Dolly Parton and Rob Reiner received emotional tributes during the 78th Emmy Awards on September 15, 2026, at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles. Sally Field honored Parton, who died in August at age 80, while Jamie Lee Curtis paid tearful tribute to Reiner, who died in December.
Sally Field and Reba McEntire Lead Emotional Tribute to Dolly Parton
Emotions ran high at the Peacock Theater during the 78th Emmy Awards as tributes were paid to Dolly Parton, Catherine O’Hara, Rob Reiner, and several other entertainment figures who passed away over the previous year. Parton died on Aug. 25 following a brief battle with cancer,
according to her representatives. She was 80.
Sally Field, who co-starred with Parton in the film Steel Magnolias, took the stage to reflect on her late friend’s enduring legacy. Field told the audience that over the years she never stopped loving Parton, despite living far apart.
“If there are truly angels on earth, then we just lost one,”
Sally Field
Field praised Parton as genuine, humble, supportive, and blisteringly funny with a bawdy sense of humor that could disarm anyone. Field added that she couldn’t see then what a real giant Dolly was not just as an artist, but as a human and a humanitarian whose contributions made a profound difference in Tennessee and across the United States.
Following Field’s remarks, Reba McEntire took the stage clad in a sparkling white gown to perform an orchestral rendition of Parton’s classic 1983 song Appalachian Memories, which Parton performed at the 1983 Emmy Awards.
Jamie Lee Curtis Remembers Rob Reiner and Details Historic Emmy Record
Later in the ceremony, Jamie Lee Curtis delivered a tearful tribute to director Rob Reiner, who died in December alongside his wife, Michele. Curtis remembered Reiner as generous, kind, and funny as hell.
Macaulay Culkin and Schitt’s Creek Cast Honor Catherine O’Hara
The evening also featured a dedicated tribute to Catherine O’Hara, who died earlier this year in January at 71. Her on-screen son from “Home Alone,” Macaulay Culkin, joined Annie Murphy and Dan Levy from “Schitt’s Creek” to celebrate her life and career.
Culkin shared memories of O’Hara’s warmth and humor, telling the audience that she was not just a mother to her own family, but his mom, our mom, and by extension, all of our moms. Levy recalled that the greatest lesson he learned from O’Hara was to always say yes to new experiences, giving her space to experiment, and accepting her dinner invites and wisdom.
Noah Kahan Leads In Memoriam Montage With Simon & Garfunkel Classic
The program transitioned into the broader In Memoriam segment as folk-pop singer-songwriter Noah Kahan performed a string-and-acoustic-guitar rendition of Simon & Garfunkel’s 1970 folk song Bridge Over Troubled Water
as a montage of photos of late actors, industry pros and producers appeared in a slideshow displayed at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles on Monday night. Kahan explained on the red carpet that he chose the song because it represents hope, peace, and kindness—qualities embodied by Dolly Parton, as images scrolled across screens at the Peacock Theater.
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