Iger Honored As Culture Icon Beside Mickey Mouse

Former Disney chief Bob Iger received the 2026 Icon of Culture award at the Perelman Performing Arts Center on Tuesday night, sharing the stage with a life-size Mickey Mouse who conducted the orchestra. The event drew Ariana DeBose, Nick Jonas, and ABC News anchors Robin Roberts and David Muir.

Iger, who led Disney from 2022 through 2026, acknowledged the unusual pairing when he took the microphone. "I'm always humbled when I get an award. But to be called an icon of culture, well, it's just a little bit over the top. Particularly when Mickey Mouse is onstage," he said. He later called Mickey a "true icon of culture."

The evening leaned heavily toward Disney's stage and music work rather than its film and television output. Jonas described how Iger supported the early career of the Jonas Brothers. "Bob believed in us in a way that we probably didn't believe in ourselves," he said, calling Iger "one of the finest cultivators of talent the industry has ever seen."

Jonas introduced a medley drawn from Disney musicals including Newsies, Aladdin, Frozen, and The Greatest Showman. Composers Ben Pasek and Justin Paul, who won EGOT recognition, performed material from the 2017 film's stage adaptation, including the new number "The Show Goes On." The London West End run of that production starts in spring 2027.

Samara Joy opened the program with "Stardust" and "Just in Time." DeBose also performed. Rufus Wainwright closed with "When You Wish Upon a Star" from Pinocchio, after which a Jiminy Cricket figure appeared on stage. Hamilton cast members Austin Scott and Isaiah Johnson performed "One Last Time."

Roberts, Muir, PAC NYC Chairman Michael Bloomberg, and current Disney chief Josh D'Amaro each spoke about Iger's tenure. Iger opened his own remarks with "Enough about me," then said he was "overcome with gratitude for this unbelievable tribute." He described the Perelman center as a "tremendous symbol of true resilience" tied to the rebuilding of lower Manhattan after 9/11.

Iger also addressed why gatherings like the gala matter. "In our world, which is so rife with disruption and polarization, anxiety and challenge, art and culture have really never been more vital, more important," he said. "To enable people to be entertained around the world and to do so in communal experiences all at once together in places like this, it's really truly exceptional."

He also addressed the title of his upcoming memoir, which borrows from the Hamilton song "One Last Time." The book covers his return to Disney between 2022 and 2026. Iger said a century-old fig tree near his home once made him imagine sitting quietly beneath it, but joked that dozens of figs drop from the branches every minute, making the spot unusable.