Kacey Musgraves Performs I Will Always Love You in Dolly Parton Tribute at 2026 MTV VMAs Kacey Musgraves paid tribute to Dolly Parton at the 2026 MTV Video Music Awards, performing I Will Always Love You after the country legend died at 80 on August 25 following a brief battle with cancer. Kacey Musgraves honored the late country icon Dolly Parton with a heartwarming tribute during Sunday's MTV Video Music Awards 2026 at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles. The performance began with a throwback video of Parton quoting I Will Always Love You, one of her most beloved hits. She said: I wish you joy, I wish you lots and lots of happiness, but you know what, above all this I wish you love, before belting out the song.Musgraves, dressed in a sparkling pink outfit trimmed with feathers, seamlessly took over in front of a star-studded audience. The singer, 38, was visibly emotional as she sang the lyrics written by her lifelong hero.Parton died at 80 on August 25 after a brief battle with an undisclosed cancer, her representatives confirmed. Her nephew Bryan Seaver first confirmed the death in an Instagram video posted that day.Her representatives told Page Six in a statement: After bravely facing a brief battle with cancer, Dolly departed her Earthly life today at the Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center surrounded by loved ones, referring to a hospital in Nashville, Tennessee.The statement continued: Our beloved Dolly Parton spent her life and career bringing joy, laughter, hope and integrity into everything she touched. Her unmatched generosity reached the lives of countless people whom she would never meet, yet she was always there to offer a helping hand.While Parton kept her battle with cancer a secret, she often gave fans updates on her health after being forced to pull out of appearances. She said in a pre-recorded video: Turns out there was an infection, and the doctor said, You do not need to be traveling around this minute, so you need a few days to get better.Parton also opted out of attending her 80th birthday celebration and made her last public appearance before her death. Her goddaughter Miley Cyrus and others paid their respects, including Julia Stiles who honored her.Musgraves was announced to perform at the awards ceremony for the first time in five years on Wednesday. She was also nominated in the Best Country category for her track Dry Spell.Her competition included Ella Langley for Choosin Texas, Lainey Wilson for Somewhere Over Laredo, Luke Combs for Back in the Saddle, Shaboozey for Cowgirl, Stella Lefty for Boston and Tucker Wetmore for Brunette.Musgraves and Parton previously shared the stage at the 2019 Grammy Awards, performing a rendition of Parton's 1977 hit Here You Come Again alongside Katy Perry. That collaboration underscored their long artistic connection.Reflecting on Parton, Musgraves told Billboard: Beauty, sex appeal, brains, wit, humor, beautiful songwriting, meaningful songwriting, no apologies for who she is, LGBTQ advocate long before it was even a thing or trendy or whatever.She added: She is fearless, and I admire her spirit a lot and she is very kind. She is very present when you are talking to her and I just really love her so much.There was not a dry eye in the house during the tribute, according to observers. Host Snoop Dogg was visibly taken aback by the emotional performance and said on stage following the tribute: That's how you honor a legend... we love you, Dolly.Fans on X were also deeply moved. One wrote: kacey musgraves dolly tribute making me tear up omg... that was everything. The touching moment quickly became a highlight of the night.Parton's death shocked the world and came after months of health woes that saw her pull out of a string of public appearances, fueling fan fears for her well-being.The 2026 VMAs also featured major red carpet moments, with Taylor Swift dazzling in a shimmering gown alongside Paris Hilton and JoJo. Charli XCX flashed her abs in a daring crop top, leading the Brits with glam Raye and Emma Bunton.Other notable moments included North West, 13, enjoying a coming of age activity after revealing she wants a surprisingly normal job at Starbucks. Taylor Swift won Video of the Year at the 2026 VMAs.Madonna, 68, appeared confused on stage during her MTV VMAs 2026 comeback performance, with fans calling it utterly unfocused. Madonna kicked off the show with a risqué performance alongside Sabrina Carpenter and Charli XCX.The night balanced celebration and remembrance, with Musgraves' performance standing out as a heartfelt farewell to one of country music's most beloved figures.