The Americana Music Association will honor Parton with its Lifetime Achievement Award at the 2026 Americana Honors & Awards, recognizing a career that has left a lasting mark on American roots music.
For more than six decades, Dolly has built a catalog that stretches far beyond country music, with songs including “Coat of Many Colors,” “Jolene,” “I Will Always Love You” and “My Tennessee Mountain Home.” Her songwriting has influenced generations of artists across country, bluegrass, folk, gospel and pop.
Americana Music Association Executive Director Jed Hilly says that while Dolly’s accomplishments include everything from philanthropy and acting to television and business, the organization wanted to recognize what has always been at the center of her career: her songwriting and artistry.
The Lifetime Achievement Award recognizes artists whose careers have made an enduring impact on American roots music. Previous recipients have included legends like Willie Nelson, Emmylou Harris, Bonnie Raitt and Van Morrison.
This year, Dolly will share Lifetime Achievement honors with Robert Plant, who was previously announced as another 2026 recipient.
The 2026 Americana Honors & Awards will take place September 16 at Nashville’s historic Ryman Auditorium as part of AMERICANAFEST. Dolly will not attend the ceremony in person and will instead accept the honor through a prerecorded video message.
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