Watch Kacey Musgraves Sing Dolly Parton’s “I Will Always Love You” at the 2026 VMAs

On Sunday, Kacey Musgraves took the VMAs stage to pay tribute to the late Dolly Parton, who passed away last month at the age of 80. Musgraves performed a rendition of "I Will Always Love You" during the ceremony, and the clip can be viewed below. Since Parton's death on August 25, Musgraves has covered her music on multiple occasions during her Middle of Nowhere tour.

She sang "Here You Come Again" in Boston and "9 to 5" at Madison Square Garden. During her performance of "9 to 5," Musgraves expressed her deep sorrow, stating, "I'm not over it, and I'm never gonna be over it. The world definitely lost a light, and it's hard for me to talk about." Musgraves is up for Best Country Music Video this year for the accompanying video of her Middle of Nowhere track "Dry Spell."

Despite never winning a VMA before, she has been nominated twice previously: once for Best Longform Video and another for Best Art Direction for her 2022 film Star Crossed: The Film.