Heath Ledger was posthumously awarded a Golden Globe Award for his performance in 'The Dark Knight' yesterday evening (11.01.09).
Ledger as The Joker, courtesy of Warner Bros.
The Australian actor - who died of an accidental overdose of prescription drugs last January, aged just 28 - won the award for Best Supporting Actor for his portrayal of villain The Joker in the Batman blockbuster.
'The Dark Knight' director Christopher Nolan accepted the accolade on Heath's behalf, making an emotional speech while the star-studded audience gave a standing ovation.
He said: "On behalf of all of us who worked with Heath on 'The Dark Knight', I accept this with mix of sadness and incredible pride. He will be eternally missed but he will never be forgotten."
The Ledger family did not attend the ceremony for "personal reasons", but his father Kim insisted they were there in spirit.
Kim said: "We are overjoyed for him. It's wonderful."
Also celebrating success at the ceremony, which was held at The Beverly Hilton hotel in Beverly Hills, was Mickey Rourke who won the Best Actor in a Drama prize for his portrayal of a down-and-out grappler in 'The Wrestler'.
The 56-year-old actor told a cheering crowd: "It's been a very long road back for me."
It was also a big night for British actress Kate Winslet, who took home two statuettes for Best Supporting Actress for her performance in 'The Reader' and Best Actress in a Drama for 'Revolutionary Road'.
She paid tribute to her 'Revolutionary Road' co-star Leonardo DiCaprio - who she first starred with 1997's 'Titanic' - in her acceptance speech, saying: "Leo, I am so happy I can stand here and tell you I love you, and have for 13 years."
Complete list of 2009 Golden Globe winners:
Film:
Best Picture, drama: 'Slumdog Millionaire'
Best Picture, musical or comedy: 'Vicky Christina Barcelona'
Best Actor, drama: Mickey Rourke, 'The Wrestler'
Best Actress, drama: Kate Winslet, 'Revolutionary Road'
Best Director: Danny Boyle, 'Slumdog Millionaire'
Best Actor, musical or comedy: Colin Farrell, 'In Bruges'
Best Actress, musical or comedy: Sally Hawkins, 'Happy-Go-Lucky'
Best Supporting Actor: Heath Ledger, 'The Dark Knight'
Best Supporting Actress: Kate Winslet, 'The Reader'
Best Foreign Language Film: 'Waltz With Bashir'
Best Animated Film: 'Wall-E'
Best Screenplay: Simon Beaufoy, 'Slumdog Millionaire'
Best Original Score: A.R. Rahman, 'Slumdog Millionaire'
Best Original Song: 'The Wrestler', Bruce Springsteen, 'The Wrestler'
Cecil B. DeMille Award: Steven Spielberg
TV:
Best Series, drama: 'Mad Men'
Best Actor, drama: Gabriel Byrne, 'In Treatment'
Best Actress, drama: Anna Paquin, 'True Blood'
Best Series, musical or comedy: '30 Rock'
Best Actor, musical or comedy: Alec Baldwin, '30 Rock'
Best Actress, musical or comedy: Tina Fey, '30 Rock'
Best Miniseries or Movie: 'John Adams'
Best Actor, miniseries or movie: Paul Giammatti, 'John Adams'
Best Actress, miniseries or movie: Laura Linney, 'John Adams'
Best Supporting Actor: Tom Wilkinson, 'John Adams'
Best Supporting Actress: Laura Dern, 'Recount'
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