Noah Kahan soundtracked a particularly poignant ‘In Memoriam’ segment at the 2026 Emmys last night (September 14) – check out footage below.
The ceremony took place at Los Angeles’ Peacock Theater last night (September 14), and looked back on lost stars including Rob Reiner, Sam Neill, Tim Curry, Isaiah Whitlock Jr., James Van Der Beek, and Catherine O’Hara.
A tribute to the latter saw star Macaulay Culkin join actors Annie Murphy and Dan Levy to pay homage to the beloved comedy actor, who was best known for films such as and TV shows such as .
She died on January 30 of a pulmonary embolism, and her on-screen children paid tribute last night, with Culkin, nodding to the films, saying: “We remember her as the forgetful mother, right? But we’ll never forget about her.”
After their intro, Kahan took the stage to perform Simon & Garfunkel‘s brooding ‘Bridge Over Troubled Water’ playing acoustic guitar and backed by a string section.
When Kahan wrapped up the 1970 track, Jamie Lee Curtis took the stage to pay tribute to Rob Reiner, sobbing throughout and telling the audience: “He was generous and kind and funny as hell and a friend to all.”
On December 14, 2025, the 78-year-old filmmaker and his 68-year-old wife, photographer Michele Singer-Reiner, were found dead inside their home in the Brentwood area of Los Angeles. The LAPD later confirmed that they were investigating the deaths as an “apparent homicide”, and multiple outlets including and reported that the two had suffered wounds consistent with a knife attack.
The couple’s son Nick was arrested in connection with their deaths and was later charged with two counts of first-degree murder with “special circumstances”, pleading not guilty to the charges at a court appearance in February. His pre-trial hearing is set for later today (September 15).
— Entertainment Tonight (@etnow) September 15, 2026
Elsewhere in the Emmys broadcast, there was a stand-alone tribute to Dolly Parton, where Sally Field and Reba McEntire paid tribute to the late country legend.
News of Dolly’s death rocked the music world when it emerged last month. Though she had previously told fans she was dealing with some health issues that she “didn’t pay attention to” while looking after late husband Carl Dean, the public had no idea of her cancer diagnosis, which her sister later explained was because “she did not want people sad”.
“If there are truly angels on Earth, then we just lost one,” Field said of Dolly.