Following the announcement of Dolly Parton’s death on Tuesday, tributes have poured in from across the political and entertainment worlds. President Biden led the tributes, calling her an “American original.” As the nation mourns, a closer look at her career reveals a staggering collection of honors that spanned music, film, television, and philanthropy.
Parton’s first award came in 1966 at the BMI Awards for “Put It Off Until Tomorrow,” a song performed by Bill Phillips. Two years later, in 1968, she was named Most Promising Female Artist at both the Cashbox Awards and the CMT Music Awards, and also won Duet of the Year with Porter Wagoner. That early recognition set the stage for a career that would see her win 15 CMT Awards, 24 BMI Awards, 13 Academy of Country Music Awards, and 10 Country Music Association Awards. She was also an 11-time Grammy winner and has been a member of the Country Music Hall of Fame since 1999.
In 2022, Parton was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, an honor she initially tried to decline, feeling she hadn’t earned it. After the induction, she released a rock album, Rockstar, embracing the genre she had once questioned. Her willingness to step outside her comfort zone was a hallmark of her career.
Parton also earned recognition in film and television. She was nominated for two Academy Awards for Best Original Song: in 1980 for “9 to 5” and in 2005 for “Travelin’ Thru” from Transamerica. She lost both times, but in 2025, the Academy honored her with the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award, recognizing her extensive charitable work, including her Imagination Library book program, which will continue after her death.
On television, Parton won her first Emmy in 2021 for Outstanding Television Movie for Dolly Parton’s Christmas on the Square, after three earlier nominations. She also won two Midsouth Emmy Awards in 2018, including the Governors’ Award for Lifetime Achievement and Outstanding Community Service Program for Smoky Mountains Rise. Though she never won a Golden Globe, she was nominated six times. On Broadway, she received a Tony nomination for Best Original Score for 9 to 5: The Musical in 2009.
BMI Awards
- “All I Can Do” – 1977 Country Award
- “Baby I’m Burnin’” – 1979 Country and Pop Awards
- “The Bargain Store” – 1976 Country Award
- “Daddy Was An Old Time Preacher Man” – 1971 Country Award
- “Everything’s Beautiful (In Its Own Way)” – 1983 Country and Pop Awards
- “Heartbreak Express” – 1983 Country Award, 1982 Pop Award
- “It’s All Wrong, But It’s All Right” – 1979 Country Award
- “I Will Always Love You” – 1975, 1983 Country Awards; 1982, 1993, 1994, 1995 Pop Awards; 6 Million-air; 1993 Pop Song of the Year
- “Jolene” – 1974 Country and Pop Awards; Million-air
- “Joshua” – 1971 Country Award
- “Kentucky Gambler” – 1975 Country Award
- “The Last One To Touch Me” – 1972 Country Award
- “Light Of A Clear Blue Morning” – 1978 Country Award
- “Love Is Like A Butterfly” – 1975 Country Award
- “9 To 5” – 1981, 1982 Country Awards; 1981 Pop Award; 3 Million-air; 1981 Pop and Country Song of the Year
- “Please Don’t Stop Loving Me” – 1975 Country Award
- “Put It Off Until Tomorrow” – 1966 Country Award
- “Say Forever You’ll Be Mine” – 1976 Country Award
- “The Seeker” – 1976 Country Award
- “Tennessee Homesick Blues” – 1985 Country Award
- “To Daddy” – 1978 Country Award
- “Traveling Man” – 1974 Country Award
- “Two Doors Down” – 1978, 1979 Country Awards; 1978 Pop Award; Million-air
- “Yellow Roses” – 1990 Country Award; Million-air
Grammy Awards
- “Here You Come Again” – 1979 Best Country Vocal Performance, Female
- “9 to 5” – 1982 Best Country Vocal Performance, Female and Best Country Song
- Trio (with Emmylou Harris and Linda Ronstadt) – 1988 Best Country Vocal Performance by a Duo or Group
- “After the Gold Rush” (with Emmylou Harris and Linda Ronstadt) – 2000 Best Country Vocal Collaboration
- The Grass Is Blue – 2001 Best Bluegrass Album
- “Shine” – 2002 Best Female Country Vocal Performance
- 2011 Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award
- “Jolene” (with Pentatonix) – 2017 Best Country Duo/Group Performance
- “God Only Knows” (with For King & Country) – 2020 Best Contemporary Christian Music Performance/Song
- “There Was Jesus” (with Zach Williams) – 2021 Best Contemporary Christian Music Performance/Song
CMT Music Awards
- Porter Wagoner and Dolly Parton – 1968, 1969, 1970 Duet of the Year
- Dolly Parton – 1968 Most Promising Female Artist
- The Porter Wagoner Show – 1971 TV Show of the Year
- Trio (with Emmylou Harris and Linda Ronstadt) – 1988 Vocal Collaboration of the Year and Album of the Year
- “Rockin’ Years” (with Ricky Van Shelton) – 1992 Vocal Collaboration of the Year and Video of the Year
- 1994 Living Legend Award
- 1994 Minnie Pearl Humanitarian Award
- “Romeo” (with Billy Ray Cyrus and Friends) – 1994 Vocal Event of the Year and Video Event of the Year
- “After the Gold Rush” (with Emmylou Harris and Linda Ronstadt) – 1999 Video Event of the Year and 2000 Vocal Event of the Year
- “When I Get Where I’m Going” (with Brad Paisley) – 2006 Most Inspiring Video of the Year
Academy of Country Music Awards
Parton also received numerous honors from the Academy of Country Music, including multiple awards for her duets with Porter Wagoner and her work with the Trio. Her total of 13 ACM awards underscores her enduring influence in the genre.
Parton’s legacy is not just in the trophies, but in the lives she touched through her music and philanthropy. As presidents pay tribute and flags are ordered at half-staff, her impact on American culture remains undeniable. Her story, from humble beginnings in Sevierville, Tennessee, to global icon, is a testament to her talent and determination.
