Miley Cyrus honored as youngest Disney legend ever at D23

She has the best of both worlds: Miley Cyrus became a first-time Grammy winner this year and now she has been declared a Disney Legend.

Lainey Wilson took the stage to introduce Cyrus and performed her own lively rendition of the “Hannah Montana” classic “The Best of Both Worlds.” After the song, she told the singer, “Miley, I want to thank you for never being afraid to go off the beaten path, always staying true to yourself and, most importantly, always kicking things off.”

“I’m going to tell everyone a little Disney Legend secret. I’m the one who tells you what you shouldn’t know. And what I’m saying is that legends get scared too. I’m scared now, but the difference is we’re doing it anyway, and you can all do that every day. It’s legendary to be afraid and do it anyway. There’s no such thing as failure if you try,” Cyrus said as she wiped away tears.

“In 2005, Disney was on a mission to rebuild the company. That’s why they hired Bob Iger and me,” Cyrus continued with a laugh, recalling the casting process in “Hannah Montana.”

“I still stand here proud to have been ‘Hannah Montana,’” Cyrus said. “This award is dedicated to Hannah and all her wonderful, loyal fans, and to everyone who made my dream a reality. To quote the legend himself, ‘This is the life,’” she added, referencing the song “Hannah Montana” of the same name.

During Sunday night’s star-studded ceremony at the D23 Expo in Anaheim, Cyrus was honored along with costume designer Colleen Atwood, Angela Bassett, Disney Parks cast member Martha Blanding, James L. Brooks, James Cameron, Jamie Lee Curtis, Marvel comics artist Steve Ditko , Harrison Ford, animator Mark Henn, Frank Oz, Kelly Ripa, Imagineer Joe Rohde and John Williams.

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

Cyrus’ journey with the Mouse House began when she was just a teenager, starring in the hugely popular Disney Channel comedy “Hannah Montana” as an ordinary girl with a double life as a pop star. The series spawned a world tour, concert film and feature film – and made Cyrus a household name. The series averaged 4.4 million viewers per episode and still holds the record for the highest-rated broadcast of a basic cable series ever from a 2007 episode that drew 10.7 million viewers.

Cyrus later voiced Penny in the Walt Disney Animation Studios feature film “Bolt” alongside John Travolta. She earned a Golden Globe nomination for her song from the project “I Thought I Lost You.”

She shed her squeaky-clean image over time with adult hits like “We Can’t Stop,” “Wrecking Ball” and “Malibu,” but returned to her roots last year with the Disney+ documentary concert special “Endless Summer Vacation (Backyard Sessions).”

At 31 years old, Cyrus is now the youngest person to ever be named a Disney Legend.