KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — Dolly Parton was named the recipient of the PEACE Through Music Award by the U.S. Department of State and the Recording Academy on Friday.
Dolly accepted the award by reflecting on what brings her peace.
"I started writing songs when I was in school. My mamma would write the words down for me because I couldn't read or write yet... it brought me peace," Dolly said in her acceptance video. "It was a way to express myself. That for me could only come out in my music and to this day, I get my personal peace from singing, from writing, from sharing with you. It's my way of hoping that every word or a line in one of my songs might bring the listener some kind of peace."
She continued by saying there is power in music that can "soothe, educate and bring people together... to actually bring us all a little peace."
The award honors artists or groups that have played a valuable role in cross-cultural exchanges and whose work advances peace and mutual understanding globally, according to the release.
"An icon and force across the music industry, having reached audiences at home and abroad for generations, – with future generations to engage still – Parton embodies all that the PEACE Through Music Award represents: understanding, peace, inclusion, and unity," the U.S. Department of State said.
Parton's commitment to serving others is unmatched. From Parton's Imagination Library to becoming a champion of public health.
The award is part of the State Department's Global Music Diplomacy Initiative. It builds on existing music diplomacy efforts and delivers on the Promoting Peace, Education, and Cultural Exchange (PEACE) Through Music Diplomacy Act that President Biden signed into law in 2023.
The initiative also elevates music as a diplomatic platform to bring people together and promote peace and democracy in support of broader U.S. foreign policy goals that expand access to education, economic opportunity and equity, and inclusion, the State Department said.
Music icon Quincy Jones was the first recipient of the PEACE Through Music Award in 2023.
Dolly will be celebrated Friday evening at the Grammy Museum in Los Angeles.
