Disney has officially revealed the 2026 Disney Legends class, and this year’s honorees span film, television, animation, music, voice acting, Imagineering, and company leadership. The announcement arrives ahead of D23: The Ultimate Disney Fan Event, which takes place August 14 through 16, 2026, in Anaheim. The Disney Legends ceremony will close out the weekend, with Ryan Seacrest returning as host.
This year’s class 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. It is a lineup that reflects just how broad Disney’s legacy has become. It also balances fan-favorite stars with the creative and corporate leaders who shaped Disney behind the scenes.
Why the Disney Legends honor matters
The Disney Legends Award is the highest honor The Walt Disney Company gives to an individual. The program began in 1987, and with this year’s class, Disney says the total number of Legends will reach 329. That gives this announcement more weight than a standard fan-event reveal.
For Disney fans, the Legends ceremony is one of the most meaningful parts of D23. Big showcases may generate the headlines, but the Legends ceremony is where Disney pauses to celebrate the people whose work helped define the company across generations.
The 2026 Disney Legends class at a glance
This year’s class reaches across nearly every corner of The Walt Disney Company. Breaking the honorees out individually also shows just how broad this class really is.
Chris Berman
Chris Berman is being honored for television, recognizing his long impact on ESPN and sports broadcasting. His inclusion highlights Disney’s sports legacy and the role ESPN has played in building the company’s media reach.
Jerry Bruckheimer
Jerry Bruckheimer represents Disney’s blockbuster film side. His credits include the Pirates of the Caribbean films, National Treasure, and other major productions tied to Disney. He helped define a major era of Disney action and adventure storytelling.
Susan Egan
Susan Egan brings a strong performance legacy that Disney fans know well. She remains closely tied to Disney through Belle on Broadway and Meg in Hercules. Her selection honors a voice and stage presence that left a lasting mark.
Eric Goldberg
Eric Goldberg’s inclusion stands out for animation fans. His work on Genie in Aladdin, Phil in Hercules, and more recent Disney animation projects makes him one of the clearest bridges between Disney’s hand-drawn legacy and its modern creative output.
Anne Hathaway
Anne Hathaway is being honored for film, with a Disney legacy that includes The Princess Diaries, The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement, and Alice in Wonderland. For many fans, that makes her one of the most recognizable live-action Disney stars of the last 25 years.
Bob Iger
Bob Iger’s selection recognizes leadership as much as storytelling. During his years leading the company, Disney expanded through major acquisitions, launched Disney+, and opened Shanghai Disney Resort. His honor reflects just how much he shaped modern Disney.
Kim Irvine
Kim Irvine’s recognition will likely resonate most with parks fans. Her decades at Walt Disney Imagineering left a lasting mark on Disneyland, including work tied to Sleeping Beauty Castle, it’s a small world, Club 33, and Jolly Holiday Bakery Café. For Disneyland history fans, this is one of the strongest picks in the class.
Dwayne Johnson
Dwayne Johnson is being honored for film and voice, with Disney highlighting his role as Maui in Moana and Moana 2 along with his broader Disney work. That gives this class one of its strongest modern fan connections.
Jonas Brothers
The Jonas Brothers bring Disney Channel and Disney music nostalgia into the lineup. Their work in Camp Rock, Camp Rock 2, and JONAS helped define a major era of Disney Channel for an entire generation.
Lin-Manuel Miranda
Lin-Manuel Miranda rounds out the music side of the class in a big way. His songwriting for Moana and Encanto helped shape some of Disney’s biggest modern musical moments, and his honor feels especially fitting because his work continues to influence Disney storytelling today.
Alan Tudyk
Alan Tudyk has become one of Disney’s most recognizable modern voice actors. His inclusion gives the class another strong connection to contemporary Disney animation and the performers whose voices instantly connect with fans.
What stands out about this class
What makes the Disney Legends 2026 class interesting is its range. There are headline names like Anne Hathaway, Dwayne Johnson, Lin-Manuel Miranda, and the Jonas Brothers. At the same time, there are legacy selections that longtime fans will appreciate, including Eric Goldberg and Kim Irvine. Then there is Bob Iger, whose selection reflects one of the biggest leadership eras in company history.
That balance gives this class broad fan appeal. There is something here for animation fans, Disney Channel fans, parks fans, Broadway fans, ESPN viewers, and fans of Disney’s live-action film history. It also feels like a strong fit for a D23 event built around celebrating Disney fandom across the entire company.
When and where the ceremony happens
The Disney Legends ceremony is scheduled for Sunday, August 16, 2026, at the Honda Center in Anaheim during D23: The Ultimate Disney Fan Event. Ryan Seacrest will return as host. Disney has also confirmed that the ceremony will once again stream on Disney+, giving fans a way to watch even if they are not attending in person.
That matters because the Disney Legends ceremony has become one of the signature fan moments of D23. It is not just an in-room event for ticket holders anymore. It is now a company-wide celebration that fans everywhere can share.
Sam’s Disney Diary Take
This is a strong Disney Legends class.
Bob Iger and Kim Irvine give the lineup real historical weight. Eric Goldberg is an inspired pick for animation fans. Lin-Manuel Miranda, Dwayne Johnson, Anne Hathaway, and Alan Tudyk make the class feel current. The Jonas Brothers bring in a full Disney Channel generation. Jerry Bruckheimer and Chris Berman also show that Disney is honoring the parts of the company that helped build its reach far beyond theme parks and animated films.
Most of all, this class feels like Disney honoring both memory and momentum. It celebrates the people who helped shape the company fans grew up with, while also reflecting the Disney many fans know right now.
If this is one of the early headline announcements for D23 2026, it is a strong sign that Disney is already setting up August as a major fan event.
