Established in 1987, the Disney Legends program recognizes people who have made an extraordinary and integral contribution to The Walt Disney Company. The honor is awarded annually during a special ceremony.
Recipients are chosen by a selection committee, formerly appointed and chaired by the late Disney Legend Roy E. Disney(January 10, 1930 – December 16, 2009), 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. Disney's corporate headquarters in Burbank, California features a plaza honoring the recipients outside Team Disney - The Michael D. Eisner Building. Each honoree is represented by a bronze plaque; the plaque features the recipient's handprints and signature if they were living when named a Disney Legend.
Artist 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 Disney Legends award has three distinct elements that characterize the contributions made by each talented recipient. The Spiral ... stands for imagination, the power of an idea. The Hand ... holds the gifts of skill, discipline and craftsmanship. The Wand and the Star ... represent magic: the spark that is ignited when imagination and skill combine to create a new dream. |
” |
When Disney opened its hall of fame, all of the then-major Hollywood studios considered opening their own halls of fame, but (as of 2008) Disney remains the only major Hollywood studio to have one.
Read more about Disney Legends: Recipients
Famous quotes containing the word legends:
“Therefore our legends always come around to seeming legendary,
A path decorated with our comings and goings. Or so I’ve been told.”
—John Ashbery (b. 1927)