Carly Pearce, Carter Faith and Kaitlin Butts Deliver a Special “9 to 5” Tribute to Dolly Parton

Dolly Parton may not have been in the room for the 2026 ACM Honors, but her presence was felt throughout the evening. During the ceremony on Wednesday, August 19, Carly Pearce, Carter Faith and Kaitlin Butts joined forces for a spirited performance of Parton’s beloved hit “9 to 5,” honoring one of country music’s most influential songwriters.

Parton was one of the night’s special honorees, receiving the ACM Poet’s Award for her lasting contributions to country music through her songwriting.

Dolly Parton Receives the ACM Poet’s Award

The ACM Honors is an annual event hosted by the Academy of Country Music to recognize artists and industry figures whose contributions extend beyond the categories typically celebrated at the ACM Awards.

The 2026 honorees included a wide range of influential names and organizations. Bill Anderson and Mike Curb received the ACM Icon Award, while Brett James and The Carter Family were recognized with the ACM Poet’s Award. Other recipients included C2C: Country to Country with the ACM International Award, Eric Church with the ACM Lifting Lives Award, Kacey Musgraves with the ACM Spirit Award, and the Paramount+ series Landman with the ACM Film Award.

Leslie Fram received the ACM Lift Every Voice Award, while Scott Zolke was honored with the ACM Service Award.

Parton was also among the recipients of the ACM Poet’s Award, which recognizes a country songwriter whose body of work has made a lasting impact on the genre through exceptional lyrical and musical contributions.

Although Parton was unable to attend the ceremony in person, she still took part through a special video message shown during the event.

“Songwriting has been my therapy, songwriting has been my release, my joy, songwriting has been a gift from God,” Parton said. “It has allowed me to touch people with words and music. So thank you God, and thank you fans around the world.”

Each honoree was also celebrated with a musical performance before receiving their award.

Carly Pearce, Carter Faith and Kaitlin Butts Take the Stage

Pearce had a particularly busy night at the ACM Honors. In addition to serving as one of the evening’s hosts alongside Parker McCollum, she performed more than once.

Pearce and McCollum kicked off the ceremony with “Islands In The Stream,” immediately setting the tone for an evening centered on some of country music’s most memorable songs and performers.

Later in the ceremony, Pearce returned to the stage with Carter Faith and Texas country singer Kaitlin Butts for a tribute to Parton.

The three singers took on “9 to 5,” one of Parton’s signature songs and a defining hit from her career. Rather than having one singer carry the entire performance, Pearce, Faith and Butts traded lead vocals and came together on alternating lines, giving the tribute a collaborative feel.

The performance offered a fitting celebration of Parton’s songwriting legacy, particularly on a night when she was being recognized for the lasting influence of her work.

Parton watched the celebration from home after sending her message to the ACM Honors audience. Though she could not be there to experience the tribute in person, the performance gave Pearce, Faith and Butts an opportunity to honor a shared musical hero on one of country music’s special nights.

The trio’s rendition of “9 to 5” can be watched below.