Parton was honored at Wednesday night's (Sept. 16) 2026 Americana Honors & Awards, where Brandi Carlile covered her classic song "Coat of Many Colors."
Three weeks after her death at 80 following a brief battle with cancer, Dolly Parton made a surprise posthumous appearance at Wednesday night’s (Sept. 16) 2026 Americana Awards and Honors at the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville. Before her passing on Aug. 25, Parton recorded a pre-taped message accepting the organization’s Lifetime Achievement Award.
The segment was introduced by Emmylou Harris, who talked about the “unthinkable” death of her friend, who she called a “a tiny, extraordinary woman” who made the world a “better, brighter and kinder place.” Harris recalled one of Parton’s many pearls of wisdom (the famously glam country icon, fittingly, actually called them “rhinestones of wisdom”), delivered as a four-part motto: “dream more, learn more, care more, be more.”
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Harris said that, through her songs and her example as a humanitarian and philanthropist, “she showed so many musicians, artists and everyday folks” how to follow another one of her mottos: “If you don’t like the road you’re walking, start paving another one.”
“And, in truly Dolly fashion, when she learned she would be receiving this honor, she didn’t wait for the spotlight to find her. She stepped right into it, recording this message with the same warmth, joy and sparkle she so generously shared with us throughout her life.”
Parton’s message was classic Dolly, with the singer sitting next to a bouquet of fresh flowers and dressed in a golden top with fringe and sparkling accents, her signature upbeat attitude fully on display. “It’s Dolly. I’m honored to be receiving a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Americana Music Association,” she said in the video. “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.”
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Parton talked about how those albums helped new fans discover her music, as well as new communities in the Americana genre that embraced them. “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 recognizing me with this award. It’s a great honor truly, and just know that I will always love you.” The video drew a huge ovation from the packed house, with several attendees wiping tears from their eyes as they watched one of the last statements from the beloved country superstar.
Brandi Carlile then took the stage, saying, “we will always love you too Dolly,” before performing a moving version of Parton’s “Coat of Many Colors” backed by Americana trio I’m With Her.
The show that also featured performances from Boy Golden, Crowe Boys, Flatland Cavalry, Jesse Welles, Kathleen Edwards, Margo Price, Molly Tuttle and many more opened with the first performance by the Heartbreakers since Tom Petty’s death in 2017, with Chris Stapleton filling in on vocals for a spirited run through “American Girl.”
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Check out Harris’ tribute and Parton’s message below.
