Australians worldwide will have a strong reason to watch the Golden Globes next month after the posthumous nomination for Heath Ledger's mesmerizing performance as The Joker in “The Dark Knight.”

He has been nominated for the award of best supporting actor, against Tom Cruise and Robert Downey Jr. for the comedy “Tropic Thunder,” Ralph Fiennes for “The Duchess” and Philip Seymour Hoffman for “Doubt ,“ and has become a firm favorite to win the Oscar for that category next year.

"This nomination is deeply appreciated and is not lost on those of us who continue to love and miss him," said the late actor's father, Kim Ledger. "We are so proud our boy's work is being recognized in this way."

Critics and industry experts are widely tipping Ledger to become just the second actor since Peter Finch to win an Academy Award posthumously, for his stunningly dark and gripping portrayal of the Joker in Nolan's Batman epic. Heath’s Joker gives the iconic evil clown bizarre physical tics and a nasty streak of black humor, and therefore steals every scene of the film.

"It may be his best work," actor Terrence Howard, co-star of superhero flick “Iron Man,” said in an interview after the announcement. “It should sweep the Globes and I think it should also win an Oscar.”

The late Australian actor, who died tragically in January due to an accidental prescription drug overdose, received the salute for his acclaimed role as Batman’s arch-nemesis - the Joker in the Warner Bros film.

The Golden Globes, which will take place on January 11 next year, are handed out by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association. They are often treated as a signal for the Academy Awards, the most prestigious honor in Hollywood, to be held later in the year.