This is the time of year that every movie geek, such as myself, loves. It’s that time of year when the best work and the best films from the past year are recognized. Yes, award season is here. Of course, one of the most vital parts of every year’s award season is seeing the screen’s biggest stars in a wave of vanity, splendor and triumph as they are recognized for the work they put into a film.

But this award season, one star is visibly absent.

That star is, of course, the late Heath Ledger.

There are so many tragedies which surrounded the death of the 28-year-old, Aussie actor: how his death could have been prevented, how he left behind an infant daughter, how much potential he really had, how his stardom was just taking off, and how we lost what would have been perhaps the best actor of his generation.

If you are one of the few people who didn’t see last year’s “The Dark Knight,” not only did you miss the best film of last year, but you also missed a performance by Ledger that will inevitably go down in history as one of the best ever captured on film.

While Ledger’s role in ‘The Dark Knight’ will undoubtedly be his lasting legacy to us, we shouldn’t forget the other greatness Ledger delivered. Most girls our age will remember his charismatic and memorable breakout role in the 1999 teen-comedy “10 Things I Hate About You,” while he played somewhat of a cliché character, his twist of humor, wit and charm made it quite clear that Ledger would not be a run-of-the-mill star in prototypical teen films, which is exactly what he set out not to be. A year later he was starring opposite Mel Gibson in the heavy Revolutionary War drama “The Patriot.” A year after that Ledger starred opposite Halle Berry and Billy Bob Thornton in the forceful drama, “Monster’s Ball.” And while Berry won an Academy Award, and Thornton was critically acclaimed, it was Ledger who stole the show as Thornton’s ill-fated, melancholy, prison-guard son.

And while Ledger continued to give strong performances in films, which could be best described as mediocre, the next few years proved to be somewhat forgettable in terms of the substance of the work he put out.

In 2005’s “Brokeback Mountain,” not only was it one of the best films of the year, but Ledger’s powerful take as a married cowboy who is also a closet homosexual, was the type of performance which most actors could merely hold in the distance and strive for, yet, at the tender age of 26, Ledger had done it.

Then of course there is last year’s “The Dark Knight,” which was not only the best film of last year, but also the best sequel in the history of movies, one of the best action movies of all time, and the best comic book movie ever made. Much of this had to do with the wonder, which was Ledger’s turn as the Joker. After seeing this performance I don’t think there is any question that he was indeed bound to become one of, if not the, best actor we would have had the pleasure of being witness to in quite some time. And simply put, anything less than winning Best Supporting Actor at this year’s upcoming Academy Awards would be a travesty.

Ledger, no doubt, had multiple Oscars awaiting him in his future. He was posed for an untraditional, yet brilliant and iconic career. His work will forever be appreciated, and he will of course be missed. Yet, its quite clear that in his short 28 years here on Earth, and his even shorter time making movies, Heath Ledger was able to inspire and move us in ways which most only wish they could. And we shouldn’t forget that.