Among his accolades of impression, Heath Ledger was also the first actor to win an Academy Award for the portrayal of a character (villain) in a superhero movie. Ever.

Although he didn’t get to accept the award himself, I would imagine that his family was, and still is, proud of his accomplishments as an actor.

I myself don’t watch awards shows, or really keep up with the nominations (other than Leonardo DiCaprio, because duh, give Leo the Oscar), but my vote is that it was certainly deserved. I believe if he were still alive today, his role would still be just as memorable.