Dolly Parton's final words echo at Americana Awards

Dolly Parton may have been gone, but her voice filled the room one more time.

At the 2026 Americana Honors & Awards on Wednesday, September 16, the late country legend was posthumously honored with the Americana Lifetime Achievement Award. 

Parton died at 80 on August 25 following a brief battle with cancer.

The emotional moment came when a prerecorded video of Parton accepting the honour played for the audience, giving fans one last chance to hear the superstar speak in her unmistakable style.

“Well, hey, it’s Dolly. I’m honored to be receiving a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Americana Music Association.”

Parton then reflected on the roots music that shaped her career and eventually led her back to East Tennessee.

“I mean, roots music, or what is now called Americana music, is what I grew up playing back in the Smoky Mountains,” Parton continued. 

“It’s that same music that drew me back to East Tennessee in 1997 to write and record my album, Hungry Again.”

She later added, “I want to thank everyone at the AMA for recognizing me with this award. It’s a great honor truly, and just know that I will always love you.”

Before the video, Parton’s longtime friend Emmylou Harris delivered a heartfelt tribute, recalling how the singer built a career entirely on her own terms.

“There was nothing Dolly couldn’t do, and so she did it,” Harris said.

Harris also remembered Parton’s influence beyond music, from Dollywood and the Imagination Library to her philanthropic work.

The tribute ended with Brandi Carlile and I’m With Her performing Parton’s “Coat of Many Colors.”

And in true Dolly fashion, even from a recorded message, she somehow got the final word.e