The 2026 Emmy Awards will make room for more than trophies when television stars gather at the Peacock Theater. The ceremony will also pay tribute to several beloved performers, including country music legend Dolly Parton, who recently died at age 80.
According to Deadline, for the Dolly Parton tribute, producers have turned to someone who shared both her profession and a longtime friendship with her. Reba McEntire will perform in Parton’s honor during the Sept. 14 telecast, bringing two generations of country music history together for what could become one of the ceremony’s most emotional moments.
Reba McEntire Will Lead the Dolly Parton Tribute
Executive producer Jesse Collins confirmed that the Emmys planned to honor Parton, while Deadline reports that McEntire will perform the tribute. The choice carries special meaning because the two country stars shared a friendship that stretched across decades. After Parton’s death, McEntire remembered her music, generosity, and enormous heart in an emotional social media message.
McEntire also has a natural connection to this year’s Emmy network. She currently stars in NBC’s comedy Happy’s Place, giving the network one of its own stars to help salute an entertainer whose influence reached well beyond country music. The performance will add a reflective note to an otherwise celebratory evening filled with awards, reunions, and new television stars.
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Parton will not be the only late star honored during the ceremony. The show also plans a tribute to Catherine O’Hara featuring Macaulay Culkin alongside her Schitt’s Creek co-stars Dan Levy and Annie Murphy. Noah Kahan will perform “Bridge Over Troubled Water” during the traditional In Memoriam segment.
The night will also bring several familiar faces back together. Kate Jackson, Jaclyn Smith, and Cheryl Ladd will mark the 50th anniversary of Charlie’s Angels, while Sarah Michelle Gellar and David Boreanaz will reunite for the 30th anniversary of Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Presenters will range from Zendaya and Sally Field to Jon Hamm, Amy Poehler, and Jamie Lee Curtis. Amid all those celebrations of television past and present, the Dolly Parton tribute promises something slightly different: a personal farewell delivered by another country icon who knew her well.