When You Wish Upon a Star was written by Leigh Harline and Ned Washington for Walt Disney's Pinocchio, released in 1940, and performed in the film by Cliff Edwards as Jiminy Cricket. It won the Academy Award for Best Original Song and later became closely associated with Disney itself, often used as a signature theme for the studio. Over the decades it has been covered by many artists and reused in films, television and online videos, where its association with dreams and hope keeps it instantly recognisable across generations.