Dolly Parton Receives U.S. Department of State & Recording Academy’s Peace Through Music Award for 2024

Photo Credit: U.S. State Department / Recording Academy (Dolly Parton)

The U.S. State Department and the Recording Academy announced Dolly Parton has received the 2024 Peace Through Music Award.The award honors American music industry professionals, artists, or groups who play an invaluable role in cross-cultural exchanges and whose music work advances peace and mutual understanding globally.

Parton was celebrated at the Grammy Museum in Los Angeles where she gave her acceptance speech in an event hosted by the Recording Academy and the U.S. Department of State. The event also recognizes the first-ever cohort of the American Music Mentorship Program.

“Over the course of her career, Dolly Parton has been committed to enriching communities across the globe, and it’s a privilege to celebrate her dedication to service with the Peace Through Music Award Today,” said Recording Academy CEO Harvey Mason Jr. “We are grateful to partner with the Department of State on the Global Music Diplomacy Initiative, which represents an important part of the Academy’s work to support music people across the globe.”

Dolly Parton is an icon and a force in the music industry, reaching audiences at home and abroad for generations. She was chosen because she embodies all that the Peace Through Music Award represents—understanding, peace, inclusion, and unity. Her selection this year is grounded in her music and public persona and her commitment to children’s education through her Imagination Library. She was also instrumental in funding research for the COVID-19 vaccine.“Dolly Parton represents the best of America—her excellence in music, her servant’s heart in giving back to those in need, and her unique ability to always bring people together,” adds Lee Satterfield, Acting Under Secretary of State for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs. “On behalf of the American people and Secretary of State Blinken, we are honored to celebrate all of her contributions to people around the world with the Peace Through Music Award.”

The Peace Through Music Award is determined through a nomination process, with U.S. embassies from around the globe submitting nominations to be considered by a selection committee created jointly by both the State Department and the Recording Academy. The selection committee is represented by Recording Academy members, U.S. Department of State leadership, music industry professionals, and academia. The recommended honorees are approved by the CEO of the Recording Academy, then presented to the Assistant Secretary of State for Educational and Cultural Affairs, who makes the final determination.