Kacey Musgraves answered the biggest emotional moment of the 2026 MTV Video Music Awards the way Dolly Parton might have wanted: in sparkle, feathers and a great deal of hair. On Sunday, Sept. 27, the country singer performed "I Will Always Love You" as the show's tribute to Parton, who died on Aug. 25 at age 80.
The segment opened with archival footage of Parton introducing and singing her 1974 song. Musgraves joined in on the closing lines, harmonizing with the recording, before the footage faded and she carried the ballad alone with only a piano. The staging stayed spare, so the outfit did much of the visual storytelling.
Kacey Musgraves pays tribute to Dolly Parton at VMAs 2026 with pink sequins, feathers and huge hair https://t.co/SNMXjZYL6q pic.twitter.com/TotVnatMjU
— Page Six (@PageSix) September 28, 2026