How The Dark Knight's Christopher Nolan Honored Heath Ledger at 2024 Golden Globes

Heath Ledger will never be forgotten.

When Christopher Nolan accepted his Best Directing award at the 2024 Golden Globes, he paid tribute to the late actor by sharing a touching memory on how he coped with his 2008 death.

"The only time I've ever been on this stage before was accepting one of these on behalf of our dear friend Heath Ledger," Nolan said at the Beverly Hills event on Jan. 7. "And that was complicated and challenging for me."

During that difficult moment at the 2009 award show, Nolan accepted the statue for Ledger's win for Best Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture for The Dark Knight. And it was Robert Downey Jr. who got the director through the emotional time.

"In the middle of speaking, I glanced up and Robert Downey Jr. caught my eye and gave me a look of love and support," Nolan continued. "The same look he's giving me now. The same love and support he's shown so many people in our community over so many years."

After winning his own trophy, Nolan assumed the speech would come more easily. 

"I thought it would be simpler accepting for myself," he added. "But I can only accept this on behalf of people. As directors we bring people together."

Hosted by Jo Koy, the 2024 Golden Globes are honoring the top movies and TV shows of the year, from Barbie to Succession. (See all the stars on the red carpet here.) The show, streaming on CBS, also welcomed more than 25 first-time nominees, including Chris Rock, Ali Wong, Steven Yeun and Trevor Noah.

Keep scrolling to see every star who won at the Golden Globes 2024.

Anatomy of a Fall
Killers of the Flower Moon
Maestro
Oppenheimer
Past Lives
The Zone of Interest

Air
American Fiction
Barbie
The Holdovers
May December
Poor Things

Annette Bening, Nyad
Cailee Spaeny, Priscilla
Carey Mulligan, Maestro
Greta Lee, Past Lives
Lily Gladstone, Killers of the Flower Moon
Sandra Hüller, Anatomy of a Fall

Andrew Scott, All of Us Strangers
Barry Keoghan, Saltburn
Bradley Cooper, Maestro
WINNER: Cillian Murphy, Oppenheimer
Colman Domingo, Rustin
Leonardo DiCaprio, Killers of the Flower Moon

Alma Pöysti, Fallen Leaves
WINNER: Emma Stone, Poor Things
Fantasia Barrino, The Color Purple
Jennifer Lawrence, No Hard Feelings
Margot Robbie, Barbie
Natalie Portman, May December

Jeffrey Wright, American Fiction
Joaquin Phoenix, Beau Is Afraid
Matt Damon, Air
Nicolas Cage, Dream Scenario
Paul Giamatti, The Holdovers
Timothée Chalamet, Wonka

Danielle Brooks, The Color Purple
WINNER: Da'Vine Joy Randolph, The Holdovers
Emily Blunt, Oppenheimer
Jodie Foster, Nyad
Julianne Moore, May December
Rosamund, Pike, Saltburn

Charles Melton, May December
Mark Ruffalo, Poor Things
Robert De Niro, Killers of the Flower Moon
WINNER: Robert Downey Jr., Oppenheimer
Ryan Gosling, Barbie
Willem Dafoe, Poor Things

1923
The Crown
The Diplomat
The Last of Us
The Morning Show
Succession

Abbott Elementary
Barry
WINNER: The Bear
Jury Duty
Only Murders in the Building
Ted Lasso

All the Light We Cannot See
WINNER: Beef
Daisy Jones & The Six
Fargo
Fellow Travelers
Lessons in Chemistry 

Bella Ramsey, The Last of Us
Emma Stone, The Curse
Helen Mirren, 1923
Imelda Staunton, The Crown
Keri Russell, The Diplomat
Sarah Snook, Succession

Brian Cox, Succession
Dominic West, The Crown
Gary Oldman, Slow Horses
Jeremy Strong, Succession
WINNER: Kieran Culkin, Succession
Pedro Pascal, The Last of Us

WINNER: Ayo Edebiri, The Bear
Elle Fanning, The Great
Natasha Lyonne, Poker Face
Quinta Brunson, Abbott Elementary
Rachel Brosnahan, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel
Selena Gomez, Only Murders in the Building

Bill Hader, Barry
Jason Segel, Shrinking
Jason Sudeikis, Ted Lasso
WINNER: Jeremy Allen White, The Bear
Steve Martin, Only Murders in the Building
Martin Short, Only Murders in the Building

WINNER: Ali Wong, Beef
Brie Larson, Lessons in Chemistry
Elizabeth Olsen, Love & Death
Juno Temple, Fargo
Rachel Weisz, Dead Ringers
Riley Keough, Daisy Jones & The Six

David Oyelowo, Lawmen: Bass Reeves
Jon Hamm, Fargo
Matt Bomer, Fellow Travelers
Sam Claflin, Daisy Jones & The Six
WINNER: Steven Yeun, Beef 
Woody Harrelson, White House Plumbers

Abby Elliott, The Bear
Christina Ricci, Yellowjackets
WINNER: Elizabeth Debicki, The Crown
Hannah Waddingham, Ted Lasso
J. Smith-Cameron, Succession
Meryl Streep, Only Murders in the Building

Alan Ruck, Succession
Alexander Skarsgård, Succession
Billy Crudup, The Morning Show
Ebon Moss-Bachrach, The Bear
WINNER: Matthew Macfadyen, Succession
James Marsden, Jury Duty

The 2024 Golden Globe Awards air live Sunday, Jan. 7, at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT on CBS.