D23 has announced its 2024 Disney Legends Award Honorees who will be recognized at the annual convention in Anaheim on August 11, 2024. Hosted by Ryan Seacrest, this year’s honorees are 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 take place at 5 p.m. at the Honda Center in Anaheim, California.
The annual D23 convention allows Disney fans around the world will once again gather in Anaheim, California, on August 9, 10, and 11, 2024, for D23: The Ultimate Disney Fan Event presented by Visa, a one-of-a-kind experience showcasing the very best in creative storytelling and innovation from across The Walt Disney Company. For more information, visit: TVMusic Network D23
The 2024 Disney Legends Award honorees (listed alphabetically) are:
COLLEEN ATWOOD
For Colleen Atwood, designing costumes for movies both fantastical and fabulous is like creating her own Wonderland. This prolific costume designer has been nominated for an Academy Award® a dozen times and has won four Oscars®, including for her visually evocative work in Alice in Wonderland (2010). Atwood’s works include Planet of the Apes (2001), Into the Woods (2014), Alice Through the Looking Glass (2016), Lady and the Tramp (2019), and The Little Mermaid (2023).
ANGELA BASSETT
It takes a strong woman to portray a strong female character, and Angela Bassett fits the bill. From her breakout role as single mother Reva Devereaux in John Singleton’s Boyz n the Hood (1991), to her portrayal of fierce Queen Ramonda of Wakanda in Marvel’s Black Panther films, Angela’s unmistakable voice, signature delivery, and grand presence command immediate attention. She received two Emmy® nominations for outstanding narrator for National Geographic’s The Flood (2018) and the Disney+ docuseries The Imagineering Story (2019), and was nominated for her second Academy Award, this time in the Best Supporting Actress category, for the role of Queen Ramonda in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever (2022). She is also the star and executive producer of the hit drama 9-1-1, voiced Dorothea Williams in Disney and Pixar’s Academy Award-winning animated feature Soul (2020), and received an Honorary Academy Award in 2024.
MARTHA BLANDING
Martha Blanding helped put the “happy” in The Happiest Place on Earth. As the first permanent full-time Black Tour Guide, Martha personified the philosophy of creating happiness for others while embodying the principles of hospitality and courtesy Walt Disney sought to establish for Disneyland Cast Members. Once hired as a Tour Guide, she quickly climbed the ladder to become a VIP Hostess. Martha later became the first-ever Black woman in management at Disneyland as an expert merchandise, candy, and film buyer for 16 years, and later became the senior manager of Disneyland Resort Merchandise Special Events. Adding to the many “firsts” during her career before retiring in 2022, Martha was the first Black Cast Member to commemorate 50 years with the Disneyland Resort, and now becomes the first Black Disney Parks employee designated a Disney Legend.
JAMES L. BROOKS
Acclaimed for character driven, writer centric projects that deftly combine comedy and poignancy—such as 20th Century’s Broadcast News (1987)—James L. Brooks is a TV and film icon responsible for some of the most beloved entertainment projects of all time. At James’ invitation, Matt Groening created animated interstitials for the company’s The Tracey Ullman Show featuring a dysfunctional family, which led to a full-fledged animated series—the first since the 1960s—The Simpsons, in 1989. The longest-running primetime scripted show in television history, The Simpsons quickly exploded into a cultural phenomenon. Currently in its 35th season, The Simpsons has won 37 Emmy Awards. James also co-produced and co-wrote The Simpsons Movie in 2007. James, who continues to serve as executive producer of the misadventures of the animated citizens of Springfield, maintains that the series has not outlived its popularity, especially now with it streaming on Disney+. Brooks is currently working on his next feature film for 20th Century Studios, Ella McCay.
JAMES CAMERON
James Cameron is an acclaimed filmmaker, ocean explorer, and environmental advocate. As a director, a writer, and a producer, he’s responsible for some of the world’s most memorable films including The Terminator (1984), Aliens (1986), The Abyss (1989), Titanic (1997), Avatar (2009), and Avatar: The Way of Water (2022), the latter three being three among the four highest grossing films of all time. Titanic alone won 11 Oscars, including James’ for Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Editing. He is currently in post-production on Avatar 3, and in pre-production on Avatar 4 and 5. Teaming up with Walt Disney Imagineering in 2011, James helped to steer the creation of an Avatar-inspired area of Disney’s Animal Kingdom Theme Park at Walt Disney World Resort in Florida. He executive produces National Geographic’s Secrets series, including the Emmy Award-winning Secrets of the Whales and Emmy-nominated Secrets of the Elephants, with Octopus launching on Earth Day 2024. He also executive produced the OceanXplorers series, due in Fall 2024 from National Geographic.
JAMIE LEE CURTIS
Jamie Lee Curtis was cast as “Scream Queen” Laurie Strode in John Carpenter’s thrilling classic Halloween (1978), establishing her trajectory as a bona fide movie star. The Oscar winner has demonstrated her versatility with a variety of captivating roles over her career, including suburban housewife-turned-international-spy Helen Tasker in True Lies (1994) and no-nonsense mom Tess Coleman in Disney’s remake of the classic body-swap comedy Freaky Friday (2003). In 2023, Jamie Lee returned to both Disney and the macabre genre to portray the legendary Madame Leota in Haunted Mansion, inspired by the classic Disneyland theme park attraction. The author of 13 best-selling books, all exploring core childhood issues, she is also the founder and CEO of My Hand in Yours™, a charitable organization that offers comfort and celebratory gifts where 100% of every sale is donated directly to Children’s Hospital Los Angeles. For her many performances, Jamie Lee has received a British Academy Film Award, two Golden Globes, and nominations for a Primetime Emmy and a Grammy®. Most recently, she won an Academy Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role for Everything Everywhere All at Once (2022).
MILEY CYRUS
Miley Cyrus is an award-winning superstar singer, songwriter, and actress who first rose to fame as a Disney Channel sensation. Miley started her acting career at the age of 8, and by the age of 13, she auditioned for the Disney Channel series Hannah Montana. The series premiered in March 2006 to the largest audience for a Disney Channel Original Series, drawing an average of 4.4 million viewers per episode. A 2007 episode of the series still ranks as the highest-rated basic cable series telecast ever, with 10.7 million total viewers. She embarked on her wildly popular Best of Both Worlds Tour in 2007, and in 2008, she voiced the character of Penny in Walt Disney Animation Studios’ feature Bolt. For the film, Miley earned a Golden Globe Award nomination for Best Original Song (“I Thought I Lost You”). The following year, she took center stage once again for the lead in Hannah Montana: The Movie, which included the hit song “The Climb.” 2023 saw the release of Miley’s album Endless Summer Vacation, which inspired the documentary concert special Endless Summer Vacation (Backyard Sessions), streaming on Disney+. At the 66th Annual Grammy Awards in 2024, Miley was honored with her first-ever wins for Record of the Year and Best Pop Solo Performance. At just 31 years old, Miley is now the youngest honoree ever to be named a Disney Legend.
STEVE DITKO
Originally hailing from Johnstown, Pennsylvania, Steve Ditko’s love for comics began at a young age. After serving in the U.S. Army, where he drew comics for the Army newsletter, one of his idols, Batman artist Jerry Robinson, became his mentor. Steve helped to co-create all-new characters, including Speedball and Squirrel Girl. One of the greatest artist-writer talents in comic book history, Steve’s imagination and creative vision changed the comics industry and super hero storytelling forever.
HARRISON FORD
Harrison Ford has portrayed some of the most iconic action heroes to ever burn up the big screen. After appearing in a small but impressive role in American Graffiti (1973), directed by fellow Disney Legend George Lucas, Harrison proved to be perfect for the role of Han Solo, cynical smuggler and captain of the Millennium Falcon in Star Wars: A New Hope (1977). He would go on to portray Han in all three episodes of the original Star Wars trilogy. Harrison also stars as the titular character in the blockbuster Indiana Jones films.
Some of his most notable film credits include an Oscar-nominated performance in Witness (1985), along with Blade Runner (1982); 20th Century’s Working Girl (1988); Presumed Innocent (1990); Patriot Games (1992); The Fugitive (1993); Clear and Present Danger (1994); Sabrina (1995); Air Force One (1997); Touchstone Pictures’ Six Days, Seven Nights (1998); What Lies Beneath (2000); Morning Glory (2010); 42 (2013); Blade Runner 2049 (2017); and 20th Century Studios’ The Call of the Wild (2020). Harrison also stars in the hit television shows 1923 and Shrinking.
More recently, Harrison returned to a couple of his most celebrated roles. For the fourth time in the film series, he portrayed Han Solo in Star Wars: The Force Awakens (2015), and once again donned Indy’s fedora in the fifth Indiana Jones installment, Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny (2023). Harrison will also appear as President Thaddeus “Thunderbolt” Ross in the Marvel Studios live-action adventure Captain America: Brave New World, to be released in 2025.
MARK HENN
Mark Henn joined Walt Disney Animation Studios in 1980, where he became an assistant animator on The Fox and the Hound (1981). His first major assignment was animating Disney’s most beloved character, Mickey Mouse, in Mickey’s Christmas Carol (1983), marking Mickey’s first big-screen appearance in 30 years. In 2018, befitting his longtime association with Mickey Mouse, Mark was commissioned to paint Mickey’s official portrait for the character’s 90th anniversary. From Mickey to a little mermaid and Mini Maui, the enchantment of Disney animation is personal for this animator.
FRANK OZ
Creator. Director. Producer. Performer. Writer. Actor. Icon. Superlatives all that describe the one and only Frank Oz. As a respected director, Frank has helmed more than a dozen films, including co-directing The Dark Crystal (1982) with Disney Legend Jim Henson, The Muppets Take Manhattan (1984), Little Shop of Horrors (1986), Dirty Rotten Scoundrels (1988), Touchstone Pictures’ What About Bob? (1991), In & Out (1997), Bowfinger (1999), The Score (2001), Death at a Funeral (2007), Muppet Guys Talking (2017), and others, as well as the 2021 Hulu presentation of the long running Off-Broadway hit he also directed, Derek DelGaudio’s In & Of Itself. A four-time Emmy winner, Frank is the recipient of The Art Director’s Guild Contribution to Cinematic Imagery Award, The Comedy Awards’ Creative Achievement Award, The Saturn Lifetime Achievement Award, two George Foster Peabody Awards, three Gold Records, two Platinum Records, and a host of other accolades and honors. He originated and performed the characters of Grover, Bert, and Cookie Monster for Sesame Street, along with Miss Piggy, Fozzie, Sam Eagle, and Animal for The Muppet Show, performing in hundreds of television shows and specials with The Muppets—including the memorable Muppet*Vision 3D for Disney Parks. Frank also originated and performed the character of Yoda for George Lucas’ Star Wars galaxy, first in The Empire Strikes Back (1980) and followed by Return of the Jedi (1983), The Phantom Menace (1999), Attack of the Clones (2002), Revenge of the Sith (2005), The Last Jedi (2017), and The Rise of Skywalker (2019). He has acted in several live-action movies, from The Blues Brothers (1980) to Knives Out (2019), and has voiced characters in Disney and Pixar’s Monsters, Inc. (2001), Inside Out (2015), and Inside Out 2 (2024).
KELLY RIPA
Kelly Ripa is one of the most powerful voices in media, with a diverse body of work both on and off camera. With a career at ABC spanning over 30 years, Kelly has welcomed viewers with her sharp wit every morning as co-host and executive producer of the nationally syndicated show Live. Beginning her career in entertainment as an actress, Kelly has starred in numerous celebrated television series, appearing on such shows as the soap opera All My Children and the sitcom Hope & Faith. Kelly and her husband, Mark Consuelos, ventured into the development side of entertainment when they began their production company, Milojo Productions. Milojo produces content across multiple platforms, producing the Emmy-nominated documentary The Streak for ESPN and the critically-acclaimed documentary Off The Rez for TLC. Kelly has earned numerous accolades over the years, including multiple Daytime Emmy Awards. She recently launched the second season of her own podcast titled Let’s Talk Off Camera with Kelly Ripa. Kelly lives in New York City with Mark, and together the couple have three children.
JOE ROHDE
Retiring in 2021 as a portfolio creative executive with 40 years at Walt Disney Imagineering, Joe Rohde was the overall creative executive and supervising designer for Disney’s Animal Kingdom Theme Park, including later expansions such as Expedition Everest – Legend of the Forbidden Mountain and Pandora – The World of Avatar. In 2022 he received the Disney Conservation Fund’s first Conservation Legacy Award and has appeared on numerous documentaries about Imagineering.
JOHN WILLIAMS
In a career spanning more than six decades, this most prolific of movie composers has created the music for more than 100 films including all nine Star Wars saga films and all five Indiana Jones films. Born and raised in New York, John moved to Los Angeles with his family in 1948. Venturing back to the East Coast to attend The Julliard School, he later returned to Los Angeles to commence his film career. Early in his career, John composed the music for more than 200 television films and numerous television series including Lost in Space for 20th Century Fox. John’s artistic partnership with director Steven Spielberg, now in its 50th year, led to an introduction to fellow Disney Legend George Lucas and what became the biggest film phenomenon of its time, Star Wars (1977). John has received five Academy Awards and 54 Oscar nominations—most recently for Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny (2023)—making him the Academy’s most-nominated living person and the second-most-nominated person in the history of the Oscars, a number second only to Walt Disney. He has also received seven British Academy Awards (BAFTA), 26 Grammys, four Golden Globes, and five Emmys.
