How Many Grammys Does Dolly Parton Have?
Dolly Parton is known for many things, such as her wit, colorful storytelling, flashy outfits, and philanthropic work. But the thing that first put this strong and sassy star in the spotlight was her music.
Parton’s singing and songwriting have made her beloved by millions. So how many industry accolades has the 76-year-old earned? And how many Grammy Awards does Parton have?
Dolly Parton’s long and varied entertainment career
According to the Country Music Hall of Fame, Parton learned to love music early. She was one of 12 children in her family, and they used music to bring joy into an otherwise difficult life as a poor family in Appalachia.
By the time Parton was 10, she was singing on a TV variety show. At only 13 years old, she appeared on the Grand Ole Opry stage. She spent years working as a musician and songwriter before her first No. 1 solo hit in 1970, “Joshua.” Three more top-ranked songs followed quickly: “Jolene,” “Love is Like a Butterfly,” and “I Will Always Love You.” In 1975 and 1976, she was named the Country Music Awards Female Vocalist of the Year.
Although Parton dabbled in pop music and focused on other projects at times, like acting and her Dollywood theme park, she always returned to her first love: bluegrass music.
How many Grammy Awards does Dolly Parton have?
Considering she’s such a prolific and beloved artist, it’s no wonder Parton has been nominated for a huge number of awards along the way. The Library of Congress gave her the Living Legend Award in 2004. She’s also received the National Medal of Arts and Kennedy Center Honors.
But what about the Grammy Awards? According to the Academy, she’s won 10 of the coveted statues. Parton took home trophies for songs such as her huge hit “Jolene,” as well as albums including the soundtrack to 9 to 5 the Musical. She’s also been nominated a jaw-dropping 51 times.
Those numbers are impressive, but how do they stack up against other artists? It turns out that as striking as her record is, lots of other recording artists have even bigger award accolades than she does.
Who has the most Grammys?
As Statista reports, Parton’s 10 Grammy Awards don’t even place in the top eight most Grammy-winning individuals of all time. There are plenty of well-known names above her, such as Jay-Z, who sits at No. 6 with 23 Grammys to his name. Beyoncé and Quincy Jones share second place, with 28 wins each. But you might not have heard of the top winner.
Sir Georg Solti holds the top spot, with 31 awards. According to the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, the orchestral and operatic conductor was born in Hungary in 1912. Solti left just before WWII to live as a refugee in Switzerland. He turned to work in music to support himself, and he went on to become a luminary in the world of classical music. After a long, successful career as a conductor, Solti died in 1997.
Parton may not come close to having as many Grammys as Solti. But to her fans, she’ll always be No. 1. Since she’s still creating music and trying her hand at new things, there’s a chance she could still win enough awards to sit in the top spot.
