Dolly Parton says she’s more ‘blessed’ than she ‘ever dreamed possible’ as she wins first Oscar
Dolly Parton appears on screen as she is honoured with the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award. (Kevin Winter/Getty Images)
Dolly Parton appears on screen as she is honoured with the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award. (Kevin Winter/Getty Images)
LGBTQ+ ally Dolly Parton’s philanthropic efforts have been recognised with her first Oscar.
Country superstar Parton accepted the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, at the Governors Awards in Los Angeles on Sunday (16 November).
In her acceptance speech, delivered by video from her home in Nashville, Parton, who was seen standing next to her gold statue, called the win a great honour and the blessing of a life time.
“It makes me want to dream up new ways to help lift people up”
“I grew up in a house with 12 kids. That alone teaches you how important sharing is,” she said. “Don’t get me wrong, we didn’t have that much to share but my mom and daddy showed me by example that the more you give, the more blessings come your way.
“I’ve tried my whole life to live by their example and I’ve been blessed more than I ever dreamed possible, like this award tonight. It’s an honour just to be considered … I don’t take this kind of thing lightly. It makes me want to dream up new ways to help lift people up.”
The singer has twice been nominated for an Academy Award, first at the 1981 ceremony, for “9 to 5”, then 25 years later for “Travellin’ Thru” from the film Transamerica.
Parton started the Dollywood Foundation in 1988 to inspire children in Tennessee to achieve educational success. In 1995, the foundation launched Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library, a monthly book-gifting programme for children under the age of five.
In 2020, she partly funded research for a COVID-19 vaccine and has continued to voice support for the LGBTQ+ community.
Jean Hersholt was a Danish-born actor, best-known for starring in radio medical drama Dr Christian, which ran in the 30s, 40s and 50s, and for playing child star Shirley Temple’s grandfather, Adolph, in Heidi in 1937.
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