The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences on Sunday presented Dolly with an honorary Oscar in recognition of her selection as the 2025 Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award recipient for her philanthropic work. She could not attend due to a scheduling conflict announced prior to her recent health concerns, but she accepted the honor via a pretaped speech broadcast during The 16th Governors Awards, which also saw honorary Oscars given to Debbie Allen, Tom Cruise and Wynn Thomas. Lily Tomlin introduced Dolly's honor in a rambling speech she blamed on a vision problem making it nearly impossible for her to read the teleprompters. Watch Dolly's acceptance speech here or in the media player above and Lily's introduction here or in the media player below.
'Holly Dolly Christmas' Goes Gold Two weeks prior to its fifth anniversary reissue as a vinyl picture disc (available for preorder here), the holiday collection A Holly Dolly Christmas on Nov. 7 was certified by the RIAA as Dolly's 19th career gold album for sales in excess of 500,000 copies. A deluxe anniversary CD edition is also on sale at HSN as an exclusive with a bonus track of "The Magic of Being Together," which she had released on her recent digital Dollywood 40th anniversary album.
Dolly Graces 'People,' 'US News'
Promoting her latest projects, Dolly is the current cover girl for People magazine with a new interview, a video version of which is available here or in the media player above. She also appears in the new issue of US News & World Report on their tally of the 25 Best Leaders of 2025 from the fields of business, education, health care, and public service. Recognized for her philanthropy, Dolly is highlighted here.
Dolly Travel Centers Coming Your Way Dolly is going to go head-to-head with Buc-ee with her latest venture, as Tennessean Travel Stops announced Monday that she has joined them to redesign and rebrand select locations as Dolly's Tennessean Travel Stops. The chain's flagship travel stop off I-65 in Cornersville, Tenn., south of Nashville will be renovated over coming months and debut the new structure and brand next summer. Serving as proof of concept, future sites in Tennessee and beyond will be announced next year. In a press release, Dolly said: "I have spent the bulk of my life on the road, and more specifically on a bus. All the years spent visiting greasy spoon cafes, truck stops, and roadside pit stops have given me an understanding of what traveler's desire on the road. Whether you are driving a truck, a bus, or a car, you want a place that feels like home and recharges you for the rest of your journey. I believe we will fill a void out there on the highways, all while bringing the heart and soul of Tennessee." While design details have yet to be revealed, the retailer promises "an evolved travel experience that integrates modern amenities, curated dining, and authentic regional retail with the approachable comfort travelers expect from both brands."
Third Coffeetable Book, 'Star Of The Show,' Hits Shelves
The third of Dolly's trilogy of coffetable book memoirs, Star Of The Show: My Life On Stage, hit shelves last week. She popped in to a few Nashville-area retailers to check it out in person and uploaded video of it to social media here and in the media player above. She also gave an interview to Entertainment Tonight available here or in the media player below.
New Jewelry Collection Comes Out The third collection of jewelry from Kendra Scott inspired by Dolly was released this month, themed around her song "Change It." Read more about the collection from The Hollywood Reporterhere.
Hotel Taking Reservations, Musuem Tickets On Sale Reservations are now open for Dolly Parton's SongTeller Hotel, and pre-sale tickets are available for Dolly's Life of Many Colors Museum, both opening in June 2026 in downtown Nashville. Housed together under one roof, the hotel and museum will give guests two unique ways to experience the stories behind Dolly's life and music.For hotel reservations, visit www.songtellerhotel.com or call 1-877-SONGTELLER. "I am very excited about the opening of my Nashville hotel and museum next year!" Dolly said in a release. "Broadway has become such a hub of tourism, this felt like the right time to bring something special to all the wonderful activity in Nashville. I've always dreamed of being able to create something here in Music City and I know we've found the perfect addition to the city I call home." Dolly Parton's SongTeller Hotel will be home to Dolly's Life of Many Colors Museum; the largest exhibition dedicated to Parton to date. Spanning the entire third floor of the hotel, more than 20,000 square feet, the museum is designed to immerse visitors in her extraordinary journey, featuring curated exhibits chronicling her rise "from the top of the mountains to the top of the world." Guests will gain unprecedented insight into her decades-spanning career across music, film, television, and philanthropy, as well as the personal values of family and faith that remain central to her story. Purchase museum pre-sale tickets at www.dollyslifeofmanycolors.com — hotel reservation not required. Dolly recorded a brief promotional video here.
Down Under, Post Malone's F 1 Trillion, with its Dolly duet, is No. 3 Australian country albums, and Beyonce No. 25 country.
Dollywood Releases 2026 Calendar Dollywood recenly released its 2026 operating calendar with a few changes from previous years. Opening day will be on Friday, March 13, but unlike recent years when it has been a preview day for passholders, resort guests, and invited guests, it will be Grand Opening Day open to the general public. Also, instead of closing Tuesdays and Thursdays for four weeks in spring and four weeks in fall those breaks will be limited to two weeks each: the final two weeks of April, last week of August, and first week of September. The park will also be open on Halloween for the first time in many years, closing to switch over for Christmas Nov. 1-5, and opening the Christmas festival on Friday, Nov. 6, a day earlier than its usual Saturday opening. The season will conclude Jan. 3, 2027.
'Opry' CD With 'I Will Always Love You' Released The highly-anticipated Opry 100: Country's Greatest Songs CD was released this month, featuring a curated selection of the songs selected as the genre's best of all time in celebration of the centennial of The Grand Ole Opry including a 2007 performance of "I Will Always Love You" by Dolly to mentor Porter Wagoner at his 50th Opry anniversary celebration just months prior to his death. The Opry chose to use video of that performance as the primary promotional image for the album. Watch it here or in the media player below.
Sorry For Update Delays Apologies for the delay in updates. Your webmaster had a nasty eye infection for a while that made vision difficult, plus trying to catch up from missing work as a result further delayed the updates.
Dolly is going to go head-to-head with Buc-ee with her latest venture, as Tennessean Travel Stops announced Monday that she has joined them to redesign and rebrand select locations as