Dolly Parton’s voice filled Nashville once again on Wednesday night — this time through a video message recorded before her death.

At the 2026 Americana Honors & Awards on Sept. 16, Parton was posthumously honored with the Americana Music Association’s Lifetime Achievement Award. The ceremony took place at Nashville’s historic Ryman Auditorium, where a prerecorded message showed the country legend accepting the honor with the warmth and charm that defined her career.

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

Dolly’s Own Words Return to the Stage

In the video, Parton reflected on the deep connection between her music and the roots traditions she grew up with in the Smoky Mountains.

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

She explained that the roots music now known as Americana was the music she grew up playing in East Tennessee. That connection eventually brought her back to the region in 1997 to write and record Hungry Again.

According to Parton, that project opened the door to a series of bluegrass and acoustic albums that would reshape her career. As those records found new audiences and connected with emerging Americana communities, she came to view the period as a kind of musical renaissance.

Parton then thanked the Americana Music Association for the recognition before ending her message with a particularly poignant farewell: “And just know that I will always love you.”

Emmylou Harris Reflects on a Friend and Icon

Before Parton’s recorded message was shown, her longtime friend Emmylou Harris took the stage to reflect on her legacy.

Harris recalled how Parton’s ambitions became clear after she joined Porter Wagoner’s show in 1967. Their duets became successful on television and the charts, but Harris emphasized that Parton was determined to build a career on her own terms.

“She was one of our all-time greatest songwriters,” Harris said, while also pointing to Parton’s success beyond songwriting. She became a commanding performer, television personality and movie star, ultimately growing into a global icon.

Harris also highlighted the qualities that made Parton so distinctive — her powerful mountain voice, sense of humor and ability to move effortlessly between heartfelt emotion and comedy.

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

A Legacy That Extended Far Beyond Music

Harris also focused on the many ways Parton influenced people outside the recording studio and stage.

Her legacy includes Dollywood, the Imagination Library and the My People Fund, along with her support for research that helped contribute to the development of a COVID-19 vaccine.

Harris recalled one of Parton’s well-known sayings: “If you don’t like the road you’re walking, start paving another one.”

For Harris, that philosophy captured much of what Parton represented. Rather than simply showing others the path she had taken, Parton encouraged them to create their own.

Harris ended her tribute by suggesting that Parton’s influence would continue to accompany people long after her death — like the rhinestones she famously left along the road.

She then introduced the video message, describing it as carrying the same warmth, joy and sparkle Parton had shared throughout her life.

A Friendship That Produced Musical History

Parton and Harris shared a friendship that also produced one of the most celebrated collaborations of their careers.

In 1987, Parton, Harris and Linda Ronstadt released Trio, an album that grew out of an impromptu jam session. Parton later recalled that the three decided to make the project almost spontaneously.

In March 2026, Parton described Trio at the Country Music Hall of Fame as one of the greatest musical accomplishments of her life, saying she had never been prouder of another project.

Parton also wrote Harris’ chart-topping version of “To Daddy.” She originally wrote the song in 1975 and gave it to her friend, later including her own recording on the 1995 compilation The Essential Dolly Parton, Vol. 1.

One Final Message From Dolly

The Americana Music Association had announced in August that Parton would receive its Lifetime Achievement Award for her enduring contribution to American roots music, particularly as a songwriter and recording artist. The organization noted that her work had crossed country, folk, bluegrass, gospel and popular music while remaining rooted in Appalachian traditions.

The ceremony gave Nashville one more opportunity to hear directly from Parton.

Although she could not accept the honor in person, her recorded message allowed her to speak for herself — reflecting on the music that shaped her, the career that followed and the audiences who stayed with her throughout it.

And in the final moments, her words carried a meaning that was impossible to separate from the loss of the woman who had recorded them:

“Just know that I will always love you.”