Dolly Parton honoured with posthumous Lifetime Achievement Award

Dolly Parton was posthumously honoured with the Americana Lifetime Achievement Award at the 2026 Americana Honours & Awards on Wednesday, September 16, with a prerecorded message giving fans one final chance to hear from the country legend. Parton died aged 80 on August 25 following a brief battle with cancer. In the prerecorded video, Parton thanked the Americana Music Association for the honour and reflected on the roots music that shaped her career and connected her to East Tennessee. She recalled growing up playing roots music in the Smoky Mountains and said the genre later inspired her to return to East Tennessee in 1997 to write and record her album Hungry Again. Parton ended her message by thanking the association and telling fans that she would always love them. Before the video was played, Parton’s longtime friend Emmylou Harris paid tribute to the singer, highlighting her ability to build a career on her own terms. Harris also remembered Parton’s contributions beyond music, including Dollywood, the Imagination Library and her philanthropic work. The tribute concluded with Brandi Carlile and I’m With Her performing Parton’s classic song Coat of Many Colours. Parton’s prerecorded appearance gave the ceremony an emotional closing moment, allowing her voice to be heard at the event even after her death.

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