Kacey Musgraves honors Dolly Parton with emotional performance of ‘I Will Always Love You’ at VMAs 2026

Kacey Musgraves honored late country icon Dolly Parton with a heartwarming tribute at the 2026 MTV Video Music Awards Sunday.

The “Slow Burn” singer took the stage following a video clip of the legendary country icon played on a big screen.

Parton was shown in a retro flashback, saying “I wish you joy, I wish you lots and lots of happiness, but you know what, above all this I wish you love,” before launching into one of her most beloved hits, “I Will Always Love You.”

The video of Parton singing then seamlessly segued into Musgraves, dressed in a sparkling pink outfit trimmed with feathers, taking over the song in front of a star-studded audience at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles.

“That’s how you honor a legend … we love you, Dolly,” enthused host Snoop Dogg, following the performance.

Musgraves, 38, was announced to perform at the awards ceremony for the first time in five years on Wednesday.

The country singer was also nominated in the category of Best Country for her track “Dry Spell,” along with Ella Langley (“Choosin’ Texas”), Lainey Wilson (“Somewhere Over Laredo”), Luke Combs (“Back in the Saddle”), Shaboozey (“Cowgirl”), Stella Lefty (“Boston”) and Tucker Wetmore (“Brunette”).

Musgraves and Parton previously shared the stage at the 2019 Grammys, performing a rendition of the latter’s 1977 hit “Here You Come Again.”

As Page Six previously reported, Parton died on Aug. 25 at the age of 80.

“After bravely facing a brief battle with cancer, Dolly departed her Earthly life today at the Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center surrounded by loved ones,” her reps told Page Six in a statement, referring to a hospital in Nashville, Tennessee.

“Our beloved Dolly Parton spent her life and career bringing joy, laughter, hope and integrity into everything she touched. Her unmatched generosity reached the lives of countless people whom she would never meet, yet she was always there to offer a helping hand.”

While Parton kept her battle with cancer a secret, she often gave fans updates on her health after being forced to pull out of an appearance at her Dollywood theme park in Tennessee last September.

“Turns out there was an infection, and the doctor said, ‘You don’t need to be traveling around this minute, so you need a few days to get better,’” she told fans in a pre-recorded video at the time.

In the days to follow, Parton postponed her Las Vegas residency as she underwent a “few procedures” and opted out of attending her 80th birthday celebration at Nashville’s Grand Ole Opry in January.

The “9 to 5” singer’s last public appearance was at the ribbon-cutting ceremony for her “Dolly’s Tennessean Travel Stop” in June.

News of Parton’s death came over a year after the singer’s husband, Carl Dean, died at the age of 82 in March 2025.

Since then, several celebrities have paid tribute to Parton, including her goddaughter, Miley Cyrus, her “9 to 5” co-stars Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin, as well as her “Steel Magnolias” castmates.

Earlier this month, Sally Field and country superstar Reba McEntire paid their respects to Parton at the 2026 Emmys, while actress Julia Stiles honored her during an episode of “Dancing With the Stars.”