The country music star, who died in August aged 80 after a brief battle with cancer, accepted the accolade at Wednesday's Nashville ceremony in a message recorded before her passing.
Addressing the crowd, Dolly said: "Well, hey, it's Dolly. I'm honoured to be receiving a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Americana Music Association.
"I mean, roots music, or what is now called Americana music, is what I grew up playing back in the Smoky Mountains.
"It's that same music that drew me back to East Tennessee in 1997 to write and record my album, Hungry Again. And that project really opened the door to a series of bluegrass and acoustic albums that changed the course of my career in so many ways."
The 9 to 5 hitmaker continued: "Now, new fans discovered these albums, new Americana music communities embraced them, and now looking back at it all, I see this era of my career as a musical renaissance of sorts.
"I want to thank everyone at the AMA for recognising me with this award. It's a great honour truly, and just know that I will always love you."
Dolly's close friend Emmylou Harris gave a short speech before the Jolene singer's video message where she reflected on the late icon's legacy.
The 79-year-old singer said: "In 1967, Dolly got a good start on her big dream when she landed a gig as the girl singer with Porter Wagoner. Their duets were a hit on the show and on the charts, but Dolly was nobody's sidekick. She wanted more and she deserve more, and she set out to get it always, always on her own terms.
"And we all know what happened when Dolly set her sights on something."
Harris also hailed Dolly's ability to transition from country singer to global superstar.
"She was one of our all-time greatest songwriters, but she shined just as brightly on stage. She lit up the TV screen and then she lit up the movie screen," she said.
"Her stunningly beautiful, pure mountain voice could make us cry and then crack us up with a well-aimed, sometimes body joke.
"There was nothing Dolly couldn't do, and so she did it."
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