Reba McEntire and Sally Field honoured the late Dolly Parton at the 2026 Emmy Awards on Monday night.
During the ceremony held at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles, the pair took a moment to pay tribute to the entertainment icon, who died at the age of 80 last month following a “brief battle” with cancer.
Introducing the segment, Field labelled her Steel Magnolias co-star to be a “real giant”.
“If there are truly angels on Earth, we have just lost one,” she began. “Over the years, I never stopped loving her, though we lived very far apart. I adored her from day one. How could you not? She was genuine and humble, supportive, and blisteringly funny, with a bawdy sense of humour that would send any rude guy looking for a place to hide. I couldn’t see then what a real giant Dolly was – not just as an artist, but as a human.”
Field, 79, went on to recognise the Jolene hitmaker’s philanthropic efforts.
“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. God bless you, Dolly Parton, my friend. I am not the only one on Earth that will love you forever and ever,” the actress added.
In addition, McEntire performed Parton’s 1983 song Appalachian Memories.
At the end of the tribute, the Reba star declared, “I love you, Dolly. So much.”
And after the ceremony, McEntire took to Instagram to remember her longtime friend.
“I will always love and miss you, Dolly. What an honor to celebrate @DollyParton tonight,” she wrote.
