Heath Ledger Wins Golden Globe For Best Supporting Dramatic Role

The Golden Globes turned emotional tonight, with the naming of Heath Ledger as best supporting dramatic actor for his role as the Joker in the summer blockbuster The Dark Knight.

Presenter Demi Moore announced that a brief clip of Ledger's work in the film had been prepared. Afterwards, Dark Knight director Christopher Nolan accepted Ledger's posthumous award, and said he did so with "a mixture of sadness and incredible pride."

Nolan said that rather than dwelling upon the gap left by Ledger's death he preferred to concentrate on "the incredible place in the history of world cinema he built for himself."

Although Heath Ledger's family couldn't be at the Golden Globe Awards on Sunday, they were there in spirit as the actor was honored posthumously for his wicked portrayal of the Joker in The Dark Knight.

"We are overjoyed for him," his father Kim Ledger told PEOPLE of his son's win for best supporting actor in a drama.

Ledger, of Perth, Western Australia, cited personal reasons for not making it to the ceremony held at the Beverly Hills Hilton. Ledger added: "It's wonderful" that Heath was honored for his role in the action flick.

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