself a Best Actor nomination after reprising the lead role in Garrick Theatre’s Red Velvet. The actor is most familiar to television fans as suave con artist Mickey Bricks in BBC’s Hustle. More recently, Lester appeared as Professor Marcus Shaw in the Bafta-nominated London Spy.

Benedict Cumberbatch
Sherlock fans will be pleased to see Benedict Cumberbatch has been recognised at this year’s Olivier Awards for his turn as the Prince of Denmark in Hamlet at the Barbican. Cumberbatch made waves playing Arthur Conan Doyle’s enigmatic detective in BBC’s 2010 contemporary adaptation of the books, and returns next year for the forth series.  

Gemma Arterton
Best known for her big screen roles in Quantum of Solace and Tamara Drew, Gemma Arterton rose to fame with parts in period dramas Lost In Austen and as Tess in Tess of the D’Urbervilles alongside Eddie Redmayne and Ruth Jones. Now, as the eponymous Nell Gwynn, she has been nominated for the Best Actress award ahead of Sunday’s event.

Claire Skinner
Outnumbered’s Claire Skinner took to the stage in psychological drama The Father, which is in the running for Virgin Atlantic’s Best New Play. Skinner plays exasperated mother-of-three Sue Brockman in the popular family improvised sitcom, due for a summer special later this year, and is also celebrated for her performance as a trauma consultant in last year’s mini-drama Critical.

The Olivier Awards takes place on Sunday at London’s Royal Opera House and is being shown on ITV from 10:15pm.