Dolly Parton to Receive CRB Humanitarian Award

RADIO ONLINE | Sunday, October 4, 2026 | 10:33pm CT

Dolly Parton

Country Radio Broadcasters (CRB) will posthumously honor Dolly Parton with its 2027 Artist Humanitarian Award, recognizing her lifetime of philanthropy, compassion and service to others. The award will be presented during Country Radio Seminar (CRS) 2027, set for March 17-19 in Nashville. CRB said Parton had been notified of her selection and agreed to accept the honor before her death.

Parton's philanthropic efforts included the Imagination Library, which she launched in 1995 in her home county in East Tennessee to provide free books to children from birth through age five. The program eventually grew into an international literacy initiative that has distributed millions of books to children and families.

Through the Dollywood Foundation and her personal giving, Parton also supported education, healthcare, disaster relief and medical research. Her efforts included assistance to families affected by East Tennessee wildfires and investments in educational opportunities and medical research.

"The word 'humanitarian' is nearly synonymous with Dolly Parton," said CRS Executive Director RJ Curtis. "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," Curtis added.

Established in 1990, the CRB Artist Humanitarian Award recognizes Country artists whose philanthropic efforts have significantly benefited the causes they support. Previous recipients include Jelly Roll, Eric Church, Luke Combs, Kane Brown, Jason Aldean, Luke Bryan, Kenny Chesney and Carrie Underwood.