Some of Hollywood’s brightest stars, including "Avatar" director James Cameron, "Hannah Montana" alum Miley Cyrus and "Live" host Kelly Ripa, were among the 14 Disney Legends who were honored at the Disney Legends Awards Ceremony on Sunday, Aug. 11 at the Honda Center in Anaheim, California.
"American Idol’s" Ryan Seacrest hosted the ceremony, which paid tribute to the creative work of individuals who have contributed to Disney throughout their careers.
Among the individuals honored were Angela Bassett, whose wide-spanning career includes roles in "Black Panther" and voicing Dorothea Williams in Disney’s "Soul," Jamie Lee Curtis who acted in "Freaky Friday," and "Star Wars" legend Harrison Ford.
Behind the camera, those honored as Legends included costume designer Colleen Atwood, the first Black VIP tour guide at and the first Black female leader at the Disneyland Resort -- Martha Blanding, co-creator of Spiderman Steve Ditko (whose nephew accepted the award on behalf of the late creator), animator Mark Henn, director and puppeteer Frank Oz, designer Joe Rohde and composer John Williams.
At the ceremony, Disney CEO Bob Iger introduced Ford to the audience, calling him a timeless hero and "a man of integrity" before the actor took the stage to a standing ovation.
Ford called Iger his trusted friend and acknowledged Iger's contribution to the creative industry during his speech. Ford appeared emotional as he concluded his remarks, thanking his collaborators.
Jamie Lee Curtis breaks into song
Lindsay Lohan and Jodie Foster took the stage on Sunday to induct Curtis into the Legends class of 2024.
Upon receiving the honor, Curtis mentioned the premise of her "Freaky Friday" film to reflect her experience with Disney.
"The idea of looking at the world through the other person's perspective. The Disney in all of us. That’s why we’re here," she said. "Legends aren’t born. They are created. ... You are the legends because, without you, none of this is possible."
She ended her speech doing a sing-a-long with the audience to the tune of "It's a Great Big Beautiful Tomorrow" after sharing that her favorite ride was Magic Kingdom's Carousel of Progress.
Kelly Ripa, Ryan Seacrest reunite
During the evening, Seacrest reunited with his former "Live" co-host Ripa as he welcomed her onstage to receive the award, praising her by saying Ripa has "magic power."
Ripa began her remarks by joking to Seacrest, "Ryan, I’m so glad you finally found something else to host." She later expressed her gratitude to Disney, saying, "To be employed by the same company for 34 years is my great good fortune. I owe everything to Disney."
Ripa also reminded the audience how she met her husband, now her co-host, Mark Consuelos, while the two were actors on the ABC soap "All My Children."
Derek Hough, "Dancing with the Stars" judge, came out onstage to present the award to Blanding, who also received a standing ovation from the audience.
Miley Cyrus makes Disney history
Before presenting the award to Cyrus, Lainey Wilson performed at the ceremony and thanked Cyrus for never being afraid to step outside the box and for being true to herself.
In her speech, Cyrus, who was honored as the youngest Disney Legend, teared up while reflecting on her career, especially her time in the Disney Channel popular sitcom, "Hannah Montana."
She dedicated the Disney Legend honor to the character and said she is proud to be Hannah Montana, adding the character "made Miley in so many ways."
Mark Ditko, the nephew of Steve Ditko accepted the award on behalf of his late uncle.
Meanwhile, Kate Winslet was seen in a video to honor Cameron before Zoe Saldana welcomed the Oscar-winning director onstage to receive the award.
Angela Bassett thanks her 'magic' fans
"Black Panther" director Ryan Coogler introduced Angela Bassett during the ceremony. He said he recalled seeing the actress in 1991's film "Boys In The Hood" at the age of 5, saying he was blown away by her performance.
When accepting the award, Bassett began her remarks, saying, "When I think of Disney, 'The Princess and the Frog' comes to mind as an example of imaginative storytelling … a beautiful groundbreaking black princess."
Bassett went on to thank everyone who has supported her in her journey, noting she wouldn't be able to do this alone.
"To the fans, you are the magic," she added. "You have cheered me on my best days and lifted me up on the more difficult ones."
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Ford took the stage again alongside Kathleen Kennedy to present the award to Williams, who was not able to attend the event.
To honor the composer, the Pacific Symphony performed a medley of his onscreen songs.
To close out the ceremony, Seacrest returned to the stage accompanied by Disney's Mickey and Minnie Mouse, before the whole class of 2024 Disney Legends took a group photo together.
"The fourteen individuals to be honored as Disney Legends this year have each made extraordinary creative contributions across the worlds of Disney," Iger stated in a release announcing the honorees in March.
D23's 2024 Disney Legends Awards Ceremony will stream on Disney+ starting on Monday, Aug. 12 at 5 p.m. ET in the U.S. and Canada.
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