Led by megastar Tom Cruise, his wife Katie Holmes, Sienna Miller and Ellen DeGeneres, the stars paid tribute to the 28-year-old Oscar nominee on the lot of Sony studios in Los Angeles.

Lindsay Lohan, Josh Harnett , Shannyn Sossamon and British supermodel Lily Cole were among the high profile stars photographed arriving at the ceremony.

Singer Ben Harper performed at the hour long service, and Neil Young's Old Man played as a slide show was played. Director Todd Haynes, who directed Ledger in last year's Bob Dylan film, I'm Not There, spoke at the ceremony.

The ceremony follows a private family memorial a week earlier, which was also attended by Michelle Williams, Ledger's former fiancee and mother of his two-year-old daughter Matilda, and another ex-girlfriend Naomi Watts.

It is expected that Ledger's family will return to their hometown of Perth with his body early this week.

[Au]