Kacey Musgraves Honors Dolly Parton With VMAs Performance
Musgraves delivered an emotional rendition of "I Will Always Love You" clad in a pink sequined gown, channeling the country music icon.
Kacey Musgraves paid homage to the late Dolly Parton with an emotional performance of "I Will Always Love You" at the 2026 MTV Video Music Awards. The tribute featured Musgraves in a vibrant pink sequined gown with feathered cuffs, accompanied by a voluminous hairstyle and purple eyeshadow, echoing Parton's iconic style.
The performance began with a clip of Parton singing her 1974 hit from an episode of "The Dolly Parton Show," where she often concluded her variety program with the song.
Musgraves has frequently cited Parton as a major musical influence. The "High Horse" singer has participated in previous tributes to the country legend, including a salute at the 2016 CMA Awards and a performance at the 2019 Grammys. In 2019, Musgraves described Parton as the "ultimate songwriter."
Parton died on Aug. 25 at the age of 80 after a brief battle with cancer. Musgraves was among the many artists who expressed their grief, posting on X (formerly Twitter) at the time that the world felt "a lot less sparkly all of a sudden."
Musgraves' appearance at the VMAs marked her first time on the awards show stage in five years. She is also nominated in the Best Country category for her song "Dry Spell."