Heath Ledger received an Oscar nomination on the first anniversary of his death, Usmagazine.com reports. The late actor and The Dark Knight standout will be competing against Robert Downey Jr. (Tropic Thunder), Josh Brolin (Milk), Michael Shannon (Revolutionary Road), and Phillip Seymour Hoffman (Doubt) for the honor of Best Supporting Actor.

Not only did co-stars begin to see potential right away during The Dark Knight filming, but Ledger himself recognized his own work for its promise. Ledger, who won a Golden Globe earlier this month, “‘joked about an Oscar nomination’” with friend Nicola Pecorini before his death in January 2008. Pecorini told Us that “He knew he’d done something special. But he was saying, ‘This time I’m going to lead the dance.’”

And lead he most likely will: what do you think the chances are that he’ll be awarded an Oscar posthumously? I’m thinking they’re very good.