Miley Cyrus honored as Disney Legend, delivers emotional D23 speech

Miley Cyrus is getting “The Best of Both Worlds” — not only was she among the stars recognized as Disney Legends this year, but she was the youngest person ever to receive the honor.

The audience erupted in applause as the 31-year-old accepted her award at the Honda Center in Anaheim. In an emotional speech, Cyrus said she was still proud to be Hannah Montana, the titular character of the hit Disney Channel show that made her a star.

“This award is dedicated to Hannah and all of her amazing, loyal fans and to everyone who made my dream a reality,” Cyrus said at the ceremony, which capped off this year’s D23 fan event. “And what I want to say is that legends get scared, too. I’m scared right now, but the difference is we do it anyway, and all of you can do that every single day. It’s legendary to be afraid and do it anyway. There is no such thing as failure when you try.”

“Hannah Montana” followed Miley Stewart, a teenager living a double life as a famous pop singer. The show premiered in 2006 and became a massive success until its final episode in 2011.

Since the show ended, Cyrus has embarked on a successful solo career. She won her first two Grammys earlier this year for her song “Flowers.”

Country singer Lainey Wilson took the stage to introduce Cyrus, and performed her own rendition of the “Hannah Montana” classic, “The Best of Both Worlds.”

“Miley, I want to thank you for always kicking butt, staying true to yourself, and never being afraid to step outside the box,” she said after the song.

The Walt Disney Co. honored 14 stars as Disney Legends during Sunday’s closing ceremony. Other honorees included Colleen Atwood, Angela Bassett, Martha Blanding, James L. Brooks, James Cameron, Jamie Lee Curtis, Steve Ditko, Harrison Ford, Mark Henn, Frank Oz, Kelly Ripa, Joe Rohde and John Williams.

“The Disney Legends Award is the highest honor our company bestows,” said Disney Chief Executive Bob Iger. “It’s presented as a celebration of talent, a recognition of achievement, and, above all, a sincere expression of our deep gratitude. Disney Legends are bound by the special place they have earned in our history for their tremendous contributions in service of entertaining and delighting fans around the globe.”