LOS ANGELES – Heath Ledger won the supporting-actor Academy Award on Sunday for his demented reinvention of Batman villain the Joker in "The Dark Knight," becoming only the second actor to win an Oscar posthumously.

Ledger's triumph came exactly 13 months after he passed away on Oscar nominations day last year.

His Oscar for the Warner Bros. blockbuster was accepted by Ledger's parents and sister. They accepted the Oscar on behalf of Ledger's 3-year-old daughter, Matilda.

"I have to say this is ever so humbling, just being amongst such wonderful people in such a wonderful industry," said his father, Kim Ledger. "We'd like to thank the academy for recognizing our son's amazing work, Warner Bros., and Christopher Nolan in particular for allowing Heath the creative license to develop and explore this crazy Joker character."

Since his passing, the 28-year-old Ledger has gained a mythic aura akin to James Dean, another rising star who was lost well before his time.
The Joker was his final completed role, a casting choice that initially drew scorn from fans who thought Ledger would not be up to the task given Jack Nicholson's gleefully campy rendition of the character in 1989's "Batman."

But in the months before Ledger's passing, buzz on his wickedly chaotic performance swelled as marketing for the movie centered on the Joker and the perverted clown makeup he hid behind.

Ledger's loss fanned a frenzy of anticipation for "The Dark Knight," which had a record $158.4 million opening weekend last summer. "The Dark Knight", with worldwide box office sales of more than $1 billion, was the biggest grossing movie of 2008.

The previous posthumous Oscar recipient was Peter Finch, who won best actor for 1976's "Network" two months after his death.

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For the 81st Academy Awards, producers have taken a punchier, 'behind the scenes' approach to the presentation of the Oscars. Long setups and elaborate comedy routines have been eschewed for quick introductions to the various categories - spiced with brief points explaining the background of writing, production, costume design, makeup, acting, animation and directing.

The admittedly nervous main host, Australia's Hugh Jackman, has maintained a steady, slick delivery thanks to the program's tightly formatted structure. He got off to a good start with an entertaining Broadway-style opening number that parodied the films up for best picture nomination. Througout the awards, he performed a medely of musical numbers which showcased his stage talents, and the crowd was also delighted by brief comedy routines by Steve Martin, Tina Fey and Jack Black.

Balancing the comedy were moments of poignancy, and in particular the moment with the most gravitas was the annoucement of Best Supporting Actor, which went to Heath Ledger.

Ledger, nominated in the best supporting actor category for his performance as The Joker in The Dark Knight, was favourite to win.
He passed away 13 months ago at age 28, and is only the second actor to win an Oscar posthumously. Peter Finch, also an Australian, was the first when he was named winner of the best actor for Network in 1977, just three months after dying from a heart attack.

Ledger's family graciously, yet emotionally accepted the award on behalf of Heath's daughter, Matilda.


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