Disney Legends in Conversation: Jonas Brothers

The Disney Legends Award ceremony will mark the final day of D23: The Ultimate Disney Fan Event presented by Visa^®, a one-of-a-kind, multi-day fan experience showcasing the very best in creative storytelling and innovation from across the worlds of Disney. Hosted by Ryan Seacrest, the event will be filled with tributes and unforgettable moments to honor and celebrate the icons behind the magic who have made a lasting impact on Disney.

This year, The Walt Disney Company’s highest honor will be presented to 13 individuals — Chris Berman, Jerry Bruckheimer, Susan Egan, Eric Goldberg, Anne Hathaway, Bob Iger, Kim Irvine, Dwayne Johnson, the Jonas Brothers, Lin‑Manuel Miranda, and Alan Tudyk — who for generations have defined Disney across entertainment, storytelling, and experiences.

In an exclusive Q&A, the Jonas Brothers — who are being recognized in the Television and Music category — reflects on their contributions to the company and what it means to be named Disney Legends.

How does it feel to be honored as Disney Legends?

Nick Jonas: It feels surreal, in a word. We have a long-standing and incredible history with Disney, going all the way back to the early 2000s. Seeing the impact that partnering with them had on our career in the early days, and the further impact it’s had as we’ve gone into our adult lives and careers as fathers and creatives — there are no better partners than Disney. So, this honor means the world.

Joe Jonas: It feels incredible. The kid in me who watched Dumbo on repeat and would sing “Gaston” [from Beauty and the Beast] over and over — that was practically my first word — would be freaking out.

Kevin Jonas: It’s one of the greatest things ever. We grew up loving Disney and love being part of that family. It was part of our world early, working with them from JONAS to Camp Rock. It’s always been an integral part of our career.

Which brother was the most obsessed with Disney as a kid?

Nick Jonas: I think we were all pretty obsessed growing up. I remember specifically watching the classic animated Disney films, ones released before I was even alive, with my brothers, then falling in love with everything that came after. My first real big obsession was Beauty and the Beast: the music, the story, and eventually my involvement in the Broadway production, playing Chip the teacup, back in 2001 and 2002.

Joe Jonas: I think we all were, but I’m going to go with me. Like I said, “Gaston” was one of my first words.

Kevin Jonas: We were all really into Disney as a family. I remember one vacation, we stayed at someone’s house that had Disney Channel, and we didn’t have it at home. We watched every Disney Channel movie they were playing; they had a marathon of DCOMs [Disney Channel Original Movies] going, and it was absolutely amazing — something I’ll never forget.

After signing with Hollywood Records in 2007, your career skyrocketed. What do you remember from the early days? 

Nick Jonas: You can see in one quick moment just how big the impact of being signed was for us. We’d come out with an album that frankly didn’t really work on our previous label, but there were promising signs that with the right messaging and packaging, maybe we could break through. And it was almost immediate, once Disney started playing our video for “Year 3000,” our shows went from a couple hundred people to thousands, virtually overnight. We eventually got to work alongside them on projects like Camp Rock and Camp Rock 2 and our series for the channel. Their belief in us is a humongous part of our success story.

Joe Jonas: The incredible thing about our partnership with Disney is that they always gave us the freedom to create music we were really proud of. We’d go into the studio with our good friend John Fields and build something around the music we were listening to: emo, pop, rock. That old, heart-on-your-sleeve teen music that connected with an audience.

Kevin Jonas: Anytime we made music for the Disney Channel it was really cool. It started with those albums where they’d redo songs from Disney movies, and when we were part of that, it felt like we were really connecting with an audience. But the minute we had songs playing between shows and music videos, like “Hold On” and “Year 3000,” wereally saw what the Disney machine could do.

In Camp Rock, you played the pop trio Connect 3. What did you like about playing those characters rather than heightened versions of yourselves?

Nick Jonas: Playing Connect 3 kind of took us all by surprise. The call originally came in for Joe to audition as Shane Gray, and there weren’t any other bandmates written in. Being the excellent dad that ours was, he suggested that if they wanted Joe, they’d have to include Kevin and me somehow too, because we’d already started making music and touring. So, we just happened to be there. But by Camp Rock 2 they’d written us in in a more meaningful way and built out that Camp Rock universe. Getting to see those songs travel the world in so many languages, and playing them alongside our Jonas Brothers records, was really incredible.

Joe Jonas: It was fun to find a character. Camp Rock was massive for us. It gave us a project to focus on outside of the brothers, and a way to differentiate from the Jonas Brothers as people knew us.

Kevin Jonas: Honestly, it was kind of the first time we played heightened versions of ourselves, and it seems like that’s what we keep doing. Even in JONAS, you’re just playing yourself a little crazier. Same with our Christmas film. But it works; it’s a great outlet. I loved playing Jason. He’s a fun character — all over the place, doesn’t quite know what’s going on — but he’s got a big heart.

You worked closely with Demi Lovato, Selena Gomez, and Disney Legend Miley Cyrus. Why do you think that generation of Disney Channel stars resonated so broadly?

Nick Jonas: There’s something special about that graduating class: 2009, 2010. I think it speaks to Disney’s ability to find and develop talent and help them — at every step — become the artists, actors, entrepreneurs, and humans they’re meant to be. The people making those early calls in the casting offices are honestly some of the best in the business. Their track record speaks for itself, and we’re humbled to be included in those conversations.

Joe Jonas: That graduating class of Disney is such a special, unique one. We spent so much time together, opening rides, Disney Channel Games, things you don’t see as often now. Disney Channel was such a thing, and we were so grateful to be part of that group. We literally lived in the same town, all of us on the same street. It felt like our classic all-American story.

Kevin Jonas: That generation of music and people in the Disney world was incredible. It created so many incredible artists. Everyone came out of there with an aim for themselves, making music and movies and doing things that mattered to the culture. I think we were all really hungry for something at that time, and we kept it going.

JONAS premiered on Disney Channel in 2008. What stands out about that show?

Nick Jonas: What stands out is that it was really a way for all of us to cut our teeth in front of the camera. We’d shown real interest in acting and had done Camp Rock and a few guest spots, but making 15-, 16-plus episodes over two seasons taught us so much: how to act, how to be on set, how to collaborate with other artists, writers, and creatives. Looking back, I think it was the foundation for my personal love of acting and telling stories.

Joe Jonas: The show was funny and a little confusing at times, because you had to understand that we weren’t the Jonas Brothers, but our last name was Jonas. What really stood out to me is that there were some bangers — some genuinely good songs on that show.

Kevin Jonas: What stands out most is that it was completely chaotic. We lived in a house together, we had fire poles — it was just insane. And to this day I think people believe weactually live like that, still all in the same house together.

You’ve returned to Disney in a major way — “Celebrate Happy,” A Very Jonas Christmas Movie, and Camp Rock 3. How does it feel to be fully integrated into the Disney family?

Nick Jonas: This really began with a meeting with [Disney CEO and fellow Disney Legend] Bob Iger once the band got back together in 2010 and released “Sucker” and the Happiness Begins album. We’d not only mended our relationship but hit new heights: our first No. 1 on the Hot 100, another number one on the Billboard 200, and an incredible world tour. The icing on the cake that year was a call that Bob Iger wanted to sit back down and discuss what we could do together again. Nothing tangible came out of that first meeting, but there were exciting conversations and continued belief in us in this new chapter, as men now, not the teenagers we were when we first worked together. That gave us the confidence to step back in without the growing pains of our youth, with a newfound love and respect for where we were as people and artists. It wasn’t until a few years later, as we all became dads and started thinking about content we’d want to live on, something our kids could watch someday, that we reopened that dialogue. The first idea was a Christmas film — a bucket-list item — followed by an exciting conversation around Camp Rock 3. Then we partnered with the Parks side on “Celebrate Happy,” a song all about celebrating the people you love, a central theme for us as a family and a band. It all made perfect sense, and I think we’re only just beginning to see what this relationship becomes.

Joe Jonas: Feeling integrated into the Disney family is just so fun. I’ve seen so many videos of people posting, “Is this the Jonas Brothers?” when they’re at the theme parks. I need to go hear it in person myself very soon! 

Kevin Jonas: It got very special this year. “Celebrate Happy” being in Disneyland, hearing it as you walk through the park was amazing. But then going to my daughter’s school forchoir and actually hearing her sing “Celebrate Happy” as their choir song was a total surprise.

How do you think your work with Disney shaped the artists you are today?

Nick Jonas: It shaped us in so many ways. We share a lot of values — the desire to bring joy into the world when people need it most, to bring people together, and to be able to look up in 20 or 30 years and be proud of what you’ve put into the world. Disney is always pushing the envelope, which requires the people they work with to do the same, and that’s been inspiring across all our years and life stages with them. As we step into our mid-to-late 30s, the conversation only gets more exciting. We get to relive the moments that shaped us and create new ones, redefining what this looks like in 2026 and beyond. We’re so grateful for everything, from the top down and in every department. Special shout-out to casting, to the brilliant people on the music side, and, of course, to Bob and the incredible leadership in place now. The sky’s the limit.

Joe Jonas: The time we’ve spent with Disney shaped me into an artist I’m so proud to be, one who can make music for multi-generational families. Seeing people grow up and bring their own children to the shows, alongside their grandparents, is a really special thing. We’ve written music that’s ranged from an angry breakup song to a theme song for Disney Parks. It’s quite a vast discography, and we’re proud of nearly every one — maybe one or two we’re not so proud of, but mostly we are. 

Kevin Jonas: Working with Disney shaped who we are today because it built our work ethic again and again. We were hungry and we wanted it really bad, and working with Disney meant all these opportunities were suddenly available to us, we were able to make it our own and go after our dreams.