Entertainment <\/p>\n
\n\tDisney Entertainment co-chairman Dana Walden<\/a> received the Milestone Award at the 2025 PGA Awards<\/a> on Saturday. She was presented with the honor by her boss \u2014 and previous recipient of the Milestone Award \u2014 Disney CEO Bob Iger<\/a>.<\/p>\n \n\t\u201cOver the span of Dana\u2019s career, she\u2019s probably had a hand in more television series than anyone in the business\u2026 which speaks volumes about her love of storytelling and creativity, her respect for creators, and the passion and dedication she brings to her job, to our company, and to the industry,\u201d Iger said of his \u201ccolleague, friend and neighbor\u201d Walden. \u201cShe is a visionary with great creative instincts, who has played a significant role in shaping the modern era of television.\u201d<\/p>\n \n\tIger spoke about giving Walden additional responsibilities over streaming soon after he returned as Disney CEO at the end of 2022. <\/p>\n \n\t\u201cShe took to that new business extremely well, and she and Alan Bergman turned around our streaming efforts in ways no one thought possible,\u201d said the chief executive, who is set to step down next year, with a succession process underway in which Walden has been among the lead candidates.<\/p>\n \n\tIn her speech, Walden called working for Iger \u201ca highlight of my career\u201d and spoke of his \u201cstrong leadership\u201d over the past month as the Hollywood community has been reeling from the devastation of the L.A. wildfires. A number of Disney employees were impacted by the fires, along with hundreds of others in the entertainment business.<\/p>\n \n\t\u201cLike you, I\u2019m not sure exactly what\u2019s coming next for this city we love so much,\u201d Walden, a lifelong Angeleno, said. \u201cWhat I am certain of is that the people in this room will find creative, funny, and beautiful ways to remind us of the importance of the industry in this industry town.\u201d<\/p>\n \n\tAcknowledging the many producers she has worked with in her top roles at 20th Television, Fox Broadcasting and Disney, Walden singled out \u201cthe amazing Ryan Murphy<\/a>,\u201d with whom she shares one of the longest and prolific executive-producer relationships that has yielded 20 series and counting, including Glee<\/em>, the American Horror Story <\/em>and 9-1-1. <\/em>(Murphy reunited with Walden in 2023 when he returned to the 20th TV fold after five years at Netflix.)<\/p>\n \n\t\u201cHe\u2019s taught me so much about how to be a good partner to producers and creators,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n \n\tA highlight reel that played before Walden\u2019s remarks featured Murphy, who called Walden \u201cthe best thing that happened in my career,\u201d as well as Seth MacFarlane, Dan Fogelman and Sterling K. Brown sharing stories about working with her, including an anecdote by Murphy about how Walden invited him to the first test screening of Glee,<\/em> which didn\u2019t go well. Murphy recalled Walden saying, \u201cThey don\u2019t understand it\u2026gimmie two weeks.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\t\t\tWatch on Deadline\t\t<\/h3>\n<\/p><\/div>\n