Emmys 2026: Sally Field Remembers Dolly Parton Weeks After Death

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Sally Field Says She Treasured Every Minute With Dolly Parton

Sally Field will always love Dolly Parton.

Several weeks after the country icon’s death from cancer at the age of 80, Field honored her Steel Magnolias costar in her first red carpet appearance since Parton's Aug. 25 passing.

Speaking exclusively to E!'s Keltie Knight during Live From E!: 2026 Emmys on Sept. 14, the Oscar winner called the "9 to 5" singer's death "everybody's loss" before insisting she couldn't pick a favorite memory of Parton throughout their nearly 40-year friendship. (See every star on the Emmys red carpet here.)

"I don't have one," Field confessed to Knight. "Just every minute of being with her. You can't just have one."

Of course, Field's Parton tributes didn't end there.

Later that night, she took to the Emmys stage inside Los Angeles' Peacock Theater to lead an emotional recognition of the music legend.

"If there are truly angels on earth, then we just lost one: Dolly Parton," Field said. "It was my great good fortune to have worked with Dolly in a film called Still Magnolias and, over the years, I never stopped loving her."

"She was genuine and humble," the Emmy winner continued, "supportive and blisteringly funny with a bawdy sense of humor that would send any rude guy looking for a place to hide."

While Field said she "adored" Parton from the minute they met on the set of the 1989 film, she admitted, "I couldn't see then what a real giant Dolly was—not just as an artist, but as a human."

Photo by Ron Galella, Ltd./Ron Galella Collection via Getty Images

"God bless you, Dolly Parton, my friend," Field concluded. "I am not the only one on earth that will love you forever and ever."

LISA O'CONNOR / AFP via Getty Images

The moment also featured a performance from Reba McEntire who sang Parton's 1983 track "Appalachian Memories."

Plus, did you know Field actually won an Emmy during tonight's ceremony? Keep reading to see the full list of 2026 Emmy winners.

Outstanding Drama Series

The Diplomat

The Gilded Age

A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms

Paradise

WINNER: The Pitt

Pluribus

Slow Horses

Your Friends and Neighbors

Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series

Carrie Coon, The Gilded Age

Keri Russell, The Diplomat

WINNER: Rhea Seehorn, Pluribus

Zendaya, Euphoria

Chase Infiniti, The Testaments

Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series

Sterling K. Brown, Paradise

Gary Oldman, Slow Horses

Mark Ruffalo, Task

WINNER: Noah Wyle, The Pitt

Rufus Sewell, The Diplomat

Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series

Fiona Dourif, The Pitt

Taylor Dearden, The Pitt

WINNER: Allison Janney, The Diplomat

Katherine LaNasa, The Pitt

Sepideh Moafi, The Pitt

Julianne Nicholson, Paradise

Karolina Wydra, Pluribus

Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series

Patrick Ball, The Pitt

Billy Crudup, The Morning Show

Shawn Hatosy, The Pitt

Jack Lowden, Slow Horses

WINNER: Tom Pelphrey, Task

Carlos Manuel-Vesga, Pluribus

Gerran Howell, The Pitt

Outstanding Comedy Series

Abbott Elementary

The Bear

Nobody Wants This

Hacks

Margo’s Got Money Troubles

Only Murders in the Building

Shrinking

WINNER: Widow’s Bay

Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series

Quinta Brunson, Abbott Elementary

Ayo Edebiri, The Bear

Elle Fanning, Margo’s Got Money Troubles

Lisa Kudrow, The Comeback

WINNER: Jean Smart, Hacks

Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series

Steve Carell, Rooster

WINNER: Matthew Rhys, Widow’s Bay

Jason Segel, Shrinking

Martin Short, Only Murders in the Building

Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, Wonder Man

Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series

Dale Dickey, Widow’s Bay

Hannah Einbinder, Hacks

Janelle James, Abbott Elementary

WINNER: Kate O’Flynn, Widow’s Bay

Megan Stalter, Hacks

Michelle Pfeiffer, Margo’s Got Money Troubles

Jessica Williams, Shrinking

Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series

Colman Domingo, The Four Seasons

Paul W. Downs, Hacks

Nick Offerman, Margo’s Got Money Troubles

WINNER: Stephen Root, Widow’s Bay

Michael Urie, Shrinking

Tyler James Williams, Abbott Elementary

Harrison Ford, Shrinking

Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series

Leslie Bibb, Hacks

Jamie Lee Curtis, The Bear

WINNER: Betty Gilpin, Widow's Bay

Cherry Jones, Hacks

Laurie Metcalf, Hacks

Kaitlin Olson, Hacks

Lauren Weedman, Hacks

Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series

Christopher McDonald, Hacks

Michael J. Fox, Shrinking

Brett Goldstein, Shrinking

Hamish Linklater, Widow's Bay

WINNER: Rob Reiner, The Bear

Connor Storrie, Saturday Night Live

Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series

Tal Anderson, The Pitt

Brittany Allen, The Pitt

Tina Ivlev, The Pitt

Miriam Shor, Pluribus

Merritt Wever, The Gilded Age

WINNER: Shailene Woodley, Paradise

Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series

Colman Domingo, Euphoria

WINNER: Ernest Harden Jr., The Pitt

Jeff Hiller, Pluribus

Jeff Kober, The Pitt

Jonathan Pryce, Slow Horses

Bradley Whitford, The Diplomat

Outstanding Limited or Anthology Series

The Beast in Me

Love Story: John F. Kennedy Jr. & Carolyn Bessette

WINNER: DTF St. Louis

Beef

All Her Fault

Outstanding Lead Actress in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie

Claire Danes, The Beast in Me

Sarah Pidgeon, Love Story: John F. Kennedy Jr. & Carolyn Bessette

WINNER: Sally Field, Remarkably Bright Creatures

Carey Mulligan, Beef

Sarah Snook, All Her Fault

Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie

WINNER: Matthew Rhys, The Beast in Me

Riz Ahmed, Bait

Jason Bateman, Black Rabbit

Charlie Hunnam, Monster: The Ed Gein Story

Oscar Isaac, Beef

Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie

WINNER: Linda Cardellini, DTF St. Louis

Constance Zimmer, Love Story: John F. Kennedy Jr. & Carolyn Bessette

Dakota Fanning, All Her Fault

Joy Sunday, DTF St. Louis

Youn Yuh-jung, Beef

Laurie Metcalf, Monster: The Ed Gein Story

Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie

Jason Bateman, DTF St. Louis

Richard Gadd, Half Man

Richard Jenkins, DTF St. Louis

WINNER: David Harbour, DTF St. Louis

Charles Melton, Beef

Nick Offerman, Death by Lightning

Outstanding Unstructured Reality Program

America's Sweethearts: Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders

WINNER: Love on the Spectrum

RuPaul's Drag Race: Untucked

Summer House

Welcome to Wrexham

Outstanding Structured Reality Program

WINNER: Antiques Roadshow

Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives

Love is Blind

Queer Eye

Shark Tank

Outstanding Host for a Reality or Reality Competition Program

RuPaul Charles, RuPaul's Drag Race

WINNER: Alan Cumming, The Traitors

Kristen Kish, Top Chef

Ariana Madix, Love Island USA

Jeff Probst, Survivor

Outstanding Variety Series

The Daily Show

Jimmy Kimmel Live!

Last Week Tonight With John Oliver

WINNER: The Late Show With Stephen Colbert

Saturday Night Live

Outstanding Reality Competition Program

Dancing With the Stars

RuPaul’s Drag Race

Survivor

Top Chef

WINNER: The Traitors

Outstanding Variety Special (Pre-Recorded)

Dave Chappelle: The Unstoppable

WINNER: The Muppet Show

Nikki Glaser: Good Girl

Taylor Swift, The Eras Tour, The Final Show

Wicked: One Wonderful Night

Outstanding Host for a Game Show

Steve Harvey, Celebrity Family Feud

Ken Jennings, Jeopardy!

Colin Jost, Pop Culture Jeopardy!

WINNER: Jimmy Kimmel, Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?

Martin Short, Match Game

Don't miss the Emmy Awards 2026 live telecast tonight, Sept. 14, at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT on NBC and streaming on Peacock. E!'s red carpet kicks off at 5 p.m. ET/2 p.m. PT.

I had a great text to work with and I had a great costar, Lewis Pullman, and so you just do your work.

That year the Emys were canceled twice. There was a strike or something, so there was an Emmys, there wasn't an Emmys.

Byt the time it actually happened, I wasn't there because I was off working. I wasn't even there, I watched it on TV and said, 'Oh look, I won. Woohoo!'

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