Dolly Parton posthumously accepts Lifetime Achievement Award in video recorded before her death

NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE: A video message from the late Dolly Parton was shared at the 2026 Americana Honors & Awards, where she was posthumously honored with the Americana Lifetime Achievement Award on Wednesday, September 16.

Parton died at 80 on August 25 after a brief battle with cancer. During the ceremony, her friend Emmylou Harris reflected on her legacy before a recorded message from Parton was played for the audience.

Emmylou Harris celebrates Dolly Parton’s musical legacy

Before Parton’s video message played, Harris spoke about her friend’s career and her reaction to learning she would receive the Lifetime Achievement honor. “In 1967, Dolly got a good start on her big dream when she landed a gig as the girl singer with Porter Wagoner," she said.

She continued, "Their duets were a hit on the show and on the charts, but Dolly was nobody’s sidekick. She wanted more and she deserved more, and she set out to get it always, always on her own terms."

Harris celebrated Parton’s transition from country star to pop star and eventually a global icon. “She was one of our all-time greatest songwriters, but she shined just as brightly on stage,” she said while adding, “She lit up the TV screen and then she, she lit up the movie screen.”

“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,” Harris added.

She also remembered Parton’s work beyond music, including Dollywood, the Imagination Library and the My People Fund, as well as her funding of research that helped lead to a COVID vaccine. Quoting Parton, she said, “If you don’t like the road you’re walking, start paving another one.” 

Dolly Parton reflects on Americana music and Emmylou Harris

Parton’s recorded message showcased her charm as she addressed the crowd, “Well, hey, it’s Dolly. I’m honored to be receiving a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Americana Music Association.”

She continued, “I mean, roots music, or what is now called Americana music, is what I grew up playing back in the Smoky Mountains.” Parton recalled returning to East Tennessee in 1997 to write and record 'Hungry Again,' saying the project opened the door to a series of bluegrass and acoustic albums that changed the course of her career.

“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,” Parton said. She thanked the AMA for the honor and added, “Just know that I will always love you.”

The tribute concluded with Brandi Carlile performing Parton’s 'Coat of Many Colors.' Parton had previously described her friendship with Harris and recalled an impromptu jam session with Harris and Linda Ronstadt that led to their 1987 album Trio.

“I know that for me, this will always stand as one of the greatest musical things that I’ve done in my entire life,” Parton said in March 2026. She also wrote Harris’ chart-topping version of 'To Daddy,' which she first wrote in 1975 and later recorded herself for her 1995 compilation 'The Essential Dolly Parton, Vol 1'.