The legendary singer, songwriter and entertainer will be honoured for a career that has spanned more than six decades and changed the face of country and Americana music.
Dolly Parton is about to add another major honour to one of the most celebrated careers in music history.
The legendary singer, songwriter, musician, actress, businesswoman and philanthropist will receive the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Americana Music Association at the 25th Americana Honors & Awards on September 16, 2026, at Nashville’s historic Ryman Auditorium.
The prestigious ceremony takes place during AmericanaFest, one of the most important gatherings of artists, music executives, songwriters and industry professionals connected to Americana and roots music.
Parton will accept the award through a special video appearance.
A Career That Changed Music
Few artists have had the extraordinary longevity and influence of Dolly Parton.
Born in 1946 in the Great Smoky Mountains of Tennessee, Parton grew up in a large family with very little money. Music was an important part of her childhood, and she began writing songs while she was still young.
After moving to Nashville, Parton established herself as a songwriter before becoming a major recording artist herself. Her career began in the 1960s and has continued through country music’s many transformations.
More than six decades later, she remains one of the most recognizable figures in the world.
The Songwriter Behind the Hits
At the heart of Parton’s career is her songwriting.
She has written some of the most enduring songs in American music, including “Jolene,” “Coat of Many Colors,” “9 to 5,” “I Will Always Love You,” “Here You Come Again” and many others.
Her songs have been recorded by artists across country, pop, rock, bluegrass and other genres.
“I Will Always Love You” is perhaps the most extraordinary example. Parton wrote and originally recorded the song herself, but Whitney Houston’s 1992 recording for The Bodyguard transformed it into a worldwide phenomenon.
The success of Houston’s version introduced Parton’s songwriting to millions of people around the world and demonstrated that a great song can transcend genres and generations.
Dolly and “Jolene”
Few songs have become as recognizable as “Jolene.”
Released in 1973, the song tells the story of a woman desperately pleading with another woman not to take the man she loves.
Its emotional simplicity and unforgettable melody have made it one of the most recorded and reinterpreted songs in country music.
Decades later, younger generations of musicians continue to discover and record it, proving the remarkable staying power of Parton’s songwriting.
From Country Music to Hollywood
Parton’s career eventually expanded far beyond recording and performing.
She became a successful actress, appearing in films including 9 to 5, The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas, Steel Magnolias and Straight Talk.
Her performances demonstrated that she could bring the same warmth, humour and personality that made her a country music star to the screen.
She also became a major businesswoman through Dollywood, her theme park in Tennessee, which has become one of the state’s most popular tourist destinations.
A Powerful Legacy of Giving
Parton’s influence extends beyond entertainment.
Her Imagination Library has become one of the world’s best-known children’s literacy programs. The organization provides free books to young children, encouraging reading and helping families build home libraries.
What began as a small program in Parton’s home community eventually grew into an international initiative.
Her philanthropic work has become one of the most important parts of her legacy.
A Lifetime of Honours
The Americana Music Association’s Lifetime Achievement Award joins an extraordinary collection of honours.
Parton received the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 2011 and was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 1999.
She received the Kennedy Center Honors in 2006 and was presented with the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Awardby the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences in 2025.
She has also received numerous awards for her songwriting, recording career, acting and contributions to American culture.
The Americana Lifetime Achievement Award is particularly fitting because Parton’s music represents so many of the traditions at the heart of Americana — country, folk, roots, gospel and Appalachian music.
Dolly Parton at 80
Parton celebrated her 80th birthday in January 2026, but she shows little sign of slowing down.
One of her most ambitious new projects is “Dolly: An Original Musical,” a Broadway production telling the story of her life through her music. The production will feature some of her best-known songs along with new material.
Parton’s life and career are also being celebrated through the “Dolly Parton: Journey of a Seeker” exhibition at the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum in Nashville. The exhibition features personal objects and explores important moments throughout her extraordinary career.
An Artist Who Continues to Inspire
Parton’s influence can be heard throughout contemporary music.
Her songs continue to be recorded by younger artists. Musicians from different genres regularly reinterpret her work, while new audiences continue to discover the songs that established her reputation decades ago.
Her greatest gift may be her ability to tell a complete story in just a few minutes.
Parton’s songs often focus on ordinary people and universal experiences — love, heartbreak, poverty, family, ambition, work and hope.
She takes personal experiences and turns them into songs that millions of people can understand.
That is the hallmark of a great songwriter.
Nashville Celebrates Dolly Parton
On September 16, Nashville will celebrate an artist whose career has become part of the history of American music.
Dolly Parton has sold records around the world, written songs that have become international standards, starred in major films, built successful businesses and created philanthropic programs that have touched the lives of millions.
But the foundation of it all remains the music.
The songs came first, and they continue to endure.
At 80, Dolly Parton is no longer simply a country music legend. She has become an American cultural icon whose influence reaches across music, film, business, philanthropy and popular culture.
The Americana Music Association’s Lifetime Achievement Award recognizes the extraordinary career she has already created — but Dolly Parton’s story is still being written.
And if history is any indication, there may be plenty more music, stories and surprises still to come.
