Disney Legends is a Hall of Fame award that is awarded by the Walt Disney Company to people who have "made a significant impact on the Disney legacy". The honor, established in 1987, was initially awarded annually in a special private ceremony. Since 2009, it has been awarded biennially at Disney's D23 Expo.
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. The ceremony was recorded and made available for streaming the next day on Disney+.
Criteria
Recipients are chosen by a selection committee. 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.
The award The award was designed by sculptor and Imagineering alumnus Andrea Favilli. Favilli personally casts the award in bronze every two years for D23’s culminating event, the Disney Legends Awards ceremony. The design of the Disney Legends Award draws inspiration from Walt Disney’s Fantasia. The sculpture depicts an unraveling cinematic film spool that transforms into the hand of Mickey Mouse (as the Sorcerer's Apprentice) holding a star-tipped magic wand.
In addition to the handheld award, Favilli created a monumental 14-foot bronze sculptural version that serves as the focal point of the Disney Legends Plaza at The Walt Disney Studios in Burbank, California and unveiled to commemorate the 75th Anniversary of the company. A twin of this sculpture stands at the main entrance of Disneyland Paris. It was originally dedicated and unveiled in 1997 to commemorate the park’s fifth anniversary and was re-dedicated in 2002.
According to The Walt Disney Company, and Favilli’s written concept, the Disney Legends Award incorporates three symbolic elements representing the singular qualities of its recipients:
The Spiral represents imagination and the power of an idea.
The Hand symbolizes skill, discipline, and craftsmanship.
The Wand and the Star represent magic—the spark ignited when imagination and skill unite to create a new dream.
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.D23 Presents Disney Legends at 25 years.
Recipients
__NOTOC__ 1987 | 1989 | 1990 | 1991 | 1992 | 1993 | 1994 | 1995 | 1996 | 1997 | 1998 | 1999 | 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2011 | 2013 | 2015 | 2017 | 2019 | 2022 | 2024 | 2026
= awarded posthumously
1980s Class of 1987 Fred MacMurray, Film
Class of 1989 Les Clark, Animation Marc Davis, Animation & Imagineering Ub Iwerks, Animation & Imagineering Ollie Johnston, Animation Milt Kahl, Animation Ward Kimball, Animation & Imagineering Eric Larson, Animation John Lounsbery, Animation Wolfgang Reitherman, Animation Frank Thomas, Animation
All except Iwerks were Disney's "Nine Old Men".
1990s Class of 1990 Roger Broggie, Imagineering Joe Fowler, Attractions John Hench, Animation & Imagineering Richard Irvine, Imagineering Herb Ryman, Imagineering Sherman Brothers, Music
Class of 1991 Ken Anderson, Animation & Imagineering Julie Andrews, Film Carl Barks, Animation & Publishing Mary Blair, Animation & Imagineering Claude Coats, Animation & Imagineering Don DaGradi, Animation & Film Sterling Holloway, Animation—Voice Fess Parker, Film & Television Bill Walsh, Film & Television
Class of 1992 Jimmie Dodd, Television Bill Evans, Imagineering Annette Funicello, Film & Television Joe Grant, Animation Jack Hannah, Animation Winston Hibler, Film Ken O'Connor, Animation & Imagineering Roy Williams, Animation & Television
Class of 1993 Pinto Colvig, Animation—Voice Buddy Ebsen, Film & Television Peter Ellenshaw, Film Blaine Gibson, Animation & Imagineering Harper Goff, Film & Imagineering Irving Ludwig, Film Jimmy MacDonald, Animation—Voice Clarence Nash, Animation—Voice Donn Tatum, Administration Card Walker, Administration
Class of 1994 Adriana Caselotti, Animation—Voice Bill Cottrell, Animation & Imagineering Marvin Davis, Film & Imagineering Van France, Attractions David Hand, Animation Jack Lindquist, Attractions Bill Martin, Imagineering Paul J. Smith, Music Frank Wells, Administration
Class of 1995 Wally Boag, Attractions Fulton Burley, Attractions Dean Jones, Film Angela Lansbury, Film Edward Meck, Attractions Fred Moore, Animation Thurl Ravenscroft, Animation—Voice Wathel Rogers, Imagineering Betty Taylor, Attractions
Class of 1996 Bob Allen, Attractions Rex Allen, Film & Television X Atencio, Animation & Imagineering Betty Lou Gerson, Animation—Voice Bill Justice, Animation & Imagineering Bob Matheison, Attractions Sam McKim, Imagineering Bob Moore, Animation & Film Bill Peet, Animation—Story
Class of 1997 Lucien Adés, Music Angel Angelopoulos, Publishing Antonio Bertini, Character Merchandise Armand Bigle, Character Merchandise Gaudenzio Capelli, Publishing Roberto de Leonardis, Film Cyril Edgar, Film Wally Feignoux, Film Didier Fouret, Publishing Mario Gentilini, Publishing Cyril James, Film & Merchandise Horst Koblischek, Character Merchandise Gunnar Mansson, Character Merchandise Arnoldo Mondadori, Publishing Armand Palivoda, Film Poul Brahe Pedersen, Publishing Joe Potter, Attractions André Vanneste, Character Merchandise Paul Winkler, Character Merchandise
Class of 1998 James Algar, Animation & Film Buddy Baker, Music Kathryn Beaumont, Animation—Voice Virginia Davis, Animation Roy E. Disney, Film, Animation & Administration Don Escen, Administration Wilfred Jackson, Animation Glynis Johns, Film Kay Kamen, Character Merchandise Paul Kenworthy, Film Larry Lansburgh, Film & Television Hayley Mills, Film Al Milotte and Elma Milotte, Film Norman "Stormy" Palmer, Film Lloyd L. Richardson, Film Kurt Russell, Film Ben Sharpsteen, Animation & Film Masatomo Takahashi, Administration Vladimir (Bill) Tytla, Animation Dick Van Dyke, Film Matsuo Yokoyama, Character Merchandise
Class of 1999 Tim Allen, Television, Film & Animation—Voice Mary Costa, Animation—Voice Norm Ferguson, Animation Bill Garity, Film Yale Gracey, Animation & Imagineering Al Konetzni, Character Merchandise Hamilton Luske, Animation Dick Nunis, Attractions Charlie Ridgway, Attractions
2000s Class of 2000 Grace Bailey, Animation Harriet Burns, Imagineering Joyce Carlson, Animation & Imagineering Ron Dominguez, Parks & Resorts Cliff Edwards, Animation—Voice Becky Fallberg, Animation Dick Jones, Animation—Voice Dodie Roberts, Animation Retta Scott, Animation Ruthie Tompson, Animation
Class of 2001 Howard Ashman, Music Bob Broughton, Film George Bruns, Music Frank Churchill, Music Leigh Harline, Music Fred Joerger, Imagineering Alan Menken, Music Martin Sklar, Imagineering Ned Washington, Music Tyrus Wong, Animation
Class of 2002 Note: In honor of the opening of the Walt Disney Studios Park at Disneyland Paris, all 2002 inductees are of European origin. The ceremony was held in the Animation building at the new park on opening day. Ken Annakin, Film Hugh Attwooll, Film Maurice Chevalier, Film Phil Collins, Music Sir John Mills, Film Robert Newton, Film & Television Sir Tim Rice, Music Robert Stevenson, Film Richard Todd, Film & Television David Tomlinson, Film
Class of 2003 Following a dispute between Roy E. Disney and the company that resulted in Disney departing, Robert Iger, the company's then-president and COO co-presented with Michael Eisner. Neil Beckett, Merchandise Tutti Camarata, Music Edna Francis Disney Lillian Disney Orlando Ferrante, Imagineering Richard Fleischer, Film Floyd Gottfredson, Animation Buddy Hackett, Film & Television Harrison "Buzz" Price, Research Economist Al Taliaferro, Cartoonist Ilene Woods, Music—Voice
Class of 2004 Bill Anderson, Film & Television Tim Conway, Film Rolly Crump, Imagineering Alice Davis, Imagineering Karen Dotrice, Film & Television Matthew Garber, Film Leonard H. Goldenson, Television Bob Gurr, Imagineering Ralph Kent, Imagineering & Attractions Irwin Kostal, Music Mel Shaw, Animation
Class of 2005 In honor of Disneyland's 50th anniversary in 2005, all recipients are related to either Walt Disney Parks and Resorts and/or Walt Disney Imagineering, and nearly all have had some connection with Disneyland. Roy E. Disney again co-presented the awards, after a two-year hiatus and a return to the company. Chuck Abbott, Parks & Resorts Milt Albright, Parks & Resorts Hideo Amemiya, Parks & Resorts Hideo Aramaki, Parks & Resorts Charles Boyer, Parks & Resorts Randy Bright, Imagineering James Cora, Parks & Resorts Robert Jani, Parks & Resorts Mary Jones, Parks & Resorts Art Linkletter, Parks & Resorts Mary Anne Mang, Parks & Resorts Steve Martin, Parks & Resorts Tom Nabbe, Parks & Resorts Jack Olsen, Parks & Resorts Cicely Rigdon, Parks & Resorts William "Sully" Sullivan, Parks & Resorts Jack Wagner, Parks & Resorts Vesey Walker, Parks & Resorts
Class of 2006 Tim Considine, Television & Film Kevin Corcoran, Television & Film Al Dempster, Animation Don Edgren, Imagineering Paul Frees, Television, Film & Parks Peter Jennings, Television Sir Elton John, Music Jimmy Johnson, Music Tommy Kirk, Television & Film Joe Ranft, Animation David Stollery, Television & Film Ginny Tyler, Television & Film
Class of 2007 Roone Arledge, Television Art Babbitt, Animation Carl Bongirno, Imagineering Marge Champion, Animation Dick Huemer, Animation Ron Logan, Parks & Resorts Lucille Martin, Administration Tom Murphy, Administration Randy Newman, Music Floyd Norman, Animation Bob Schiffer, Film Production Dave Smith, Archives
Class of 2008 Wayne Allwine, Animation—Voice Bob Booth, Attractions Neil Gallagher, Attractions Frank Gifford, Television Toshio Kagami, Parks and Resorts Burny Mattinson, Animation Walter Peregoy, Animation Dorothea Redmond, Designer Russi Taylor, Animation—Voice Barbara Walters, Television Oliver Wallace, Music
Class of 2009 Tony Anselmo, Animation—Voice Harry Archinal, Administration Beatrice Arthur, Film & Television Bill Farmer, Animation—Voice Estelle Getty, Film & Television Don Iwerks, Film Rue McClanahan, Film & Television Leota Toombs Thomas, Attractions Betty White, Film & Television Robin Williams, Film & Animation—Voice
2010s Class of 2011 Regis Philbin, Television Jim Henson, Film & Television Jodi Benson, Animation—Voice Paige O'Hara, Animation—Voice Lea Salonga, Animation—Voice Linda Larkin, Animation—Voice Anika Noni Rose, Animation—Voice Jack Wrather, Parks & Resorts Bonita Wrather, Film Guy Williams, Television Bo Boyd, Consumer Products Raymond Watson, Administration
Class of 2013 Tony Baxter, Imagineering Collin Campbell, Imagineering Dick Clark, Television Billy Crystal, Film & Animation—Voice John Goodman, Film & Animation—Voice Steve Jobs, Animation Glen Keane, Animation Ed Wynn, Film & Animation—Voice
Class of 2015 George Bodenheimer, Administration & Television Andreas Deja, Animation Johnny Depp, Film Eyvind Earle, Animation Danny Elfman, Music George Lucas, Film & Parks and Resorts Susan Lucci, Television Julie Reihm Casaletto, Parks and Resorts Carson Van Osten, Consumer Products
Class of 2017 Carrie Fisher, Film