Dove Awards Put Dolly Parton’s Faith Front And Center Of Emotional Tribute Performance
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Dolly Parton has been gone for less than six weeks, and the magnitude of her impact on all genres of music is becoming increasingly clear.
Dolly Parton was honored during the Dove Awards telecast.
The 2026 GMA Dove Awards show took place at Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena on Tuesday (Oct. 6) and was broadcast on Friday. The annual awards show recognizes outstanding achievements in the gospel and Christian music industry.
It was a big night for Dolly Parton, who was posthumously awarded a trophy for Bluegrass Recorded Song of the Year. Parton teamed up with The Grascals’ lead singer, Jamie Johnson, to write “Broken Angels,” a powerful song about addiction. It would become the last song Dolly co-wrote before her death on August 25, 2026.
Sonya Isaacs joined The Grascals to perform the winning song in Dolly’s place during the pre-telecast.
RELATED: DOLLY PARTON WINS POSTHUMOUS DOVE AWARD FOR LAST SONG SHE EVER CO-WROTE
Perhaps the most emotional moment of the night came when Amy Grant and Natalie Grant, both multi-Dove Award winners, came together to sing a tribute to Dolly. The segment started with Amy Grant sharing memories of Dolly, saying that “her faith was woven” into everything she did. Grant fought back tears as she told the crowd that “it felt like Dolly belonged to all of us.”
As Amy concluded her speech, a video of Dolly singing “How Great Thou Art” began to play. Natalie Grant took over on the second verse and choruse before Amy Grant joined her to finish the song.
The crowd came to their feet as the women sang, many with their hands in the air in worship. The tribute ended with Amy and Natalie singing Parton’s most beloved song, “I Will Always Love You.”
Watch the beautiful and emotional moment in the clips below.
Dolly Parton’s Dove Awards History
Dolly has won four GMA Dove Awards, including her posthumous win for Bluegrass Recorded Song of the Year.
In 2020, Dolly and For King & Country took home the trophy for Short Form Video of the Year for their collab, “God Only Knows.” In 2022 and 2024 she won Bluegrass/Country/Roots Recording Song of the Year for “In The Sweet By and By” and “Lookin’ For You” (with Zach Williams), respectively.
In 1990, Dolly delivered one of her most famous performances on the Dove Awards stage. She was joined by the Christ Church Choir to sing “He’s Alive,” a powerful anthem about the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ.
Watch Dolly’s iconic performance of “He’s Alive” below.
