Kacey Musgraves Honors Dolly Parton at 2026 VMAs

Kacey Musgraves performed Dolly Parton’s “I Will Always Love You” in tribute to the country singer at the 2026 MTV Video Music Awards on September 27, a month after Parton’s death was reported. The tribute took place during the ceremony at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles. Accounts of the performance describe archival footage of Parton leading into Musgraves’s live rendition, accompanied by piano. The opening clip showed Parton speaking or singing, with descriptions differing on its contents. Musgraves wore a sparkling pink outfit. The performance ended with audience applause, and host Snoop Dogg praised the tribute and encouraged the crowd to applaud Parton. Parton’s death on August 25, at age 80, was reported by the sources. Some accounts attributed the cause to cancer and cited statements from her representatives; the coverage does not independently establish the medical details. Musgraves’s performance was presented as a tribute to Parton and her music, rather than as a new collaboration between the two artists. Musgraves had previously spoken about the loss during a concert at Madison Square Garden.