BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. (Dec. 11) — While ‘The Curious Case of Benjamin Button’ and ‘Frost/Nixon’ were numerically the biggest Golden Globes nominees, Heath Ledger’s posthumous nod for his ‘Dark Knight’ role as the Joker is likely the one that will garner the most attention.

Ledger, who died of an accidental drug overdose in January, garnered serious award buzz for his performance, and his Globes nod gives him more momentum for a possible Oscar nomination.

And the Golden Globe Nominees Are …

‘The Curious Case of Benjamin Button’
Best Motion Picture - Drama

Paramount

‘Slumdog Millionaire’
Best Motion Picture - Drama

Fox Searchlight

‘Revolutionary Road’
Best Motion Picture - Drama

DreamWorks

‘Frost/Nixon’
Best Motion Picture - Drama

Universal

‘The Reader’
Best Motion Picture - Drama

Weinstein Co.

Kate Winslet
Best Actress in a Motion Picture - Drama, ‘Revolutionary Road’

DreamWorks

Angelina Jolie
Best Actress in a Motion Picture - Drama, ‘Changeling’

Universal

Anne Hathaway
Best Actress in a Motion Picture - Drama, ‘Rachel Getting Married’

Sony Classics

Meryl Streep
Best Actress in a Motion Picture - Drama, ‘Doubt’

Miramax

Kristen Scott Thomas
Best Actress in a Motion Picture - Drama, ‘I’ve Loved You So Long’

Sony Pictures Classics

Golden Globes Most Memorable Moments

If the Academy Awards are the wedding day of movie awards, then the Golden Globes are the bachelor party. The earlier, wilder awards show held by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association has a reputation for rowdiness, partly due to the invaluable presence of free alcohol, but also due to the fact that it’s simply not quite the Oscars. From the most unruly to the truly profound, we look back at 22 of the most unforgettable moments in Globes history.

Getty/ AP/ Retna (2)

And the Winner Is … in the Bathroom (1998)
It’s the moment actors dream of. But when Michael J. Fox read Christine Lahti’s name as winner of Best Actress in a Drama (TV), the ‘Chicago Hope’ star was nowhere to be found. Running to the podium, she laughingly confessed, “I was just flushing the toilet and someone said, ‘You won,’ and I thought they were joking!” We love her good humor about it, but our question is, did she wash her hands?

Getty

The First Telecast (1964)
Though the first Globes ceremony was held in 1944, it would be 20 years before one would be televised — as part of NBC’s ‘The Andy Williams Show.’ But not all went smoothly: Best Actress Shirley MacLaine’s acceptance speech for ‘Irma La Douce’ was abruptly cut off by a commercial break. She probably would’ve preferred the orchestra.

AP

Best Best Picture Presentation Ever (2001)
Screen legend Elizabeth Taylor knows movie acting — but TelePrompters are an entirely different matter. The spunky actress couldn’t get the words out right when announcing the Best Picture award. We’re not sure if she forgot to wear her glasses or if her confusion was caused by some other … malady. We want to give her the benefit of the doubt, so we’ll say that her difficulty in navigating the titles was a mechanical error. Yeah, that’s it.

Retna

Merry and Gay (2007)
In the wake of the news that Isaiah Washington used an anti-gay slur against his ‘Grey’s Anatomy’ co-star T.R. Knight — prompting Knight to come out as a gay man — Washington denied all claims during an infamous backstage press conference, by … well, using the f-word. Knight’s pal Katherine Heigl came to his defense, but the mood remained awkward and Washington’s Dr. Prescott Burke was exiled from Seattle Grace soon after.

Hollywood Foreign Press Association

Oliver Stone: Just Getting Started (1979)
Think legendary conspiracy theorist/filmmaker Oliver Stone hasn’t always been a loose cannon? During his speech when he won a Best Screenplay Globe for ‘Midnight Express,’ Stone launched into a tirade against the U.S. government for its anti-drug policies. Over boos from the audience, host Chevy Chase could be heard advising him, “Just say ‘thank you’ and leave the stage.’” Stone did leave — but not until security guards approached.

AP

A Handful of Scarlett (2006)
Openly gay E! correspondent Isaac Mizrahi raised eyebrows when he famously got a handful (and then some) of Scarlett Johansson at the ‘06 Globes, blatantly fondling the actress’ left breast while interviewing her on the red carpet. Though Scarlett laughed off the incident — blushingly exclaiming “What’s going on!” — she later called it “in poor taste.” We completely agree, but that doesn’t make it any less entertaining.

Getty

We Smell a Rat Pack — and Whiskey (1958)
Journalists from the Hollywood Foreign Press used to present the awards until 1958, when a bored Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin and Sammy Davis Jr. stormed the stage, whiskey glasses and cigarettes in hand, and played host for the rest of the show. The crowd loved it — and so did the HFPA, enough to invite them back the next year. Why’d they do it? ‘Cuz they’re the damn Rat Pack, baby.

Getty Images

Can’t Buy Love (1982)
Pia Zadora launched her big-screen career in the B-movie ‘Santa Claus Conquers the Martians,’ so when she won 1982’s Best New Star of the Year Globe for her performance in ‘Butterfly,’ cynics (and realists) concluded that her billionaire hubby Meshulam Riklis had bought the award with a massive ad campaign and expensive trips for members of the HFPA. So, we guess her magnate husband also bought her the Worst Actress and Worst New Actress Razzies later that year, for the same movie? Take that, haters.

Globe Photos

Her Own “Golden Globes” (1980)
Bette Midler’s double-win speech (Best Actress for ‘The Rose’ and Best New Female Star) started off innocently enough: “I am very surprised …” blah blah blah. Then it got interesting. She said she was “reminded of when Joan Crawford won her Golden Globe and said [cupping her breasts], ‘I’ll show you a pair of Golden Globes!’” Though Midler credited Crawford for the innuendo, the line has been linked to the ‘Rose’ actress ever since.

WireImage

“Doubt” also scored supporting nominations for Philip Seymour Hoffman, Amy Adams and Viola Davis, plus a screenplay slot for director John Patrick Shanley, who adapted his Pulitzer Prize-winning play.

The year’s biggest hit, the Batman blockbuster, “The Dark Knight,” came in with strong awards buzz across the board but had only one nomination, supporting actor for Heath Ledger as the Joker.

“Heath was a friend of mine,” said actor Terrence Howard, a presenter at the nominations ceremony. “He gave his all in that film. I think he will win in that category. He’ll also get an Oscar.”

The Harvey Milk film biography “Milk” also had been at the top of awards watchers’ lists but only grabbed an acting nomination for Penn.

Clint Eastwood had two music nominations for his “Changeling” score and for co-writing the title song for “Gran Torino.” But he missed out on directing nominations for both films and for an acting slot in “Gran Torino,” in which he starred.

Along with “Mamma Mia!”, nominated for best musical or comedy were “Burn After Reading,” “Happy-Go-Lucky,” “In Bruges” and “Vicky Cristina Barcelona.”

On the television side of the Globes, Jon Hamm and January Jones of AMC’s critical favorite “Mad Men” both earned nominations for best actors in a television drama.

And the Golden Globe Nominees Are …

‘The Curious Case of Benjamin Button’
Best Motion Picture - Drama

Paramount

‘Slumdog Millionaire’
Best Motion Picture - Drama

Fox Searchlight

‘Revolutionary Road’
Best Motion Picture - Drama

DreamWorks

‘Frost/Nixon’
Best Motion Picture - Drama

Universal

‘The Reader’
Best Motion Picture - Drama

Weinstein Co.

Kate Winslet
Best Actress in a Motion Picture - Drama, ‘Revolutionary Road’

DreamWorks

Angelina Jolie
Best Actress in a Motion Picture - Drama, ‘Changeling’

Universal

Anne Hathaway
Best Actress in a Motion Picture - Drama, ‘Rachel Getting Married’

Sony Classics

Meryl Streep
Best Actress in a Motion Picture - Drama, ‘Doubt’

Miramax

Kristen Scott Thomas
Best Actress in a Motion Picture - Drama, ‘I’ve Loved You So Long’

Sony Pictures Classics

Hamm is competing against Hugh Laurie’s damaged doctor in “House,” Gabriel Byrne of HBO’s “In Treatment,” Michael C. Hall in Showtime’s “Dexter” and Jonathan Rhys Meyers of Showtime’s “The Tudors.”

Other best actress nominees were Sally Field of ABC’s “Brothers and Sisters,” Mariska Hargitay of “Law & Order: SVU,” Anna Paquin of HBO’s “True Blood” and Kyra Sedgwick of TNT’s “The Closer.”

Meanwhile, Tina Fey’s magical run continued. The show she created and stars in, NBC’s “30 Rock,” earned a Golden Globes nomination for best comedy.