Heath Ledger received the Oscar for best supporting actor on Sunday for his portrayal of The Joker in the Batman film “The Dark Knight,” a fitting homage to the Australian actor who died a year ago.

Ledger, who died of an accidental drug overdose in January of last year, is just the second actor in history to be granted an Oscar posthumously, following in the footsteps of compatriot Peter Finch, who won for “Network” in 1976.

His father, mother, and sister collected his posthumous prize for his brutally insane portrayal as the Joker in “The Dark Knight.” Heath’s father, Kim, remarked, “This award tonight would have humbly validated Heath’s quiet determination to be truly accepted by your here, his peers, in an industry he so loved.”

“Heath was such a compassionate and generous soul who added so much excitement and inspiration to our lives. We have been truly overwhelmed by the honor and respect being bestowed upon him with this award,” Sally Ledger Ball, his mother, stated.

Ledger’s terrifying Joker helped propel the Batman sequel to a global box office total of more than $1 billion, making him the strongly predicted and emotional favorite to win the Academy Award.

Kate Ledger, Ledger’s sister, added: “Heath, we both knew what you had created in the joker was extraordinarily special. And had even talked about being here on this very day.

“We really wish you were, but we proudly accept this award on behalf of your beautiful Matilda.”

Matilda, his three-year-old daughter with former girlfriend actress Michelle Williams, will get his Oscar when she becomes 18, according to the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.

For his outstanding depiction as Batman’s arch-enemy, Ledger had already received a slew of major prizes this year.

Kevin Kline, who announced Ledger’s Oscar nomination at the 81st Academy Awards, said the Australian actor had left “an original and enduring legacy” in the world of cinema.

“In a year of striking film images, perhaps the most unforgettable was that of a man, his face smeared with clown make-up, gleefully sticking his head out of a speeding car, relishing the night wind and reveling in the chaos he has unleashed on the streets of Gotham City.

“Menacing, mercurial, droll and diabolical, Heath Ledger as the Joker in ‘The Dark Knight’ kept us all on edge, anxious to see which act of appalling mischief he might commit next.”

Josh Brolin for Milk, Philip Seymour Hoffman for Doubt, Robert Downey Jr for Tropic Thunder, and Michael Shannon for Revolutionary Road were among the other candidates.