![Dolly Parton to Receive Willie Nelson Lifetime Achievement Award at CMAs](http://townsquare.media/site/204/files/2016/10/dolly-parton-cma-awards.jpg?w=630&h=420&zc=1&s=0&a=t&q=89&w=980&q=75)
Dolly Parton to Receive Willie Nelson Lifetime Achievement Award at CMAs
Dolly Parton will receive major recognition at the 2016 CMA Awards. The country icon will be honored with the Willie Nelson Lifetime Achievement Award at the ceremony.
The award is given to an "iconic artist who has attained the highest degree of recognition in country music," a release explains. Specifically, artists who have achieved success through their live shows, humanitarian efforts, philanthropy, record sales and public representation at the highest level are considered. Parton follows previous recipients Willie Nelson (2012), Kenny Rogers (2013) and Johnny Cash (2015).
“Dolly epitomizes the very definition of the Willie Nelson Lifetime Achievement Award,” says Sarah Trahern, who is the CMA's Chief Executive Officer. “She is a trailblazer who continues to enchant and captivate fans around the world, from her latest No. 1 album, to her sold-out tour, and numerous television projects. She is a treasure and deserving of this industry acclaim for her undeniable contributions to the success of country music today.”
Nelson is a longtime friend of Parton's, and during a recent appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live, Parton shares that the two often wrote songs for the same publisher, and even collaborated on one of her songs. She also confessed that Nelson isn’t the easiest to sing with.
“He’s so hard to sing with. His phrasing is so different you can’t keep up with him,” she says, recalling a duet the two worked on called “Here to the Moon and Back.”
“Trying to sing with him, I was everywhere. I called him up and said, ‘Willie, send me a sack of that grass you’re smoking, because I can’t follow you. I gotta get where you are. I don’t know where you went in my song, so take me there!"
Best Dolly Parton Moments Ever
See All of Dolly's Best Looks
More From 107.7 WGNA
![What Do The Big Stars on New York Barns Mean? Not Just Decorations](http://townsquare.media/site/81/files/2023/03/attachment-WGNA.COM-2023-03-08T135248.927.jpg?w=980&q=75)
![Enter Here For Painted Pony Rodeo Tickets](http://townsquare.media/site/81/files/2022/03/attachment-GettyImages-1336918.jpg?w=980&q=75)
![ENTER HERE: Josh Turner Winning Weekend](http://townsquare.media/site/81/files/2024/02/attachment-gettyimages-119848500.jpg?w=980&q=75)
![Eyewitness Claims They Saw an Alien Abduction in Upstate New York](http://townsquare.media/site/81/files/2024/07/attachment-alien-abduction-.jpg?w=980&q=75)
![ENTER HERE: Win Concert On the Course VIP Tickets](http://townsquare.media/site/81/files/2024/02/attachment-CONCERT-ON-THE-COURSE-ANNOUNCES-2024-LINEUP-1600-x-1067-px.jpg?w=980&q=75)
![Dierks Bentley Secret Songs: Win Tickets To SPAC July 18th](http://townsquare.media/site/81/files/2024/07/attachment-Untitled-design-2024-07-06T080506.777.jpg?w=980&q=75)
![Tyler Childers Sold Out SPAC; Important Things to ‘Know Before You Go’](http://townsquare.media/site/81/files/2024/07/attachment-tyler-.jpg?w=980&q=75)
![ENTER HERE: Dustin Lynch VIP Winning Weekend](http://townsquare.media/site/81/files/2024/07/attachment-GettyImages-2003953940.jpg?w=980&q=75)
![Columbia County Fair To Feature 90’s Country Hitmaker In Concert](http://townsquare.media/site/81/files/2024/06/attachment-Untitled-design-2024-06-13T155932.070.jpg?w=980&q=75)