Disney’s dazzling Legends ceremony drew a parade of A-listers to the Honda Center in Anaheim on Sunday night to conclude the Mouse House’s D23 Expo.

The Disney’s Legends awards program is a hall of fame that recognizes individuals who have made a significant impact on the Disney legacy. Past honorees include Christina Aguilera, Stan Lee, Betty White and Oprah Winfrey.

Angela Bassett has been recognized for her three decades of work with Disney, including her role in Touchstone’s “What’s Love Got to Do With It,” her narration of National Geographic’s The Flood and the Disney+ docuseries “The Imagineering Story,” and, most recently, her Oscar-nominated performance as Queen Ramonda in “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever.”

“Black Panther” director Ryan Coogler recalled being inspired by Bassett’s work as a child when he introduced her. “Watching her and what she does is truly a gift,” he said, telling the audience how she led his cast after the loss of lead actor Chadwick Boseman. “She’s incredible. She’s been incredible for decades.”

Bassett noted, “From day one of my pursuit of a career as an actress, I have understood that I am part of something bigger than myself. I offer my deepest gratitude to everyone who has supported me on this journey.” She added, “I am forever proud to be your wife, your mother, your sister and your aunt.”

“Titanic” director James Cameron was also among those invited, recognized for his work on the “Avatar” film franchise, for which he is currently in post-production on the third entry, with a planned fourth and fifth in pre-production. He is also responsible for several documentaries produced in partnership with National Geographic, including the Emmy-winning “Secrets of the Whales” and the Emmy-nominated “Secrets of the Elephants.” He also served as an executive producer on the OceanXplorers series, set to debut on National Geographic in fall 2024.

“Titanic” star Kate Winslet appeared via video message, saying, “Dearest Jim, you continue to strive for greater heights that I’m not sure anyone else will ever achieve. The power of your imagination continues to inspire us all.” She introduced “Avatar” actor Zoe Saldana, who presented Cameron with his award.

“I thank you for giving me the best gift a director can give an actor: job security. I’m going to collect my pension by the time the last ‘Avatar’ movie hits theaters,” Saldana said, laughing. “Working with you has been a wild ride. Your passion, your dedication, and your attention to detail are truly unmatched. But most of all, thank you for making me laugh, making me cry, and making me sad.”

“As a storyteller expressing yourself through film, it’s not a solo act. You’re only as good as the artists you surround yourself with,” Cameron said in his speech. “I know that my job every day, when I come in, is to empower and encourage the other artists, whether they’re actors, whether they’re design artists, whether they’re concept artists, whether they’re computer animators, to inspire them to bring their best artistic selves to life every day. That’s my job.”

Cameron also took a moment to honor his producing partner Jon Landau, who passed away last month. “There’s one person who stands out in my thoughts right now as I stand here, and that’s my producing partner of 30 years, John Landau. All of us in the ‘Avatar’ family miss him dearly. We’ve made it our mission to carry on his legacy as the unsung Disney Legend himself.”

The evening’s host, Ryan Seacrest, presented the Disney Legend Award to his longtime co-host, Kelly Ripa. “There’s no better storyteller than Kelly Ripa,” he said. “She’s the best at what she does, making people feel comfortable.”

Ripa began her career as an actress on the soap opera “All My Children” and the sitcom “Hope & Faith.” She is best known for her work on morning television as co-host of ABC’s “Live,” where she has appeared since 2001.

Ripa teased her pal Seacrest, “Ryan, thank you from the bottom of my heart. I’m so glad we finally found something else for you to host.” She thanked her “smoking hot” husband Mark Conseulos with a few R-rated jokes, adding, “We met 30 years ago on the set of ‘All My Children’ and from there we created our own three kids, backstage in Disney labs. I’m kidding! We made them in our dressing rooms. I’m kidding again. I’m kidding again — HR asked me to remind everyone.”

Bassett, Cameron and Ripa were joined by fellow Disney Legend winners Jamie Lee Curtis, James L. Brooks, Harrison Ford, Frank Oz, John Williams, Miley Cyrus, costume designer Colleen Atwood, Disney Parks cast member Martha Blanding, Marvel comics artist Steve Ditko, animator Mark Henn and imagineer Joe Rohde.

Other highlights of the ceremony included Curtis’ introduction by Lindsay Lohan and Jodie Foster, Cyrus’ love letter to “Hannah Montana” and Ford’s emotional acceptance speech.