Miley Cyrus has been announced as one of the 13 recipients of Disney Legend status in 2024. This Hall of Fame award is presented by The Walt Disney Company annually to individuals who have made an impact on the legacy of Disney. Cyrus will be the youngest entertainer to win the award at 31 years old.
“To be named a Disney Legend is the highest honor our company can bestow on anyone, reserved for those whose talent and achievement have earned them an enduring place in our history,” said Bob Iger, chief executive officer of The Walt Disney Company, in an online statement.
Cyrus’s acting career started at age eight, and her involvement with Disney started at age 13 when she landed the lead role of Hannah Montana. According to The Walt Disney Company’s statement, the show had the largest audience of any Disney Channel Original, drawing around 4.4 million viewers per episode.
While the show was airing, Cyrus released five soundtracks, one live album, two remix albums, five compilation albums, five karaoke albums, 11 singles and four promotional singles as Hannah Montana. Cyrus even had a Best of Both Worlds Tour, starting in 2007, which showcased the show’s soundtrack and her debut studio album.
In 2009, Cyrus’s Disney movie, “Hannah Montana: The Movie,” grossed $155 million in worldwide box office revenue. In 2008, Cyrus voiced a lead role in the animated film “Bolt,” and she sang on both soundtracks.
Cyrus worked at Disney for five years in both leading and supporting roles. In addition to the shows and movies that she starred in, the actress was also a guest star or crossover episode star in “High School Musical 2,” “Suite Life of Zack and Cody,” “Suite Life on Deck,” “Wizards of Waverly Place” and “That’s So Raven.”
Cyrus dedicated her early career to providing so much content for Disney Channel that when she finally left, she was able to successfully continue her career, a feat not achievable by all child stars. Cyrus starred in movies like “The Last Song” and released albums “Bangerz,” “Plastic Hearts,” and, most recently, “Endless Summer Vacation.”
At the 66th Annual Grammys, Cyrus won her first and second Grammy Awards for Best Pop Solo Performance and Record of the Year for her smash hit “Flowers.” This was a huge moment in Cyrus’s career, and she did not take it lightly. In her Grammy performance that took place after her first win of the night, Cyrus celebrated by replacing the lyric “Started to cry, then remembered I can buy myself flowers” with “Started to cry, then remembered I just won my first Grammy.”
Winning that Grammy had been a long time coming for Cyrus after making well-known music for over 20 years, and this August, at the D23: The Ultimate Disney Fan Event, she will be honored as the Disney Legend she is.
“Miley’s ability to entertain an entire generation through children’s television and transfer that into a legitimate entertainment career is a feat in itself, so I would say she definitely earned it,” said Allie Kate Campbell, a junior mass communication major.
Following Cyrus’s nomination, fans of that era of Disney Channel are hoping that other childhood stars are next. Fans took to X, formerly known as Twitter, to express their love for Cyrus as well as love for stars like Hillary Duff and Raven Simone.
“So no Raven Symone…. no Hilary Duff?” said @iamtycole. “I mean love Miley but like, two things can be true.”
Cyrus’s nomination is getting a new generation excited about the prospects of seeing stars they grew up alongside being recognized for their impacts on Disney.
