Sally Field delivered an emotional introduction honoring Dolly Parton at the 2026 Emmy Awards on Sunday.
Field, 78, who starred alongside Parton in the 1989 film “Steel Magnolias,” took the stage at the ceremony to remember her late co-star just weeks after the country music legend’s death at age 80. The Oscar-winning actress reflected on their time working together in the beloved movie, which also featured Julia Roberts, Shirley MacLaine, Olympia Dukakis and Daryl Hannah.
“Over the years, I never stopped loving her,” Field said during the tribute. She praised Parton’s “blistering sense of humor” and admitted she hadn’t fully recognized what a “giant” Parton was during their early days together.
“God bless you, Dolly Parton, my friend. I am not the only one on earth who will love you forever,” Field concluded, her voice filled with emotion.
Following Field’s introduction, a video ran of Parton introducing her song “Appalachian Memories.” Reba McEntire, 70, then emerged in a sparkling white dress to perform the emotional ballad backed by a live symphony. The fellow country superstar’s rendition formed the centerpiece of the musical tribute to the late icon.
The tribute had been shrouded in secrecy ahead of the broadcast. Producer Jesse Collins told reporters days before the ceremony that plans were being kept under wraps. “We’re holding it back,” he said. “But I think it will be a very beautiful tribute to Dolly.”
Country singer Noah Kahan was also slated to perform “Bridge Over Troubled Waters” during the broader In Memoriam segment later in the evening.
Parton died on Aug. 25 after a private battle with cancer, her family later confirmed. She was laid to rest in a private Nashville burial three days later, the outlet exclusively reported, next to her late husband Carl Thomas Dean, who had died at 82 in March 2025.
The “9 to 5” star’s cousin, Richie Owens, shared details about the intimate memorial during an August appearance on the “Today” show. Owens specified that Parton “wanted it very small” and to “keep it very, very private.” Only “a few” loved ones were invited to the memorial, he explained.
Parton’s sister, Stella Parton, 77, revealed in a subsequent interview with Gayle King on “CBS Mornings” that the last thing the Grammy winner asked her for was a prayer.
“My sister worked so hard for so long and just kept going. Even until the last conversation I had with her, she was working,” Stella told King.
Stella also disclosed that many family members had been unaware of Parton’s illness prior to her death. “Dolly could not bear negative things and she would not have wanted her fans worried about it,” she shared. “She didn’t want a lot of the family worried about it.”
She continued, “Some of us knew, the ones that were closer.”
Stella clarified why the specific type of cancer was never publicly revealed, stating that her sister’s medical privacy remained paramount even after her passing. “That was her business,” she explained during the on-camera interview. “She didn’t tell us that we could say it, so out of respect for her, I can talk about my love for her, describe who she is to me, but it’s not my business to tell her business.”
Parton’s television career extended far beyond her Emmy-winning turn in the 2021 Netflix movie “Christmas on the Square,” for which she received a Primetime Emmy and four additional nominations over the years. She made memorable guest appearances on sitcoms including “Designing Women,” “Hannah Montana” and “The Simpsons,” and co-hosted “Miley’s New Year’s Eve Party” with goddaughter Miley Cyrus in 2022.
The Emmys tribute marked one of the first major public remembrances of Parton by her entertainment industry peers since her death, bringing together two of her “Steel Magnolias” co-stars in spirit as Field spoke and a clip of Parton herself played for the audience.