Kacey Musgraves pays emotional tribute to Dolly Parton at 2026 MTV VMAs

Musgraves performed a cover of Parton’s signature song 'I Will Always Love You' at the ceremony held in LA

Kacey Musgraves honoured the late Dolly Parton with a performance of “I Will Always Love You” at the MTV VMAs 2026 on Sunday, September 27.

The “Architect” singer performed a cover of Parton’s signature song while wearing a fuchsia crystal gown with feather trim.

The ceremony, held at Los Angeles’ Peacock Theater, incorporated archival footage of Parton, creating the appearance of a duet between the two artists.

Musgraves had prerecorded the tribute in Los Angeles earlier in the week because of a scheduled Middle of Nowhere Tour date at Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena.

The memorial segment opened with an archival clip of Parton offering advice to the audience. “I’d like to leave you fellas with a bit of advice,” she said. “Don’t criticize your wife’s judgment; after all, she picked you!”

VMAs host Snoop Dogg praised the performance afterwards, saying, “Wow, now that’s how you honor a legend.”

The tribute came just over a month after Parton’s family announced her death at 80 on August 25. Her spokesperson later confirmed that the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee had died following a “brief battle with cancer.”

Musgraves had previously shared her grief on social media, writing that “the world feels a lot less sparkly all of a sudden”. She has also honoured Parton during several tour performances.

The MTV VMAs 2026 aired live on MTV, CBS and Paramount+ from the Peacock Theater.