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Harrison Ford, Angela Bassett, Miley Cyrus and more honored as Disney Legends in emotional ceremony

ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) 鈥 Harrison Ford held back tears, Miley Cyrus let them flow and several stars got emotional as they accepted the prestigious Disney Legends honor Sunday.
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This combination of photos show Harrison Ford, Angela Bassett and Miley Cyrus, who will be honored by Disney at a ceremony as a part of the D23 convention. (AP Photo)

ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) 鈥 Harrison Ford held back tears, Miley Cyrus let them flow and several stars got emotional as they accepted the prestigious Disney Legends honor Sunday.

The company bestowed Legends status on 14 artists it says have had a 鈥渟ignificant impact鈥 on Disney鈥檚 legacy, including director James Cameron, film composer John Williams, Angela Bassett, Jamie Lee Curtis and Kelly Ripa, among several others.

This year's class of Disney Legends was inducted into the company's version of the hall of fame in a ceremony Sunday at The Honda Center in Anaheim, California, as a . Ryan Seacrest hosted the show, which is now streaming on Disney+.

Ford, who was the first to accept the award, called himself an 鈥渁ssistant storyteller," noting the many contributions of his collaborators to his career.

鈥淚 love the life you've given me,鈥 he said to the crowd of over 15,000. 鈥淚 love the people I've had the opportunity to work with. Nobody does anything in this business alone.鈥

Ford was teary as he thanked Disney CEO Bob Iger, who presented him with the award, for his professional guidance and friendship.

The 鈥淚ndiana Jones鈥 and 鈥淪tar Wars鈥 actor received the honor more than 20 years after he was inducted into the Hollywood Walk of Fame. The revered actor is in the upcoming 鈥淐aptain America: Brave New World.鈥

said she wasn't as strong as her fellow honorees who held back their tears as she accepted the award with an emotional speech.

鈥淟egends get scared, too. I'm scared right now, but the difference is we do it anyway. All of you can do that every single day. It's legendary to be afraid and do it anyway,鈥 Cyrus said. 鈥淭here's no such thing as failure when you try.鈥

Country singer Lainey Wilson warmed the crowd up with a rousing performance of 鈥淭he Best of Both Worlds鈥 from Cyrus鈥 breakout show, 鈥淗annah Montana,鈥 and noted her personal admiration for Cyrus, whose popular character she impersonated in her early music gigs.

The 鈥淔lowers鈥 singer, who rose to fame after starring as the titular popstar in 鈥淗annah Montana鈥 in 2006, is the youngest Legends recipient. Following her time on the sitcom, Cyrus has had a long-running career in music, winning her in February.

, who appeared in 鈥淏lack Panther鈥 and 鈥淏lack Panther: Wakanda Forever,鈥 reunited with the film's director, Ryan Coogler, who presented her with the honor. Bassett also stars in ABC鈥檚 鈥9-1-1.鈥

鈥淭o the fans, you are the magic," Bassett said. 鈥淭here are not enough words to let you know how much I appreciate you, how much I love you. I stand here today because you bought the tickets, you have watched the television shows, you have cheered me on my best days and lifted me up on the more difficult ones.鈥

Lindsay Lohan and Jodie Foster joined forces to present Curtis with her award. Foster said her 鈥渂estie鈥 was 鈥渋nventive, fearless and full of surprises" before bestowing old-fashioned Mickey Mouse ears upon Curtis.

鈥淟egends aren't born, they're created,鈥 Curtis said. 鈥淭hey're created and nurtured and taught and educated and then they make art and then we connect.鈥

has appeared in her share of projects under The Walt Disney Studios banner, from 鈥淏everly Hills Chihuahua鈥 to 鈥淵ou Again.鈥 She is set to reprise her role in the upcoming sequel of the fan-favorite movie 鈥淔reaky Friday,鈥 opposite Lohan. Curtis and Lohan at Friday鈥檚 D23 presentation and shared a first look at 鈥淔reakier Friday.鈥

Ford stepped back out on stage to honor Williams, who created the iconic scores of Ford's 鈥淚ndiana Jones鈥 and 鈥淪tar Wars鈥 movies, as well as "Jurassic Park" and 鈥淛aws,鈥 among several others. Williams has created the 鈥渟oundtrack of our lives,鈥 Ford said.

The Pacific Symphony performed a medley of music Williams, who was not in attendance, composed specially for the occasion.

Kate Winslet and Zoe Salda帽a, the stars of 鈥淭itanic鈥 and 鈥淎vatar,鈥 respectively, teamed up to celebrate James Cameron.

鈥淚t鈥檚 a dream come true,鈥 Cameron said of being in a group with his fellow honorees. 鈥淭here鈥檚 just such an incredible display of creativity and imagination here tonight and I鈥檓 just happy to be in this crowd, to be part of this club and part of the Disney family tonight.鈥

ABC talk show host and mainstay reunited with her former co-host Seacrest as he introduced her to accept her honor. Her career at the television network spans over 30 years and she now hosts 鈥淟ive with Kelly and Mark鈥 with her husband, Mark Consuelos.

鈥淚t is a very rare thing, anybody can tell you in this industry, to be employed consistently in this industry, but to be employed by the same company for 34 years is my great good fortune," Ripa said. 鈥淚 owe everything to Disney.鈥

Danny DeVito, one of director James L. Brooks鈥 long-runnning collaborators and friends, presented the 鈥淪impsons鈥 and 鈥淢ary Tyler Moore Show鈥 creator with the award, calling him a 鈥済enius.鈥

鈥淭here will never be another writer, director, producer, like my dear friend,鈥 DeVito said.

Disney also honored six behind-the-scenes creatives who have contributed to groundbreaking films, art and Disney experiences.

Those honorees include Colleen Atwood, an Oscar-winning costume designer; Mark Henn, a prominent animator known for his work animating several Disney princesses; Steve Ditko, the late comics artist known for characters such as Spider-Man and Doctor Strange; Frank Oz, a noted puppeteer of 鈥淢uppets鈥 characters and a filmmaker; Martha Blanding, a longtime manager at The Walt Disney Company and Disneyland, and Joe Rohde, a former Disney Imagineer.

Previous Disney Legends include Elton John, Steve Jobs, Betty White, Dick Van Dyke, Robert Downey Jr. and Whoopi Goldberg. They are among more than 300 honorees since the program鈥檚 inception in 1987.

Kaitlyn Huamani, The Associated Press