<P> Heath Ledger was an Australian film actor whose career lasted more than 16 years . Ledger received acclaim for his acting in the Australian crime film Two Hands (1999), receiving nominations at the Australian Film Institute (AFI) and Film Critics Circle of Australia in the categories for Best Actor . After starring in the 2001 films A Knight's Tale and Monster's Ball, Ledger was cast as the title character in the 2003 biographical film Ned Kelly for which he received his second AFI and Film Critics Circle award nominations . </P> <P> Ledger's performance as Ennis Del Mar in the 2005 film Brokeback Mountain earned him Academy Award, British Academy Film Award (BAFTA), Golden Globe Award, and Screen Actors Guild Award nominations . In addition, Ledger received recognition from several North American critics' associations, winning the 2005 Las Vegas Film Critics Society, New York Film Critics Circle, Phoenix Film Critics Society, and San Francisco Film Critics Circle awards, as Best Actor . In 2006, he starred in the Australian romantic drama Candy, and was nominated in the category of Best Actor at the AFI, Film Critics Circle, and Inside Film awards ceremony . </P> <P> Following his death on 22 January 2008, Ledger received numerous posthumous awards and honours . 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). His wins include an Academy Award, BAFTA, Golden Globe Award, and Screen Actors Guild Award for Best Supporting Actor . Ledger also won the Best Actor International Award at the 2008 AFI Awards ceremony, for which he became the first actor to win an award posthumously . In August 2008, Ledger was posthumously honoured at the Brisbane International Film Festival with the Chauvel Award in recognition of his contribution to the Australian film industry . </P> <P> The Academy Awards, or "Oscars" are a set of awards given annually for excellence of cinematic achievements . The awards, organized by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS), were first held in 1929 at the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel . Ledger received one award from two nominations . </P>

Did heath ledger win an oscar for joker