THE APEX TIMES
Disney Honors a 2026 Wave of “Legends” as D23’s Final Day Showcases the Brand’s Creative Pipeline
On Sunday, CEO Josh D’Amaro opened a sold-out Disney Legends Awards Ceremony that inducted 11 new honorees spanning film, TV, animation, sports broadcasting, music, and theme-park experiences. The ceremony, hosted by Ryan Seacrest, will be available to watch on Disney+.
The Walt Disney Company capped D23: The Ultimate Disney Fan Event’s 2026 run with a sold-out Disney Legends Awards Ceremony that Disney framed as a celebration of the people who keep its stories enduring. In Anaheim, CEO Josh D’Amaro opened the program by tying Disney’s longevity to a mix of creativity and innovation, and by emphasizing that the honor is designed to recognize both the honorees and the fans who carry the legacy forward.
Disney said the ceremony honored 11 new Disney Legends, calling the class an “extraordinary line-up” that spans multiple parts of the company’s ecosystem. The 2026 inductees include Chris Berman, Jerry Bruckheimer, Susan Egan, Eric Goldberg, Anne Hathaway, Bob Iger, Kim Irvine, Dwayne Johnson, the Jonas Brothers, Lin-Manuel Miranda, and Alan Tudyk.
The ceremony format mixed tributes, performances, and guest appearances. Ryan Seacrest hosted the event, which Disney described as the culmination of the multi-day fan gathering and its “largest” D23 show to date. Disney also said the ceremony includes special tribute videos for each inductee, along with surprises from across its creative and entertainment network.
Several segments highlighted how Disney’s creative output reaches audiences through different languages and genres. Lin-Manuel Miranda, for example, was honored with a musical medley featuring songs from Moana, Encanto, and Hamilton, while Auli’i Cravalho presented the award and other performers and guest appearances were included. Alan Tudyk received a special video highlighting his characters from Frozen, Zootopia, and more, followed by an award presentation from Ginnifer Goodwin.
In animation and performance, Disney spotlighted Eric Goldberg’s association with the character Genie, and noted that the Disneyland Band performed “Friend Like Me” from Aladdin in his honor. Susan Egan, identified by Disney as having played Belle in the musical Beauty and the Beast, received a musical performance featuring many performers who have followed in her footsteps, alongside a cover performance of “I Won’t Say I’m in Love” from Hercules by KATSEYE.
Sports and news broadcasting also featured prominently in the program. Disney said Chris Berman’s tribute included video appearances from Robin Roberts, Peyton Manning, Kurt Warner, Jerry Jones, and Scott Hanson, and that NFL Hall of Famer Steve Young made an on-stage presentation. For Bob Iger, Disney said the ceremony included an introduction from Josh D’Amaro and tributes from a roster of figures spanning entertainment, news, and sports, including Al Michaels and Disney Legends Diane Sawyer and Ellen Pompeo, as well as Robert Downey Jr. and Harrison Ford.
Other honorees reflected Disney’s reach beyond studios, including its experiences business and its partnerships with major mainstream media. Disney said Kim Irvine’s video showcased her enduring work for Disney Parks, with an on-stage presentation by Ming-Na Wen. It also said the Jonas Brothers segment included a presentation from Vanessa Hudgens, and that Dwayne Johnson received the award from Emily Blunt, framed by Disney as a recognition of Johnson’s impact as a modern movie star.
For the company overall, the awards show served as a bridge between D23’s fan-facing programming and Disney’s internal leadership and creative bench. Disney positioned D23 as a three-day showcase of “first looks,” major announcements, immersive experiences, and performances, with the Disney Legends ceremony on Sunday as the capstone. The event also included additional programming during the weekend, such as the premiere of Leslie Iwerks’ new documentary Disney Worldbuilders, as well as interactive shopping and activations at the Anaheim Convention Center.
There are some gaps in what the ceremony announcement discloses. Disney did not provide details on any new commercial deals, audience figures, or specific measurable business outcomes connected to the awards show itself. While the release notes that the ceremony will be available to watch on Disney+ and that it took place in a sold-out arena, it does not quantify viewership, streaming performance, or downstream subscription impact. The announcement similarly does not outline whether any of the honorees’ recognition connects to new slate announcements or production timelines, beyond the celebration and the tributes.
As D23 moves from live event programming to online distribution, the main thing to watch next is how Disney uses the Disney Legends content cycle across its media platforms, including the Disney+ release referenced in the announcement. The honoree roster is also a useful announcement of which creative domains Disney is choosing to foreground publicly, from global musical storytelling and animation character work to theme-park creative direction and sports broadcasting, all under a single brand narrative of “magic” that the company says it expects to keep transmitting for generations.
Why It Matters
- Disney Legends is one of the company’s clearest public mechanisms for linking its present-day brand strategy to a curated history of creative and leadership influence across entertainment and experiences.
- By distributing the ceremony on Disney+, Disney can repurpose live-event awareness into ongoing streaming engagement, potentially deepening retention among core fans.
- The breadth of honorees indicates Disney’s attempt to frame its media, sports, and parks operations as one unified storytelling ecosystem rather than separate business lines.
Key Facts
- Disney CEO Josh D’Amaro opened a sold-out Disney Legends Awards Ceremony on Sunday during D23: The Ultimate Disney Fan Event’s 2026 final day.
- The 2026 class of Disney Legends includes Chris Berman, Jerry Bruckheimer, Susan Egan, Eric Goldberg, Anne Hathaway, Bob Iger, Kim Irvine, Dwayne Johnson, the Jonas Brothers, Lin-Manuel Miranda, and Alan Tudyk.
- Ryan Seacrest hosted the ceremony, which Disney said includes tribute videos, musical performances, and guest appearances.
- Disney said the ceremony will be available to watch on Disney+.
- The program described the weekend as culminating D23’s largest show to date, with fan-first programming and extensive show-floor offerings at the Anaheim Convention Center.
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