Dolly Parton VMA Tribute
Kacey Musgraves will perform a special tribute to Dolly Parton at the 2026 MTV VMAs.
Anonymous
Key Points
1
Musgraves described Parton’s death as deeply painful, writing on X, “The world feels a lot less sparkly all of a sudden,” and later calling Parton “the closest thing we’ve ever had to royalty.”
2
Musgraves dedicated both her own song “Rainbow” and Parton’s “Here You Come Again” to Parton during her Aug. 28 concert in Boston, just days after Parton’s death.
3
Before the 2019 Grammys, Musgraves also participated in a 2016 CMA Awards tribute marking Parton’s acceptance of the Willie Nelson Lifetime Achievement Award; the segment included Reba McEntire, Pentatonix, Jennifer Nettles, Carrie Underwood and Martina McBride.
4
Parton was never nominated for a VMA, and country music had only a limited presence on MTV until the show introduced its Best Country category in 2025.
5
Nirvana is set to receive the Video Vanguard Award, while Taylor Swift will receive the inaugural MTV VMA Artist Director Honors at the ceremony.
Kacey Musgraves will honor Dolly Parton with a special tribute performance at the 2026 MTV Video Music Awards on September 27, marking her first VMA appearance in five years. Music News reports that the performance comes months after Parton's death on August 25 at age 80 from cancer. Musgraves called Parton "the closest thing we've ever had to royalty" in a heartfelt tribute after her passing.
Musgraves Grieves Icon Who Shaped Country Music
Kacey Musgraves did not hide her pain when Dolly Parton died. She wrote on X, "The world feels a lot less sparkly all of a sudden." Just three days later, at her Boston concert on August 28, Yahoo reports that Musgraves dedicated both Parton's hit "Here You Come Again" and her own song "Rainbow" to the legend.
A Historic Moment for Country at the VMAs
This tribute marks a rare victory for country music on MTV's main stage. Music News notes that Parton was never nominated for a VMA during her lifetime. Country music had almost no presence at the awards show until MTV introduced its Best Country category just last year in 2025. Musgraves is nominated in that category for her song "Dry Spell."
A Shared Legacy From the 2019 Grammys
Musgraves and Parton have shared stages before. They performed together at the 2019 Grammy Awards. Musgraves also took part in a 2016 CMA Awards tribute to Parton that included Reba McEntire, Carrie Underwood, Martina McBride, Jennifer Nettles, and Pentatonix. That performance celebrated Parton's acceptance of the Willie Nelson Lifetime Achievement Award.
A Star-Studded 2026 VMA Ceremony Ahead
The Parton tribute is just one highlight of the September 27 show. Music News reports that Snoop Dogg will host, while Madonna opens the ceremony with a performance. Nirvana will receive the Video Vanguard Award, and Taylor Swift will get the inaugural MTV VMA Artist Director Honors. The ceremony airs on CBS, MTV, and Paramount+.
Sentiment
Mostly PositiveNEGATIVENEUTRALPOSITIVE
Publishers
18
Articles
66
Reach
84
Topics
A
AnonymousAuthor
