Dolly Parton posthumously accepted the Lifetime Achievement Award at the Americana Honors & Awards 2026 in a video she recorded before her death.
The “Jolene” singer, who passed away on Aug. 25, said in the video that she was “so honored” to receive the coveted award on Wednesday.
“Roots music, or what is now called Americana music, is what I grew up playing back in the Smoky Mountains,” Parton added.
“It’s that same music that drew me back to East Tennessee back 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,” she recalled.
Dolly Parton posthumously received the Lifetime Achievement Award at the Americana Honors & Awards 2020 Wednesday. Americana Honors & Awards
The “Jolene” singer accepted the award in a video that was taken before her death. Americana Honors & Awards
Parton said that now that “new fans” have discovered her albums and have “embraced them,” she feels as though that era of her career is a “musical renaissance.”
“I want to thank everyone at the AMA for recognizing me with this award,” she continued.
“It’s a great honor, truly, and just know that I will always love you,” the country star concluded.
Prior to the video being played, Parton’s friend Emmylou Harris delivered opening remarks about the songwriter’s legacy.
“It’s a great honor, truly, and just know that I will always love you,” the country star said. Americana Honors & Awards
Parton’s longtime friend Emmylou Harris delivered touching remarks about the songwriter’s legacy. Getty Images for Americana Music Association
“There was nothing Dolly couldn’t do, and so she did it,” Harris said Wednesday. Getty Images for Americana Music Association
“She was one of our all-time greatest songwriters, but she shined just as brightly on stage,” Harris, 79, shared. “She lit up the TV screen and then she, she lit up the movie screen.”
The “If This Is Goodbye” songstress said Parton’s “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,” she added.
Parton (seen above in “Dolly Parton’s Mountain Magic Christmas” in 2022) died on Aug. 25 after a secret battle with cancer. She was 80. Miller Mobley/NBC via Getty Images
Three days after her death, Parton (seen performing at an NFL game in 2023) was laid to rest in Nashville, Tennessee. Getty Images
After the video, the tribute concluded with a performance of Parton’s “Coat of Many Colors,” performed by Brandi Carlile and I’m with Her.
Parton died on Aug. 25 after a secret battle with cancer. She was 80.
The “I Will Always Love You” singer was laid to rest in a private funeral service in Nashville, Tennessee, three days later.
You can view the original article HERE.
:quality(85):upscale()/2026/11/04/675/n/1922564/8726acb26aeb4b91cb4b10.30517578_.jpg "Olandrias Corset, Hailey Biebers Gold Dress, & More CFDA Awards Celebrity Looks")
:quality(85):upscale()/2026/11/02/694/n/1922564/7ea620576ae8aefbd71930.32592516_.jpg "The Fashion Collabs Our Editors Are Shopping Right Now, Including Elie Saab x H&M")
:quality(85):upscale()/2025/09/25/799/n/1922564/27fc81af68d585bd243517.38876404_.jpg "11 Nordstrom Sweaters to Complete Your Fall Wardrobe — From Turtlenecks to Cardigans")
