By Courtney Potter
Once again, thousands of elated fans filled the Honda Center in Anaheim, California, on Sunday afternoon, August 16, for the Disney Legends Awards Ceremony—the final showcase event at D23: The Ultimate Disney Fan Event. This year, 13 iconic talents were honored for their significant contributions to the Disney legacy.
The Disney Legends program is a now a D23 tradition of The Walt Disney Company, and began with inaugural inductee Fred MacMurray (The Shaggy Dog, The Absent-Minded Professor, The Happiest Millionaire) in 1987. Now a biannual D23 tradition, the Awards Ceremony is truly an event for the ages—and it all kicked off with CEO Josh D’Amaro welcoming the magnificent multitudes.
“For more than a century, Disney stories have endured time because they tap into something timeless. Thanks to the extraordinary talent behind them, they continue to push boundaries of creativity and innovation, open new worlds, and show us what's possible,” D’Amaro said. “Their creativity, innovation, excellence, and deep commitment to bringing joy to people around the world has made them the stuff of legend, and recognizing them alongside the fans who love their work is what makes this event so meaningful.”
Then, as in 2024, host Ryan Seacrest took the stage. “There aren’t many places where we can all come together to celebrate the magic of Disney,” Seacrest said, “and this night is all the more special because of each and every one of you are with us. This is Disney’s biggest celebration, and we’re so glad you’re all here to be a part of it.”
There’s so much in store—from incredible live performances and heartfelt video tributes to appearances from the Legends themselves... and even a few big surprises. So, let’s get this celebration started!
Seacrest welcomed actress Auli’i Cravalho, who voiced Moana in the Walt Disney Animation Studios film, to introduce tonight’s first inductee: Lin-Manuel Miranda.
Cravalho said of Miranda, “There are songwriters who write great songs—and then there’s Lin-Manuel Miranda. He doesn’t just write music; he writes masterpieces. But what makes Lin truly special isn’t just the music he creates; it’s the generosity in his creativity... you are one of the finest musical storytellers of our, or any, generation.”
To honor Miranda’s many contributions to the worlds of Disney, the Honda Center became “the room where it happened” with a memorable medley which included songs written and/or performed by him—including “Trip a Little Light Fantastic,” “We Don’t Talk About Bruno,” “You’re Welcome,” “Dear Theodosia,” “We Know the Way,” and more—was performed by stage and screen stars Jordan Fisher, Nikki M. James, Cravalho, Utkarsh Ambudkar, James Monroe Iglehart, Mandy Gonzalez, Wayne Brady, Robin de Jesus, and Arielle Jacobs.
In accepting his award—and holding his notes in a Little Mermaid VHS clamshell box—Miranda explained (to the tune of “Part of Your World”), “I want to be where the people are... write songs like Menken and Howard Ashman. Watching the kids sing along to the songs on that screen. I was that kid—just a bit bizarre; singing along, with my trusty Sebastian. Playing my Casio keyboard along with each scene... and I’m grateful for you, for believing in me; you see that line where the sky meets the sea... God, what a time; grateful that I’m, part of your world.”
Next up, Ginnifer Goodwin—who voices Judy Hopps in the Zootopia films—began her introduction for our next inductee: Alan Tudyk. “He has voiced over 25 Disney characters, and at this point, I'm honestly starting to think Walt just left a note somewhere that says, "When in doubt... call Alan.”
She continued, “I am in awe of Alan’s vast range. Each character is a masterclass in brave exploration, rooted in something deeply human. They each have their own heart. Their own rhythm. Their own wonderful and totally weird personality. And that's an absolute gift.”
Tudyk was humbled to accept his award, and told a story to illustrate his love of working with Disney: “I was recently invited to go to a charity event for pediatric cancer, and I met a lot of young people. There was this a beautiful girl young girl there with her arms folded, glaring at me, because her parents just said, ‘Hey, it's Hei Hei!’ And she said, ‘Nuh-uh!’ She had a picture of Hei Hei [from Moana] that she wanted signed, and I put ‘Ba-kawk!’ on it—which is his catchphrase. And I drew it out... and the more I drew it out, and the more I [imitated Hei Hei], she stopped standing still—she just couldn't stand still anymore. The more I did it, the more she moved until she was laughing... I get to be the ambassador of so much joy—it is incredible. This award is fantastic, but I’m a surrogate of love.”
Next, Disney Legend Ming-Na Wen took the stage to introduce the next inductee: Walt Disney Imagineering icon Kim Irvine. “Kim pushed the Disney legacy of excellence in storytelling into a new era—inspiring generations of storytellers to follow in their footsteps... Kim, thanks to your vision, your leadership, and most of all, your love of Disney, you have given park lovers new attractions to look forward to with each visit—where we call get to play.”
As Irvine said in accepting her award. “[Disney Legend] John Hench and I used to walk [Disneyland] park, and he’d tell me all these things. We’d walk for hours., which was surprising since by that time he was in his late ’80s, early ’90s... He’d tell me, ‘Always remember: The guests own this park; we just take care of it for them.’”
Vanessa Hudgens then arrived to celebrate our next Legend inductees: the Jonas Brothers. “I remember watching the three of you and just being in awe of your connection,” she said. “The way you communicate with each other without even saying a word... The bond of your brotherhood is something that makes us all feel like a part of your extended family. I know how much you mean to your fans, and how much they mean to you. Tonight, there are thousands of them here—but there are millions more who wish they could be.”
All three brothers were effusive in their excitement over their Legends Award: “To our incredible fans,” said Joe, “thank you. Thank you for letting us be a part of your childhood, and growing up alongside you all these years. You gave three brothers from New Jersey a life beyond anything we could imagine. We are so grateful.” Nick concurred, adding, “Disney taught us that music could bring people together; stories could make people feel seen; and a little bit of magic could turn something impossible into something real.” And Kevin added, “We are so unbelievably proud to join such an extraordinary class of Disney Legends. You’re all amazing and incredible, and we are truly honored.”
Coming to the stage to celebrate our next inductee, Susan Egan, was a quartet of women who followed in her footsteps and played the iconic role of Belle in Broadway’s Beauty and the Beast: Ashley Brown, Ann Sanders, Anneliese van der Pol, and currently starring as Belle in the North American Tour, Kyra Belle Johnson.
Following their performance of the show’s enchanting title song, Johnson explained to the Honda Center crowd, “Susan paid us a surprise visit when Beauty and the Beast was on tour in Nashville last year. When it came to meeting the woman who laid so much of the groundwork for how Belle came to exist live on stage, I was really intimidated. But she could not have been a more gracious, grounded, and disarming person... Susan, you’ve already inspired a couple generations of young women. And there is no end in sight. Tonight, we have some of those young women here with us. They are huge fans, and they’re so excited to honor you with this next song.”
With that, Johnson and the other Belles welcomed supergroup KATSEYE to the stage, to perform “I Won’t Say I’m In Love,” Egan’s signature song from Disney’s Hercules.
The members of KATSEYE then brought Egan out to accept her award, and she emotionally admitted, “If Beauty and the Beast had simply been my Broadway debut, that would’ve been dream-come-true enough—but it was also a welcome into this family that has always allowed me the space to evolve and grow. Right off the bat, I got to jump from stage Belle to screen Meg; from wide-eyed wonder to side-eyed sarcasm—which if you know me, tracks. I’ve spent 25 years working for nearly every division of this company... I am honored to play just a small role in Walt’s legacy.”
NFL icon Steve Young was next up, to introduce Legend inductee and ESPN stalwart Chris Berman: “When it comes to sports commentating, this next Legend redefined an era. He brought a unique brand of humor and joy to the profession that had never been seen before. And once the world was introduced to his creative wordplay, the game was changed forever... Boomer, I’m forever grateful for your advice and, most of all, your signature ‘Boomerisms’—with my all-time favorite being, ‘He could go all... the... way!’”
Berman gratefully accepted his award, saying. “I recently looked up [previous] Disney Legends, and I saw Fred MacMurray, Julie Andrews. Elton John. Barbara Walters, Angela Lansbury, Dick Van Dyke, Harrison Ford, Billy Crystal... I'm in the wrong room! I'm sorry, I gotta go,” he joked, later adding a quote attributed to Walt Disney: “Growing old is mandatory. But not growing up is optional.”
Next to the stage was Orlando Bloom, here to honor his friend and Legend inductee Jerry Bruckheimer. “In addition to being passionate and brilliant, Jerry, you simply do not miss,” said Bloom. “You have this remarkable gift for building worlds that forever live in our hearts. You've expanded our imaginations by transporting us into stories that become part of culture. And you're either talent or unmatched, if I do say so myself,” he added, chuckling.
In accepting his award, Bruckheimer admitted, “You [the fans] are why we make these [movies]. You're here tonight because of what we put on the screens. And you support what we do. And nobody does it better than The Walt Disney Company... They become worldwide phenomenons, and they make the world a better place.”
The Honda Center crowd then welcomed Walt Disney Animation Studios Chief Creative Office Jared Bush to the stage, who waxed poetic about the next Legend inductee—Eric Goldberg. “As a young man, Eric was a successful animator, leading his own company, when Disney approached him to consider animating a character for a project in development,” Bush explained. “That project was Aladdin, and that character was the Genie. The combination of Eric’s joyful, playful, and fearless animation and the talents of Robin Williams created one of the most iconic animated characters of all time. Not a bad way to start your Disney career... Through his work, he keeps the legacy of Disney alive, and has created a body of work that is a legacy unto itself.”
With the iconic Disneyland Band heralding him to the stage, Goldberg then accepted his award, stating, “People have asked me recently what it feels like what it feels like to become a Disney Legend. It is very humbling to be part of a rarefied group that includes so many people I've admired for so long. [Disney Legends] Mary Blair, Frank Thomas, Ollie Johnston, Mark and Alice Davis, Ward Kimball, Fred Moore, Ken O'Connor, Joe Frank, Burny Mattinson, Robin Williams. Well, that's a pretty amazing company for me to be. Thank you, one and all.”
Next, David Frankel—director of both The Devil Wears Prada and The Devil Wears Prada 2—took the stage to honor our next inductee, Anne Hathaway. “In the 20 years since that first Devil Wears Prada, Annie has grown into a creative powerhouse, and a leader on set with razor-sharp instincts and strong convictions... the opportunity to work together again, with family, was just too powerful—and once again Annie made us laugh; gave us permission to cry; and reminded us of the hero that lives inside everyone.”
Frankel then introduced a surprise video message to continue feting Hathaway, from current Condé Nast Chief Content Officer and Global Editorial Director of Vogue Anna Wintour herself! “Anne Hathaway can sing sensationally, she can dance divinely, and is an amazing, amazing actress. But she is also a devoted mother, a loving wife, and the very best of friends. No one deserves the Disney Legend Award more than you.”
“I am here today because I am one of the most insanely lucky people in the world,” said an emotional Hathaway. “Thank you, to you—every single one of you. Every one of you who has graced me with your time and bought a ticket to a film or a project of mine has kept my long history so long for three decades. And I wouldn't be here on this stage—in this beautiful, rare moment—without you. I'm so grateful to you. Thank you so much. As far as I'm concerned, this distinction of Disney Legend status is shared by us all, and I couldn't feel luckier for that. So thank you so much, and let's keep making magic together.”
Next, to celebrate inductee Dwayne Johnson was an actress quite familiar to both our previous inductee Hathaway and to Johnson: Emily Blunt! “I'm so proud to be able to wax on about this awesome demi-god that we're celebrating today,” she said about her friend. “When I first met Dwayne Johnson, I had assumed wrongly that he would have the energy of a man who was a walking suplex. But the bravado of ‘The Rock’ was actually nowhere to be seen... What I was met with was someone who was so disarmingly nice, gentle, curious, totally unpretentious... [and] he's a non-conforming, world-breaking, mold-breaking rebel.”
After a rousing “Chee-hoo!” from the crowd, Johnson said, “There’s a few things, I think, that connect all of us Disney Legends with Disney: it’s this idea that we all do what we can to create these moments of joy for families around the world. And that means something... We took my daughter Simone to [Walt Disney World] when she was 5, and I’ll never forget—they have the breakfast with the princesses... and one of the princesses asked her to close her eyes make a wish. She closed her eyes, and I so remember that moment, I’d never seen that before—I wondered what was going through her mind at that time. That’s the beauty of Disney... that’s what life is all about. Creating experiences for people.”
And to start introductions for our final inductee of the evening, Bob Iger, D’Amaro returned to the Honda Center stage and welcomed a starry group to receive him: four Disney Legends previously inducted during Iger’s Disney CEO tenure—Diane Sawyer, Ellen Pompeo, Robert Downey Jr., and Harrison Ford—as well as iconic sportscaster Al Michaels.
Said Michaels, “At ABC Sports, we all loved Bob... he may have been a ‘business guy,’ but Bob had star power—and on he went to become the perfect choice to protect the Disney brand and shepherd two decades worth of incredible Disney magic and growth.” Added Sawyer, “Sometimes he’d come in and wander into the newsroom—and it's legend in the newsroom, because he’d come to give support and he come with rapid fire questions like depth charges to see if we knew what we were doing. The kind of questions that make me think in a whole new way. So I just want to celebrate the bold moves that are the stuff of legend.”
Said Pompeo, “You have led this company with deep empathy, universal respect, and the warmest smile. Your belief in empowering people by making them see and heard is unbelievably rare... [and] it's your integrity and your kindness that will be your legacy forever.” “Fortune favors the brave,” added Downey. “To me, those four words explain Mr. Iger's primary quality and spirit. It's the bold choice in the face of incredible risk, trusting your instincts, empowering people to aspire beyond perceived limitation... and that’s why you truly are a Legend in every sense of the word.” And Ford concluded, “Two years ago, you stood here and said some very generous things about me. So, I'm glad I get to return the favor. I've watched you make some impossible decisions. I've watched you protect creative people. I've watched you carry an enormous responsibility with remarkable grace. But what I'll remember most is the way you made people believe. That’s leadership. That’s friendship. And that is your greatest legacy.”
Iger took the stage to offer his deep appreciation for the award. “Over the years, I've had the privilege of giving this award out to dozens and dozens of truly worthy people; unbelievably talented people who contributed so much to this company. So it is an incredible honor for me to receive that same award, particularly with this unbelievable class... Twenty years ago, I was named CEO of this remarkable company. And I must say, no pun intended, it was a ride in a lifetime. And today it is a vivid reminder of just what a wonderful ride that was. From the bottom of my heart—to all the people, to our audiences, to our subscribers, to moviegoers, to the broadcasts, to our D23 Members—thank you.”
Before the evening came to a close, Seacrest had one more surprised for the assembled crowd: a practically perfect “kiss goodnight” performance of “A Dream is a Wish Your Heart Makes” from Broadway and West End star Samantha Barks, soon to be seen in Disney Theatrical Group’s The Greatest Showman.
As the ceremony ended, Seacrest welcomed all of tonight’s inductees on stage to take their official “group photo.” As the host explained, “This has truly been a wonderful night that only Disney could make possible. These legends have all made their mark—not just on the Disney legacy, but on each and every one of us. We are so grateful to live in a world where dreams become reality thanks to icons like this. I hope their stories inspire the magic inside all of you.”
Don’t forget: You can watch the Disney Legends Awards Ceremony on Disney+!