Sir Idris – whose Elba Hope Foundation supports youth advocacy – was included on the monarch’s list for his work campaigning against knife crime.
He said: “I receive this honour on behalf of the many young people whose talent, ambition and resilience has driven the work of the Elba Hope Foundation.
“I hope we can do more to draw attention to the importance of sustained, practical support for young people and to the responsibility we all share to help them find an alternative to violence.”
Actor and presenter Warwick Davis, author Richard Osman and Little Britain comedian Matt Lucas have all been awarded OBEs, while comedian Bill Bailey, actress Sally Lindsay and children’s TV star Paul Elliott, from the Chuckle Brothers, have all been made MBEs.