Taylor Swift dedicates 'Video of the Year' VMAs win to Dolly Parton

Taylor Swift dedicated her 2026 MTV Video Music Awards victory to late country music legend Dolly Parton.

On Sunday, September 27, the 36-year-old pop star won Video of the Year for The Fate of Ophelia at the 2026 MTV VMAs, held at Peacock Theater in Los Angeles, California.

“Thank you so much for giving this award to this video, because I'm so proud of it,” the 14-time Grammy winner began her acceptance speech. “I loved making this video because I wanted it to seem like one continuous shot, so I learned a lot about hiding cuts in places, and I want to thank everybody who helped me on this video shoot.”

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Before her emotional on stage tribute to the Jolene hitmaker, the Eras Tour performer thanked her fans, her choreographer Mandy Moore, set and production designer Ethan Tobin, her editor Chancellor Haynes and cinematographer Rodrigo Prieto.

“And lastly, but most importantly, I want to thank and dedicate this award to one person without whom this wouldn't be happening, and that person is the ultimate showgirl, Dolly Parton,” she continued.

“Every single song that she wrote, her storytelling was so vivid and so rich. It was like, listening to her songs, it's like watching the best music video you have ever seen in your life, every single time,” the Cruel Summer chart-topper raved over Parton’s music videos. “You hear what she has written. And she, man, she handled this thing with such grace and joy and love and gratitude for the fact that she got to do this.”

“And everything that happened in her life or her career, she channeled back into love and gratitude and appreciation for her fans,” Swift, 36, added. “I am lucky I got to be one of them, and I will always be one of them.”

“I love you all so very much, and I think that we were all very, very... I think we were all very lucky to share this planet with Dolly Parton for a time,” she said before concluding. “And thank you for this amazing moment. I love you all. Good night.”

In addition to the Video of the Year nod, the Patient Zero maker also received the inaugural Artist Director Honor.

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