The Disney Legends Awards is a hall of fame program that recognizes individuals who have made an extraordinary and integral contribution to The Walt Disney Company. Established in 1987, the honor was traditionally awarded annually during a special private ceremony; since 2009, it has been awarded biennially during Disney's D23 Expo.
Recipients are chosen by a selection committee, formerly appointed and chaired by Disney Legend Roy E. Disney, Walt Disney's nephew, former vice chairman and director emeritus of The Walt Disney Company. 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. Legends also receive a Disney Golden Pass, a lifetime pass to all Disney theme parks.
Imagineer Andrea Favilli created the Disney Legends award, which is handcrafted from bronze each year. The award depicts the arm of Mickey Mouse holding a star-tipped wand.
Disney describes the award as follows:
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.
= awarded posthumously
Fred MacMurray, FilmVirginia Davis, AnimationNorman Palmer, FilmLes Clark, Animation Marc Davis, Animation/ ImagineeringUb Iwerks, Animation/Imagineering Ollie Johnston, AnimationMilt Kahl, Animation Ward Kimball, Animation & ImagineeringEric Larson, Animation John Lounsbery, Animation Wolfgang Reitherman, Animation Frank Thomas, AnimationAll except Iwerks were Disney's "Nine Old Men."
Roger Broggie, ImagineeringJoe Fowler, AttractionsJohn Hench, Animation & ImagineeringRichard Irvine, Imagineering Herb Ryman, Imagineering Richard Sherman, MusicRobert Sherman, MusicKen Anderson, Animation, ImagineeringJulie Andrews, FilmCarl Barks, Animation & PublishingMary Blair, Animation & Imagineering Claude Coats, Animation & ImagineeringDon DaGradi, Animation & FilmSterling Holloway, Animation—VoiceFess Parker, Film & TelevisionBill Walsh, Film & Television Jimmie Dodd, Television Bill Evans, ImagineeringAnnette Funicello, Film & TelevisionJoe Grant, AnimationJack Hannah, AnimationWinston Hibler, Film Ken O'Connor, Animation & ImagineeringRoy Williams, Animation & Television Pinto Colvig, Animation—Voice Buddy Ebsen, Film & TelevisionPeter Ellenshaw, FilmBlaine Gibson, Animation & ImagineeringHarper Goff, Film & ImagineeringIrving Ludwig, FilmJimmy MacDonald, Animation—Voice Clarence Nash, Animation—Voice Donn Tatum, AdministrationCard Walker, AdministrationAdriana Caselotti, Animation—VoiceBill Cottrell, Animation & ImagineeringMarvin Davis, Film & ImagineeringVan France, AttractionsDavid Hand, Animation Jack Lindquist, AttractionsBill Martin, ImagineeringPaul J. Smith, Music Frank Wells, Administration Wally Boag, AttractionsFulton Burley, AttractionsDean Jones, FilmAngela Lansbury, FilmEdward Meck, Attractions Fred Moore, Animation Thurl Ravenscroft, Animation—VoiceWathel Rogers, ImagineeringBetty Taylor, AttractionsBob Allen, Attractions Rex Allen, Film & TelevisionX Atencio, Animation & ImagineeringBetty Lou Gerson, Animation—VoiceBill Justice, Animation & ImagineeringBob Matheison, AttractionsSam McKim, ImagineeringBob Moore, Animation & FilmBill Peet, Animation—StoryJoe Potter, Attractions This ceremony was held at Disneyland Paris to celebrate its 5th birthday. All 1997 inductees are of European origin.
Lucien Adés, Music Angel Angelopoulos, Publishing Antonio Bertini, Character MerchandiseArmand Bigle, Character MerchandiseGaudenzio Capelli, PublishingRoberto de Leonardis, Film Cyril Edgar, Film Wally Feignoux, Film Didier Fouret, Publishing Mario Gentilini, Publishing Cyril James, Film & Merchandise Horst Koblischek, Character MerchandiseGunnar Mansson, Character MerchandiseArnoldo Mondadori, Publishing Armand Palivoda, Film Poul Brahe Pedersen, Publishing André Vanneste, Character Merchandise Paul Winkler, Character Merchandise James Algar, Animation & FilmBuddy Baker, MusicKathryn Beaumont, Animation—VoiceRoy E. Disney, Film, Animation & AdministrationDon Escen, AdministrationWilfred Jackson, Animation Glynis Johns, FilmKay Kamen, Character Merchandise Paul Kenworthy, FilmLarry Lansburgh, Film & TelevisionHayley Mills, FilmAl Milotte and Elma Milotte, Film Norman "Stormy" Palmer, FilmLloyd Richardson, FilmKurt Russell, FilmBen Sharpsteen, Animation & Film Masatomo Takahashi, AdministrationVladimir (Bill) Tytla, Animation Dick Van Dyke, FilmMatsuo Yokoyama, Character MerchandiseTim Allen, Television, Film & Animation-Voice.Mary Costa, Animation—VoiceNorm Ferguson, Animation Bill Garity, Film Yale Gracey, Animation & Imagineering Al Konetzni, Character MerchandiseHamilton Luske, Animation Dick Nunis, AttractionsCharlie Ridgway, AttractionsGrace Bailey, Animation Harriet Burns, ImagineeringJoyce Carlson, Animation & ImagineeringRon Dominguez, Parks & ResortsCliff Edwards, Animation—Voice Becky Fallberg, AnimationDick Jones, Animation—VoiceDodie Roberts, AnimationRetta Scott, Animation Ruthie Tompson, AnimationHoward Ashman, Music Bob Broughton, FilmGeorge Bruns, Music Frank Churchill, Music Leigh Harline, Music Fred Joerger, ImagineeringAlan Menken, MusicMartin Sklar, ImagineeringNed Washington, Music Tyrus Wong, AnimationIn 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, FilmHugh Attwooll, FilmMaurice Chevalier, Film Phil Collins, MusicSir John Mills, FilmRobert Newton, Film & TelevisionSir Tim Rice, MusicRobert Stevenson, FilmRichard Todd, Film & TelevisionDavid Tomlinson, Film 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, MusicEdna Francis Disney Lillian Disney Orlando Ferrante, ImagineeringRichard Fleischer, FilmFloyd Gottfredson, Animation Buddy Hackett, Film & Television Harrison "Buzz" Price, Research Economist.Al Taliaferro, Cartoonist Ilene Woods, Music—VoiceBill Anderson, Film, Television Tim Conway, FilmRolly Crump, ImagineeringAlice Davis, ImagineeringKaren Dotrice, Film & TelevisionMatthew Garber, Film Leonard H. Goldenson, Television Bob Gurr, ImagineeringRalph Kent, Imagineering & AttractionsIrwin Kostal, Music Mel Shaw, AnimationIn 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 & ResortsHideo Amemiya, Parks & Resorts Hideo Aramaki, Parks & Resorts Charles Boyer, Parks & ResortsRandy Bright, Imagineer James Cora, Parks & ResortsRobert Jani, Parks & Resorts Mary Jones, Parks & ResortsArt Linkletter, Parks & ResortsMary Anne Mang, Parks & ResortsSteve Martin, Parks & ResortsTom Nabbe, Parks & ResortsJack Olsen, Parks & Resorts Cicely Rigdon, Parks & ResortsWilliam Sullivan, Parks & ResortsJack Wagner, Parks & Resorts Vesey Walker, Parks & Resorts Tim Considine (Television & Film)Kevin Corcoran (Television & Film)Al Dempster (Animation)Don Edgren, ImagineeringPaul Frees, Television, Film & Parks Peter Jennings, Television Sir Elton John, MusicJimmy Johnson, Music Tommy Kirk, Television & FilmJoe Ranft, Animation David Stollery, Television & FilmGinny Tyler, Television & FilmRoone Arledge (Television) Art Babbitt (Animation) Carl Bongirno (Imagineering)Marge Champion (Animation)Dick Huemer (Animation) Ron Logan (Parks & Resorts)Lucille Martin (Animation)Tom Murphy (Administration)Randy Newman (Music)Floyd Norman (Animation)Bob Schiffer (Film Production)Dave Smith (Archives)Wayne Allwine, Animation (voice)Bob Booth, AttractionsNeil Gallagher, AttractionsFrank Gifford, TelevisionBurny Mattinson, AnimationWalter Peregoy, AnimationDorothea Redmond, DesignerRussi Taylor, Animation (voice)Toshio Kagami, Parks and ResortsBarbara Walters, TelevisionOliver Wallace, Music Tony Anselmo, Animation (voice)Harry Archinal, FilmBeatrice Arthur, Film & Television Bill Farmer, Animation (voice)Estelle Getty, Film & Television Don Iwerks, FilmRue McClanahan, Film & TelevisionLeota Toombs Thomas, Attractions Betty White, Film & TelevisionRobin Williams, Film, Animation (voice)Regis Philbin, TelevisionJim 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 ProductsRaymond Watson, AdministrationTony Baxter, ImagineeringCollin Campbell, Imagineering Dick Clark, Television Billy Crystal, Film & Animation (voice)John Goodman, Film & Animation (voice)Steve Jobs, Animation Glen Keane, AnimationEd Wynn, Film & Animation (voice) George Bodenheimer, Administration & TelevisionAndreas Deja, AnimationsJohnny Depp, FilmEyvind Earle, Animation Danny Elfman, MusicGeorge Lucas, Film & Parks and ResortsSusan Lucci, TelevisionJulie Reihm Casaletto, Parks and ResortsCarson Van Osten, Consumer Products
