Kacey Musgraves will pay tribute to Dolly Parton at the 2026 MTV Video Music Awards on September 27. The appearance comes less than a month after Parton died August 25 at age 80 following a brief battle with cancer.
Musgraves has already been honoring Parton throughout her current Middle of Nowhere tour, making the VMA tribute a natural extension of a relationship that has influenced her music and career. The singer has repeatedly credited Parton as an inspiration, once describing her as a “supernova of a person” and saying she would not be able to pursue her own career without Parton’s example.
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During a recent show in Boston, Kacey Musgraves performed her Golden Hour ballad “Rainbow,” a song inspired by one of Parton’s most recognizable lines: “If you want the rainbow, you gotta put up with the rain.” She then led the audience into a sing-along of Parton’s 1977 hit “Here You Come Again.” The tribute continued at Madison Square Garden, where Musgraves added Parton’s “9 to 5” to her set.
Parton had previously been honored by Musgraves at the 2016 CMA Awards, further establishing the connection between the two country artists. Musgraves’ upcoming VMA appearance will give that tribute a much larger television audience, although the specific songs planned for the Parton segment have not yet been announced.
The performance will mark Musgraves’ second appearance as a VMA performer. She made her debut at the ceremony in 2021 with “Star-Crossed” and returns this year as a nominee in the Best Country category for “Dry Spell.”
The 2026 VMAs are set for September 27 at Los Angeles’ Peacock Theater, with Snoop Dogg serving as host. The ceremony will air live on CBS, MTV and Paramount+, and the lineup already includes a tribute to George Michael and Nirvana’s presentation with the Video Vanguard Award.
Musgraves will also share the stage with a particularly international performer lineup. LISA, Gunna, RAYE and Sienna Spiro are among the artists recently added to the show, with LISA scheduled to perform “SaWaDiKa,” the lead single from her upcoming six-track EP PRESS PLAY. Madonna will open the show.
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