The 2024 Disney Legends Award honorees have been revealed. The newest class of Disney Legends will be honored at the 2024 D23 Expo.

We’re getting closer and closer to the 2024 D23 Expo! The massive Disney fan event will take place from August 9 to August 11, 2024, in Anaheim, California. Ahead of tickets going on sale, Disney has shared more details on the event, including who will be honored at this year’s Disney Legends Award Ceremony!

Disney Legends 2024 Ceremony

To conclude the D23 Expo, Disney will honor its newest class of Disney Legends. The program honors animators, Imagineers, songwriters, actors, and business leaders who have made a significant impact on The Walt Disney Company. The Legends are chosen by a selection committee, which the late Roy E. Disney formerly chaired. You can learn more about many of these past honorees through our coverage here. This year’s award ceremony will take place Sunday, August 11, at 5 PM at the Honda Center in Anaheim, California.

“To be named a Disney Legend is the highest honor our company can bestow on anyone, reserved for those whose talent and achievement have earned them an enduring place in our history,” said Bob Iger, Chief Executive Officer of The Walt Disney Company. “The fourteen individuals to be honored as Disney Legends this year have each made extraordinary creative contributions across the worlds of Disney and we look forward to celebrating them at D23: The Ultimate Disney Fan Event.”

This year’s honorees include Colleen Atwood, Angela Bassett, Martha Blanding, James L. Brooks, James Cameron, Jamie Lee Curtis, Miley Cyrus, Steve Ditko, Harrison Ford, Mark Henn, Frank Oz, Kelly Ripa, Joe Rohde, and John Williams. The ceremony will be hosted by Ryan Seacrest, with special guests, performances, and tributes expected. Let’s take a closer look at each of the honorees.

Colleen Atwood

Colleen Atwood is a costume designer who has been nominated for an Academy Award® a dozen times and has won four Oscars. One of her Oscar wins was for her work on Alice in Wonderland (2010). She has worked closely over the years with director Tim Burton on creating the world of his immersive films, first working together on Edward Scissorhands. Since then, she has worked with Burton on twelve films, including his live-action reimaging of Alice in Wonderland and Dumbo. They will collaborate together for the 13th time with this year’s upcoming Beetlejuice Beetlejuice.

Angela Bassett

Actress Angela Bassett first broke out in 1991, playing Reva Devereaux in John Singleton’s Boyz n the Hood. Since then, she’s accrued a long list of roles and accolades, including a Golden Globe award and Oscar nomination for her role as Tina Turner in the biopic What’s Love Got to Do With It. In 2022, she won another Golden Globe for her role as Queen Ramona in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, receiving another Oscar nomination as well. In her relationship with The Walt Disney Company, she will next be featured as the narrator of National Geographic’s Queens.

Martha Blanding

Martha Blanding made history in her roles at Disneyland Resort. She was the first permanent full-time Black Tour Guide, later graduating to become the first Black woman in management at Disneyland in her role as an expert merchandise, candy, and film buyer. Blanding is considered to be one of the pioneering producers of the Official Disneyana Convention, which would later make way for today’s D23. Martha also co-founded PULSE, a business employee resource group for Black Disneyland Cast Members. Notably, she was the first Black Cast Member to commemorate 50 years with Disneyland Resort.

James L. Brooks

James L. Brooks is a director, producer, and screenwriter who has been the creative mind behind some of the most well-known television series of all time. He co-created sitcoms such as The Mary Tyler Moore Show, Taxi, and The Simpsons. Throughout his career, he has won numerous Academy Awards, Emmy Awards, and a Golden Globe Award. Brooks has also directed films like Terms of Endearment, Broadcast News, and As Good As It Gets.

James Cameron

James Cameron is an acclaimed filmmaker, ocean explorer, and environmental advocate. He has been the writer, director, and producer of films such as The Terminator, The Abyss, Aliens, Titanic, Avatar, and Avatar: The Way of Water. Cameron teamed up with Walt Disney Imagineering in 2011 to help create the Avatar-inspired land Pandora – The World of Avatar that can currently be found at Disney’s Animal Kingdom. He has also produced 12 documentaries, many of which have been done in partnership with National Geographic.

Jamie Lee Curtis

Jamie Lee Curtis is an Academy Award-winning actress who first gained major recognition in her role as Laurie Strode in Halloween. Since then, the actress has appeared in roles such as Helen Tasker in True Lies, Tess Coleman in Freaky Friday, and Madame Leota in Haunted Mansion.

Miley Cyrus

Miley Cyrus is a singer, songwriter, and actress who first rose to fame in Disney Channel’s Hannah Montana. The series premiered in March 2006 and became a smash hit for the Disney Channel, drawing and average of 4.4 million viewers per episode. More recently, Miley won Record of the Year and Best Pop Solo Performance at the 2024 Grammy Awards. At 31 years old, Miley will be the youngest honoree to ever be named a Disney Legend.

Steve Ditko

Steve Ditko was a comics artist who was best known as the co-creator of Marvel superhero Spider-Man, as well as the creator of Doctor Strange. In the 1950s he worked with Atlas Comics, which would be the precursor for Marvel Comics. In 1962, he would help to co-create Spider-Man with Stan Lee, one of the most important contributions in Marvel history. He also made notable contributions to characters throughout his tenure, redesigning Iron Man’s armor to be red and gold, and codifying Bruce Banner’s Hulk transformations to be a function of his anger.

Harrison Ford

Harrison Ford has portrayed some of the most iconic action heroes of all time, including Han Solo in Star Wars, and Indiana Jones. In 1973, he gained the attention of fellow Disney Legend George Lucas in a small role in American Graffiti. This would lead to his casting as Han Solo in the first Star Wars film in 1977. Over his career, the actor has won numerous accolades and has continued his relationship with Disney with a role as President Thaddeus “Thunderbolt” Ross in Marvel’s upcoming Captain America: Brave New World, to be released in 2025.

Mark Henn

Mark Henn joined Walt Disney Animation Studios in 1980, working as an assistant animator on The Fox and the Hound. He went on to animate Mickey Mouse in 1983’s Mickey’s Christmas Caroland served as supervising animator for five Disney female leads: Ariel, Belle, Jasmine, Mulan, and Tiana. He animated Simba in The Lion King, and Pocahontas in Pocahontas. In 2018, he was commissioned to paint Mickey’s official portrait for the character’s 90th anniversary.

Frank Oz

Frank Oz is a writer, performer, actor, director, producer…the list goes on and on! He is known for his collaboration with Disney Legend Jim Henson, co-directing The Dark Crystal. He has also directed The Muppets Take Manhattan, Little Shop of Horrors, and Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, among others. He has also performed and originated countless characters from The Muppets, including Miss Piggy, Fozzie, Sam Eagle, Animal, and more. Plus, he originated and performed characters on Sesame Street such as Bert, Grover, and Cookie Monster. He is also notable for originating and performing Yoda in the Star Wars universe.

Kelly Ripa

Kelly Ripa has a career at ABC spanning over 30 years, currently serving as co-host of LIVE With Kelly and Mark. She began her career as an actress on shows such as All My Children and Hope & Faith. She her and husband, Mark Consuelos, ventured into entertainment with their production company, Milojo Productions. Over the years she has helped produce documentaries, launched a podcast, and even written a New York Times best-selling book.

Joe Rodhe

Joe Rodhe is known as an instrumental Walt Disney Imagineer, with a portfolio spanning 40 years before retiring in 2021. Joe Rohde was the overall creative executive and supervising designer for Disney’s Animal Kingdom. His work included expansions such as Expedition Everest and Pandora – The World of Avatar. Some of his most notable projects outside of Animal Kingdom include The Adventurers Club at Pleasure Island, Aulani, A Disney Resort & Spa, and Guardians of the Galaxy – Mission: BREAKOUT! at Disney’s California Adventure. Along with his Imagineering work, Rodhe was instrumental in the creation of the Disney Conservation Fund, which has disbursed over $120 million in grants to projects worldwide.

John Williams

John Williams is behind some of the most famous film soundtracks of all time. Early in his career, Williams composed the music for more than 200 television films and numerous television series. He has gone on to work with Steven Spielberg and George Lucas on composing the famous music behind movies such as Indiana Jones, Star Wars, and Jurassic Park, among countless others. John has won five Academy Awards and been nominated 54 times (most recently for Indiana Joens and the Dial of Destiny). In fact, he is the Academy’s most- nominated living person and the second-most-nominated person in the history of the Oscars (second only to Walt Disney).

Past Disney Legend Honorees

Want to learn more about past Disney Legends? WDW Magazine has covered the achievements for many of these incredible figures, from Disney Imagineers to actors, and other creatives. You can read more about them at the links below!

• Robert Sherman
• Whoopi Goldberg
• Dick Van Dyke
• Ming Na Wen
• Sterling Holloway
• Les Clark
• Ward Kimball
• John Lounsbery
• Linda Larkin
• Milt Kahl
• Elton John
• Ub Iwerks
• Marc Davis
• Andreas Deja
• George Lucas
• Paige O’Hara
• Robert Downey Jr.
• Ilene Woods
• Dorothea Redmond
• Retta Scott
• Bill Peet
• Thurl Ravenscroft