Heath Ledger Wins Posthumous SAG Award

Late Australian actor Heath Ledger has won a Screen Actors Guild (SAG) Award for his chilling performance as The Joker in the Batman blockbuster The Dark Knight.

Ledger's co-star Gary Oldman accepted the prize on his behalf at today's ceremony in Los Angeles.

This win puts the Perth-born actor a step closer to becoming just the second actor to win a posthumous Academy Award come February 22.

Earlier this month, Ledger won a best supporting actor Golden Globe.

He has also been nominated for a BAFTA - the UK's equivalent of the Oscars.

Ledger loomed large at last year's SAG Awards ceremony, with his death coming just five days earlier.

Actors spoke reverently of him, while Daniel Day-Lewis dedicated his best actor win for There Will Be Blood to the 28-year-old.

Ledger died of an accidental prescription drug overdose in his New York apartment on January 23, 2008.

Prior to today's SAG awards ceremony, The Dark Knight took out the award for best stunt ensemble in a movie.

Heroes took out the same award for television.

See http://www.abc.net.au