Dolly Parton posthumously received the Lifetime Achievement Award at the 2026 Americana Awards and Honors held at Nashville’s Ryman Auditorium. The country legend, who passed away on August 25, appeared via a pre-recorded video message, and the audience was visibly moved as her image filled the screen following an emotional introduction by Emmylou Harris.
“It’s Dolly. I’m honored to be receiving a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Americana Music Association,” the beloved icon began. “Roots music, or what is now called Americana music, is what I grew up playing back in the Smoky Mountains.” Parton noted that this music drew her back to East Tennessee in 1997 to write and record her album Hungry Again, adding that the project “opened the door to a series of bluegrass and acoustic albums that changed the course of my career in so many ways.”
Parton continued, “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. I want to thank everyone at the AMA for recognizing me with this award.”
Parton concluded her message with, “It’s a great honor truly, and just know that I will always love you,” as the crowd erupted in applause. Her taped speech was followed by a performance from Brandi Carlile and I’m With Her. Carlile has been paying tribute to Parton throughout her Human tour, performing three songs — “Coat of Many Colors,” “Jolene,” and “I Will Always Love You” — at her Nashville arena show on August 29.
“Before I met her, I loved her because she took a risk and accepted me (and all of us) for being gay in a time where she didn’t need to say anything,” Carlile wrote on Instagram after learning of Parton’s passing. “And she has been asked to comment and speak on MANY things over the years… choosing only to speak on that which brings love and mercy to real people, and shutting down any line of questioning that won’t. She never wavered on accepting anyone for who they were and who they were meant to be.”