Taylor Swift took home video of the year at the 2026 MTV VMAs for“Fate of Ophelia,”but she used her speech to shine a light on someone else. Swift dedicated the win to Dolly Parton, calling her the“ultimate showgirl”and saying the moment wouldn’t exist without her. She went on to praise Parton’s songwriting, describing her storytelling as so vivid and so rich that it felt like watching the best music video ever made. Parton died Aug. 25 at 80 after keeping her cancer battle private.
The tribute didn’t stop at the speech. Kacey Musgraves performed“I Will Always Love You”in Parton’s honor, one of the most emotional moments of the night. Swift had also shared a written tribute earlier, celebrating Parton’s“softest heart”and“backbone of steel.”And the admiration ran both ways. Back in 2024, Parton told E! News she was“crazy about Taylor.”Sunday night, Swift said it plainly: we were all very lucky to share this planet with Dolly Parton for a time.
On top of the emotional moments, it was a record-setting night for Swift. She became the most awarded artist in VMAs history after receiving the inaugural Artist Director Honors award. Travis Kelce wasn’t there because of an NFL game, but the night belonged to Swift and the legend she honored.
What’s your favorite Dolly Parton memory? Tell us in the comments.
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Local Lawton
Local Lawton is a contributor to LocalBeat, covering local news and community stories.