The Academy is finally giving Dolly Parton her Oscar, but not for singing. On Tuesday, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced it will honor legendary country icon and LGBTQ ally Dolly Parton with the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award this November.
This special Oscar recognizes decades of philanthropic work done by Parton. Parton founded the Dollywood Foundation in 1988, which evolved into the Imagination Library—a nonprofit that now sends free books to children around the world. She has long supported education in her hometown of Sevier County, Tennessee, funding scholarships and dropout prevention programs.
In 2002, she launched the Chasing Rainbows Award to honor teachers who’ve overcome hardships. She’s also made big environmental moves—establishing the Eagle Mountain Sanctuary for non-releasable bald eagles—and helped fund wildfire relief efforts, a local hospital, and even research behind the COVID-19 vaccine. During the pandemic, she read books to children online to calm their fears.
Though Parton never took home an Oscar for her music, she’s had two nominations, including one for “Travelin’ Thru”, written for the 2005 transgender-themed film Transamerica. The song earned her death threats, but she stood by it. She’s also always stood by her queer fans. From drag queens to activists, queer folks have long claimed Dolly as their own. And now, Hollywood’s highest honor will claim her too. She will share the honorary stage this year with Tom Cruise, Debbie Allen, and Wynn Thomas.
