34°9′29.65″N 118°19′35″W / 34.1582361°N 118.32639°W / 34.1582361; -118.32639
Disney Legends is a Hall of Fame award that is awarded by The Walt Disney Company to individuals who "[have] made a significant impact on the Disney legacy." The honor was established in 1987, and was traditionally awarded annually during a special private ceremony. Since 2009, it has been awarded on a biennial basis during Disney's D23 Expo.[1]
Starting in 2024, the Disney Legends awards ceremony was moved from D23 Expo's traditional venue at the Anaheim Convention Center to the larger Honda Center down the street and was hosted by Ryan Seacrest.[2] The ceremony was recorded and made available for streaming the next day on Disney+.[2]
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Recipients are chosen by a selection committee, formerly appointed and chaired by Disney Legend Roy E. Disney, Walt Disney's nephew, former vice chairman and director emeritus of The Walt Disney Company. The committee consists of long-time Disney executives, historians, and other authorities. Besides the award statuette itself, each honoree is represented by a bronze commemorative plaque featuring the recipients' handprints and signature if they were living when inducted, or simply an image of the statuette emblem if the induction was posthumous. The plaques are placed on display in Legends Plaza at the Walt Disney Studios in Burbank, California, across from the Michael D. Eisner Building.
Imagineer Andrea Favilli created the Disney Legends award, which is handcrafted from bronze each year. The award depicts the arm of Mickey Mouse holding a star-tipped wand.
A 14-foot sculpture replica of the award statuette sits in Legends Plaza in Burbank. An identical 14-foot sculpture replica is located outside the entrance of Disneyland Paris. It was dedicated and unveiled in 1997 and re-dedicated in 2002.
Disney describes the award as follows:
The Disney Legends award has three distinct elements that characterize the contributions made by each talented recipient.
The Spiral ... stands for imagination, the power of an idea.
The Hand ... holds the gifts of skill, discipline and craftsmanship.
The Wand and the Star ... represent magic: the spark that is ignited when imagination and skill combine to create a new dream.[3]
The first Disney Legends committee consisted of Dave Smith; Arlene Ludwig; Marty Sklar, Randy Bright; Jack Lindquist; Sharon Harwood; Art Levitt; Shelley Miles; Paula Sigman; Doris Smith; and Stacia Martin.[4]
In 2017, Muppet performer Steve Whitmire alleged that the company offered him "consolation prizes" including the Disney Legends award in return for keeping quiet about the details surrounding his termination.[5][6]
= awarded posthumously
All except Iwerks were Disney's "Nine Old Men".