Dolly Parton to Receive Artist Humanitarian Award at 2027 Country Radio Seminar
Dolly Parton meets young children at the Magna Science and Adventure Park on Dec. 5, 2007, in Rotherham, South Yorkshire, England, where she honored the former steelworks town as the first European location to participate in her 'Imagination Library' literacy program. Pool/Getty Images
Dolly Parton will receive the 2027 Artist Humanitarian Award during Country Radio Seminar (CRS) 2027, which is set to take place March 17–19 in Nashville. Country Radio Broadcasters (CRB) made the announcement on Thursday (Oct. 1).
Parton was notified that she had been selected to receive the 2027 Artist Humanitarian Award prior to her death on Aug. 25 at age 80. The award was established in 1990 to recognize country artists whose philanthropic efforts have been especially significant. Past recipients include Jelly Roll, Eric Church, Luke Combs, Kane Brown, Jason Aldean, Luke Bryan, Kenny Chesney and Carrie Underwood.
“The word ‘humanitarian’ is nearly synonymous with Dolly Parton,” CRS executive director RJ Curtis said in a statement. “Her decades of generosity and philanthropy speak for themselves, and CRB was honored when Dolly agreed to accept this recognition earlier this year. Though she won’t be with us in person at CRS, her extraordinary spirit and enduring commitment to making the world a better place will continue to inspire us all.”
Parton received numerous awards for her philanthropic efforts, including the Gary Haber Lifting Lives Award in 2016 from the Academy of Country Music; MusiCares Person of the Year in 2019; and the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences late last year.
Perhaps no initiative better reflects Parton’s commitment than her Imagination Library. What began as a local program in her home county in East Tennessee in 1995 grew into an international literacy movement, placing millions of books into the hands of children and families.
Through the Dollywood Foundation and her personal giving, Parton supported education, healthcare, disaster relief, medical research and countless individuals and communities facing hardship. Whether responding to devastating wildfires in East Tennessee, investing in educational opportunities or contributing to lifesaving medical research, her generosity was often accompanied by a deeply personal sense of responsibility to use her success to help others.
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