Dolly Parton is set to miss the 16th Governors Awards. The country icon will not be present at the Nov. 16 ceremony, where she’s slated to receive the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
The award that Parton was set to receive is “given to an individual in the motion picture industry whose humanitarian efforts have brought credit to the industry by promoting human welfare and contributing to rectifying inequities,” per the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.
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Parton has certainly done that. She’s known for giving out millions of books to kids through her Dollywood Foundation and Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library. She’s also donated more than $2 million to medical research, per the outlet.
The award previously went to stars including Debbie Reynolds, Tyler Perry, Michael J. Fox, and Richard Curtis.
Dolly Parton’s Health Concerns
Parton, whose husband, Carl Dean, died in March, has not spoken out about her most recent cancellation.
The news came shortly after Parton announced that she was rescheduling her highly-anticipated Las Vegas residency amid health woes. The planned December 2025 shows have been moved to September 2026.
“As many of you know, I’ve been dealing with some health challenges, and my doctors tell me that I must have a few procedures,” Parton wrote on Instagram. “As I joked with them, it must be time for my 100,000 check-up, although it’s not the usual trip to see my plastic surgeon!”
Because of the situation, Parton wrote that she’d be unable “to rehearse and put together the show that I want you to see, and the show that you deserve to see.”
The singer went on to reassure fans that she is not gearing up to retire.
“Don’t worry about me quittin’ the business because God hasn’t said anything about stopping yet,” she wrote. “But, I believe He is telling me to slow down right now so I can be ready for more big adventures with all of you.”
The exact health issues that Parton is currently dealing with are unclear. However, earlier this month, she revealed she was battling a kidney infection. That ailment caused her to cancel a scheduled appearance at her theme park, Dollywood.
Photo by Jason Kempin/Getty Images
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