30 Most Memorable Oscar Moments From The Last 30 Years

10. Heath Ledger Wins A Posthumous Oscar (2009)

One of the most emotional Oscar wins of all time saw Heath Ledger scoop a posthumous Best Supporting Actor win for his unforgettable performance as The Joker in The Dark Knight.

Even as Ledger, who died from an accidental overdose in early 2008, picked up precursor awards across-the-board, many doubted his ability to win an Oscar simply because the Academy (at the time) typically turned its nose up at superhero movies.

But Ledger fought off stiff competition from Josh Brolin (Milk), Philip Seymour Hoffman (Doubt) and Michael Shannon (Doubt) to win the award, which was gratefully accepted by members of his family.

Ledger's win was the first posthumous acting Oscar awarded in almost 30 years, since Peter Finch won the Best Actor Oscar for Network in 1977 mere months after he died of a heart attack.

Debates will rage on about whether or not the Academy would've even nominated Ledger had he lived, but most can agree that Ledger was certainly worthy of the award either way.