Dolly Parton received one of the final major honours of her extraordinary career just six days before her death, accepting the Academy of Country Music’s Poet’s Award in a prerecorded video message.
The country music icon was honoured during the 19th ACM Honors, held on August 19, 2026, at The Pinnacle in Nashville, Tennessee.
Parton did not attend the ceremony in person, but the Academy played her special acceptance message during the event.
Parton died on August 25, 2026, at the age of 80, making the ACM honour and the words she shared in her acceptance message particularly poignant. Her family confirmed her death on Tuesday.
The ACM Poet’s Award recognised Parton’s extraordinary contribution to country music songwriting over a career spanning more than six decades.
The Academy described her as one of country music’s most gifted and influential songwriters and pointed to enduring compositions including Jolene, Coat of Many Colors and I Will Always Love You.
In her acceptance message, expressed her gratitude to the Academy.
“Dolly here! And I just want to send a very special thank you to the Academy of Country Music for honoring me with the Poet’s Award,” she said.
She then explained why the recognition meant so much to her.
“You know, I’ve been able to do many things throughout my life, but at my core, songwriting has always been the most important part of who I am creatively,” Parton said.
For an artist whose career extended into acting, television, business and philanthropy, Parton used the acceptance speech to return to the foundation on which she built her reputation.
She credited songwriting with helping turn her childhood dreams into reality.
“Every dream I ever had and all the dreams that I’ve been able to see come true in life, well they all started with a song,” she said.
Parton went on to describe songwriting not simply as a profession but as an important source of emotional expression throughout her life.
“Songwriting has been my therapy; songwriting has been my release, my joy,” she said.
She also connected her songwriting ability to her faith, describing it as “a gift from God” that allowed her to reach people through music.
“Songwriting has been a gift from God that has allowed me to touch people with words and music,” Parton said.
She concluded the message by thanking God, her fans around the world and the Academy of Country Music for the honour.
Parton’s absence from the Nashville ceremony came amid health concerns that had affected some of her recent plans.
The ACM had announced before the ceremony that she would accept the Poet’s Award through a special video message rather than appear at The Pinnacle.
People reported that Parton had recently experienced health issues, including dehydration and dizziness, which contributed to her decision to skip an appearance connected to Dollywood.
The ACM nonetheless made Parton one of the central figures of the evening.
Hosts Carly Pearce and Parker McCollum opened the ceremony with a tribute to the country legend. Pearce, Kaitlin Butts and Carter Faith later performed 9 to 5, one of Parton’s best-known songs.
The ceremony also featured performances from several major country music stars, including Sheryl Crow, Trisha Yearwood, Dierks Bentley, Megan Moroney, Dierks Bentley, Margo Price and Dylan Scott. Country music legend Brenda Lee also appeared as a special guest.
The evening celebrated a wide range of artists and industry figures, with Kacey Musgraves, Eric Church, Bill Anderson, Mike Curb, Leslie Fram, Scott Zolke, the Carter Family and C2C: Country to Country among the other honourees.
The Poet’s Award carried particular significance because Parton had spent much of her career establishing herself as a songwriter before becoming an international entertainment superstar.
She wrote a number of songs throughout her career, many of which became classics in their own right.
Jolene became one of the defining songs of her career, while Coat of Many Colors drew heavily from her childhood experiences.
She also wrote I Will Always Love You, a song that later became an international phenomenon when Whitney Houston recorded it for the soundtrack of The Bodyguard.
Parton’s songwriting also extended beyond songs she recorded herself. Throughout her career, other artists recorded her compositions, further expanding her influence within country music and beyond.
The ACM noted that Parton was a 13-time ACM Award recipient and had hosted the ACM Awards three times.
The timing of the honour has given Parton’s acceptance message an added emotional weight. She accepted the Poet’s Award on August 19 and died six days later, on August 25.
Her words offered a concise reflection on the role music had played throughout her life.
“At my core, songwriting has always been the most important part of who I am creatively,” she said.
Parton’s death brings to an end to one of the longest and most influential careers in country music.
