Sally Field offered a heartfelt tribute to Dolly Parton during the 2026 Emmy Awards in Los Angeles. Field shared her reflections on Parton’s legacy, describing her as if “there are truly angels on earth, then we just lost one.” Parton passed away on August 25, following a brief battle with cancer at the age of 80.
The Emmy Awards honored both Dolly Parton and Rob Reiner. Field expressed her gratitude for working with Parton on the film ‘Steel Magnolias.’ She said, “I adored her from day one. She was genuine, humble, supportive, and funny with a bawdy sense of humor.”
Reba McEntire performed “Appalachian Memories,” a hit from 1983, as part of the tribute. Parton died peacefully surrounded by loved ones at Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center in Nashville.
Jamie Lee Curtis also paid tribute to director Rob Reiner, who died in December. Curtis remembered him as “generous, kind, and funny.” Reiner was honored with a posthumous Emmy for his guest role in “The Bear,” holding the record for the longest gap between acting Emmys.
The awards ceremony also recognized Catherine O’Hara, who died in January after a short illness. Macaulay Culkin, Annie Murphy, and Dan Levy honored her memory, with Culkin describing her as “encouraging, warm, and funny” and urging everyone to “call your mother tonight.”