Late American country music icon, Dolly Parton accepts Lifetime Achievement Award in pre-recorded video

•Late Dolly Parton

Dolly Parton accepted the Americana Lifetime Achievement Award in a newly released video that was recorded before her death. Parton, who died on August 25 after a brief bat­tle with cancer, accepted the lifetime achievement honour at the 2026 Amer­icana & Honours Awards on Wednesday, Sept. 16.

The annual event is hosted by the Americana Music Association and celebrates achievements in American roots music.

A member of Parton’s three-person ’80s music group, Trio, Emmylou Harris, highlighted Parton’s legacy to the au­dience before a video popped up of the singer-songwriter.

“Well, hey, it’s Dolly. I’m honoured to be receiving a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Americana Music Association,” Parton said in her acceptance speech, ac­cording to People Magazine.

“I mean, roots music, or what is now called Americana music, is what I grew up playing back in the Smoky Mountains. It’s that same music that drew me back to East Tennessee in 1997 to write and record my album, Hungry Again. And that project really opened the door to a series of bluegrass and acoustic albums that changed the course of my career in so many ways.

“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 recognis­ing me with this award. It’s a great honour truly, and just know that I will always love you,” Parton added

When Harris gave her introduction speech for Parton, she remembered the country music icon for her “stunningly beautiful, pure mountain voice could make us cry and then crack us up with a well-aimed, sometimes body joke,” adding that “there was nothing Dolly couldn’t do.”

Parton died at the age of 80. She was laid to rest next to her husband of 60 years, Carl Dean, at the Woodlawn Me­morial Park and Mausoleum in Nashville. Although many family and friends cher­ished her, Parton requested before her death to have an intimate burial instead of a traditional funeral.