Emmys 2026: Tributes paid to Dolly Parton, Catherine O’Hara, Rob Reiner and others
The 2026 Emmy Awards featured emotional tributes to late industry icons Dolly Parton, Catherine O’Hara, and Rob Reiner. Colleagues and friends shared personal anecdotes and celebrated the lasting impact of these performers on television and culture.
Why it matters
These tributes highlight the cultural significance of long-standing television figures and provide closure for fans and the entertainment industry.
Emotions ran high at the Emmy Awards 2026 on Tuesday (September 15, 2026) as tributes were paid to Dolly Parton, Catherine O’Hara , Rob Reiner and several others who passed away last year.
Sally Field and Reba McEntire took to the stage to pay heartfelt tributes to Parton, who died last month at 80. The ceremony took some time as Sally expressed her admiration for Parton. “I couldn’t see then what a real giant Dolly was — not just as an artist, but as a human. She was a humanitarian whose contributions have made a profound difference in the lives of so many in her home state of Tennessee and across our country,” she said.
Reba then performed an orchestra of Appalachian Memories, with the track chosen to honour Parton, who had performed it at the 1983 Emmy Awards.
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