Dolly Parton is a legend in the world of country music, and the star has racked up numerous accolades over her extensive career including Grammys, CMA Awards, ACM Awards, Academy Award nominations and more.
Now, she’ll be named MusiCares Person of the Year for 2019, and will be honored with a ceremony on Feb. 8, two nights before the 2019 Grammy Awards.
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Artists including Chris Stapleton, Leon Bridges, Lauren Daigle, Norah Jones, Shawn Mendes, P!nk and Mark Ronson will honor Parton with performances at the event, and Parton herself will also perform to close out the evening. More performers will be announced in the coming weeks, and the gala will also include a reception, luxury auction, dinner, and awards presentation.
Parton is “being honored for her incredible creative achievements and contributions to the music world as well as her long-term support of many charitable organizations and causes.”
The benefit gala is the 29th annual event of its kind, with past honorees including Paul McCartney, Aretha Franklin, Stevie Wonder, Bob Dylan, Fleetwood Mac and Tom Petty. The event also benefits MusiCares, the charitable extension of the Recording Academy.
The goal of MusiCares is to ensure that “music people have a place to turn in times of financial, medical, and personal need.”
“I am so excited and humbled to be honored as MusiCares Person of the Year,” Parton said in a statement. “It’s even more special knowing the gala benefits music people in need. I can’t wait to hear all of the great artists singing my music.”
After the news was announced, Parton shared her excitement over the honor on Twitter.
“Y’all, somebody better pinch me!” she wrote. “All these incredible artists and more performing in honor of me is just beyond words!”
Y’all, somebody better pinch me! All these incredible artists and more performing in honor of me is just beyond words! //t.co/N8uBizxNVd
— Dolly Parton (@DollyParton) November 20, 2018
Parton has been making music professionally for over 50 years, and the 72-year-old is showing no signs of slowing down, having recently contributed six new songs to the soundtrack of Netflix’s upcoming movie, Dumplin’.
Dumplin’ is based on the Julie Murphy novel of the same name which follows an overweight teenage girl who decides to enter a beauty pageant. The movie stars Danielle Macdonald as Willowdean Dixon, who idolizes Parton, while Jennifer Aniston plays Willowdean’s mom, Rosie, a former beauty queen.
“[This movie] shows that you don’t have to be physically beautiful,” Parton told PEOPLE. “You don’t have to look like a supermodel. I really worry a lot about young girls today because they think they have to look like the models or the people on television. We need to be accepting of ourselves in how we are.”
Photo Credit: Getty / Tibrina Hobson
