Country Music Association To Salute Dolly Parton With Live, 2-Hour TV Special

The Country Music Association (CMA) announced today that it is producing CMA Presents I Will Always Love You: A Celebration of Dolly Parton, a two-hour television event in tribute to Dolly Parton, who died on Aug. 25 at age 80. The special will air live on Wednesday, Oct. 21 (9:00-11:00 p.m. ET) on ABC and Disney+ internationally, available next day on Hulu. That is a nearly a month before the 60th annual CMA Awards, which are set to air on Nov. 18.

The CMA promises that “the special will be a joyful, emotional celebration of the artist, songwriter, entertainer, humanitarian and entrepreneur whose music and generosity carried her from the mountains of east Tennessee into the hearts of generations around the world, told through performances, archival footage and personal stories…” 

Robert Deaton serves as executive producer of the special, which will be filmed live at the Fisher Center for the Performing Arts at Belmont University in Nashville.

“Dolly gave Country Music its heart, and giving some of that heart back to her is an incredible honor,” Deaton said in a statement. “My hope is simply that we do right by her story, her music and the people who love her, so that this evening feels like the tribute my friend deserves.”

“Dolly Parton belonged to the whole world, but she was born of this industry, and this industry owes her a debt of gratitude that words alone cannot repay,” Sarah Trahern, CMA CEO said in a statement. “As the organization built to serve and celebrate Country Music, honoring her legacy is not just an opportunity, it is our responsibility. This special is our way of saying thank you, on behalf of every artist, industry member and fan who found a piece of themselves in her music.”

The CMA and Parton have a long history. In 1978, Parton became just the second woman (following Loretta Lynn) to win entertainer of the year at the CMA Awards. In 1988, she became the first woman to solo-host that awards show. In 2016, she became the first woman to win the Willie Nelson Lifetime Achievement Award, which is presented on the telecast.

There was very effective tribute to Parton on the Primetime Emmy Awards on Monday (Sept. 14), with her Steel Magnolias co-star Sally Field sharing memories and Reba McEntire singing Parton’s “Appalacian Memories.” Similar tributes are expected on many upcoming awards shows.

The upcoming special reflects a strategic partnership between CMA and Belmont University. It also continues a growing relationship between Belmont University and Parton that included the 2025 world premiere of DOLLY: A True Original Musical at the Fisher Center for the Performing Arts and the launch of DOLLY U, an immersive educational partnership designed to connect students with hands-on opportunities in entertainment, media and creative industries. Through that collaboration, students worked alongside professional artists, producers and industry leaders while helping bring Parton’s vision to life.

In conjunction with the special, CMA and Belmont University will make a donation from proceeds to Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library, continuing a legacy that gives millions of children the gift of a free book each month and seeks to inspire a lifelong love of reading. In addition, Disney is supporting Imagination Library to further its mission of inspiring children to imagine their possibilities.

Additional details about the special, including performers, tickets and additional partners, will be announced in the coming weeks.