Golden Globes – Heath Ledger wins for Best Supporting Actor

Things got off to an emotional start at the 66th Annual Golden Globes Awards when Heath Ledger won for Best Supporting Dramatic Actor for his role as The Joker in "The Dark Knight." 

Maggie Gyllenhaal (pictured) noted on the red carpet that while it’s hard to talk about her friend Ledger, she feels that he’s very deserving of the award.

Presenter Demi Moore presented a brief clip of Ledger’s work in the film and afterwards, "Dark Knight" director Christopher Nolan accepted Ledger’s posthumous award, doing so with "a mixture of sadness and incredible pride."

Rather than dwelling on the gap left by Ledger’s death, Nolan said he preferred to concentrate on "the incredible place in the history of world cinema he built for himself."

More after the jump…

Also emotional was Sally Hawkins, named Best Actress in a Comedy or Musical for her role as a North London schoolteacher in "Happy-Go-Lucky." As Hawkins choked up on stage, Emma Thompson offered her support from the audience. Thompson, Meryl Streep, and Frances McDormand were also nominated in the category.

The Jonas Brothers presented the Best Animated Feature category, won by "Wall*E." Excellent news on that front. Loved that movie.

Jennifer Lopez kicked off the show by presenting the night’s first award. "Hello! Mama talking! Mama talking!" she said, trying to quiet the crowd so she could read the nominees’ names. She then announced the first winner, Kate Winslet, as Best Supporting Actress for "The Reader." Clutching her trophy and unwrapping a sheet of paper, Winslet apologized for her long speech, saying, "I have a habit of not winning."

She also apologized to her husband, "Revolutionary Road" director Sam Mendes, noting, "I’m sorry I was so mental at the end."

Bruce Springsteen won for Best Song from "The Wrestler," laughing that "this is the only time I’ll be in competition with Clint Eastwood. It felt pretty good too."

Anna Pacquin won for her role as Sookie Stackhouse in HBO’s "True Blood" (yay!), while Gabriel Byrne won as Best Actor for his starring role on the same network’s "In Therapy."

Check back later for more on the Golden Globes!

Image: Newscom