Noah Kahan's "Bridge Over Troubled Water" Steals the Show at the 2026 Emmys In Memoriam

The 2026 Emmy Awards turned its In Memoriam segment into the moment of the night, and Noah Kahan was at the center of it. The singer performed Simon&Garfunkel’s“Bridge Over Troubled Water”on acoustic guitar with a string section, following an introduction from Macauley Culkin, Annie Murphy and Dan Levy, who shared memories of Catherine O’Hara. O’Hara, who died in January at 71, was remembered as the TV mom so many of us grew up with.

The tributes didn’t stop there. Jamie Lee Curtis gave a tearful remembrance of Rob Reiner, calling him generous, kind and funny as hell, while an earlier stand-alone segment honored Dolly Parton, who died of cancer last month at 80. Reba McEntire performed“Appalachian Memories”for that tribute, introduced by Sally Field.

Kahan’s stripped-down performance quickly became the most-shared clip of the night, proof that“Bridge Over Troubled Water”still lands harder than almost any song at a memorial. These three losses hit pop culture fans especially hard in 2026, and the Emmys gave each of them the send-off they deserved.

Which tribute hit you the hardest? Let us know in the comments.