Heath Ledger was an Australian film actor whose career lasted more than 16 years.

He shared the 2007 Independent Spirit Robert Altman Award with the rest of the ensemble cast for the 2007 biographical film I'm Not There.

In his penultimate film performance, Ledger was nominated and awarded for his portrayal of the Joker in The Dark Knight (2008).

The awards, organized by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS), were first held in 1929 at the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel.

The awards were founded in 1947 as The British Film Academy, by David Lean, Alexander Korda, Carol Reed, Charles Laughton, Roger Manvell and others.