“Goodnight with Dolly” was awarded Gold and Silver in multiple categories at the 42nd Annual Telly Awards. The Telly Awards honor excellence in video and television across all screens, including webseries.
Bringing the “Goodnight with Dolly” to life was exceptionally special, especially during the pandemic. Recognition from the Telly Award honors the great work achieved by all those involved. Dolly said:
"I had so much fun reading bedtime stories. I’m glad for everyone that tuned in to read with me. It sure was a tough year and being able to read to children all over the world, sure made the tough times better. Thanks to everyone involved who made this possible during the height of the covid lockdown."
Telly Award categories included Gold Telly Winner in Online Series-Webseries: Non-Scripted, Silver Telly Winner in Online Series-Webseries: Music, Silver Telly Winner in Online Series-Series: Education & Discovery and Silver Telly Winner Social Video Series-Series: Media & Entertainment.
Last year when everyone was searching for ways to be together while still staying apart, “Goodnight with Dolly” was born through the hard work and dedication of Dolly, Steve Summers, David Dotson, Jacob Timmons and his team at S.D. Professionals, LLC. More than 15 million people tuned in to read a bedtime story with Dolly with each episode featuring an Imagination Library book.
Haven’t watched “Goodnight with Dolly” yet? Or maybe you just want to watch them all again! After all, half the fun of books is rereading your favorite stories. All episodes are still available on Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library website.
Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library has gifted more than 159 million free books to children around the world. Dolly started the Imagination Library in honor of her father who she watched struggle with his inability to read. The Imagination Library is dedicated to inspiring a love of reading by gifting one book a month to children from birth to age five. Learn how to Register A Child or Make A Donation online.
“The Library That Dolly Built” now streaming on Apple TV, Prime Video, Google Play and Cable on Demand.
“The Library That Dolly Built,” directed and produced by journalism professor and director of Land Grant Films Nick Geidner, and narrated by Danica McKellar, goes behind the scenes of Dolly Parton’s literacy-focused non-profit, Imagination Library, to show how one of the most famous and beloved performers in the world has developed an efficient and effective program for spreading the love of reading. The film celebrates all the people who helped make Dolly’s dream come true.
Inspired by her father’s inability to read and write, Dolly started the Imagination Library in 1995. Thanks to the help of local affiliates all over the world, it has since grown to include all 50 states and expanded to four additional countries.
The Imagination Library gifts one book each month to children from birth to age five, no matter their family’s income. Since inception, the Imagination Library has gifted more than 160 million books to children and is currently gifting more than 1.8 million books each month.
On Wednesday, April 7, "Dolly Parton: A MusiCares Tribute" will premiere on Netflix. It’s a star-studded evening of music and memories featuring a community of iconic performers. Dolly changed the world, song by song and this special tribute celebrates everything her fans love about her artistry, compassion and generosity.
Dolly is the first artist from the Nashville music community to receive this honor. Her considerable creative accomplishments and longtime support of several causes, including her Imagination Library, led the Recording Academy™ to honor Dolly with this prestigious award in 2019. Since 1995, Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library® has gifted more than 154 million books to children from birth to five years of age in the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia and the Republic of Ireland.
The Recording Academy™ has recognized Dolly throughout her career, most recently when she received the GRAMMY® for Contemporary Christian Music Performance/Song for her duet with Zach Williams, “There Was Jesus.” This was Dolly’s 11th GRAMMY win, including her Lifetime Achievement Award and MusiCares Person of the Year Award.
Dolly Parton's Imagination Library is featured in an exclusive online article by Rolling Stone. In the article, dated March 8, 2021, Rolling Stone highlights the successes of Dolly's book gifting program and reveals how a small team managed to expand the program into a worldwide success.
Inspired by her father's inability to read and write, Dolly Parton launched her Imagination Library in 1995 near her small hometown in Sevier County, Tennessee. Dolly’s vision was to inspire a love of reading among her county’s preschool children and their families by providing them with the gift of a specially selected book each month, regardless of the family’s income.
Since 1995, Dolly Parton's Imagination Library has grown from a hometown effort to an international program offered in 5 countries. More than 155 million free books have been gifted as of March 2021, with over 1.8 million children enrolled in the program across the United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Australia and the Republic of Ireland.
So, how does she get books into the hands of all those children? Rolling Stone explains that while Dolly is an undeniable force, her passionate team at the Dollywood Foundation and its network of partners and affiliates have been crucial to the program's success.
For a deeper look at the inner workings of Dolly Parton's Imagination Library, read the full article on Rollingstone.com
Dolly Parton, also known as the Book Lady, and Theodore Geisel, better known as Dr. Seuss, are both synonymous with inspiring a love of reading with children around the world. Read Across America Day is celebrated on Tuesday, March 2, in observance of Dr. Seuss’s birthday. Today, the Imagination Library joins the nation in honoring the doctor of rhyme and his books that have been putting smiles on kids' faces since 1937.
Since launching in 1995, the Imagination Library has gifted more than 150 million free books to children in five countries, continuing Dolly’s mission to inspire a love of reading around the world. Read Across America Day is a great way to celebrate the cherished books that inspire everyone to dream more through daring adventures, far-off lands, beloved characters and epic journeys.
Watch this video to learn more about Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library and the amazing people who help put more books into the hands of more children.
