Clint Black Honors Riley Green With Hitmaker Award at Billboard Country Power Players in Nashville
The honor serves as a boost of encouragement for Green, pushing him to keep writing more songs and hitting the road for more live shows.
Riley Green and Clint Black at the Billboard Country Power Players 2026; Photo Courtesy of Billboard
Clint Black presented Riley Green with the Hitmaker Award at the Billboard Country Power Players event, held Wednesday (June 3) at The Eye Rooftop at Category 10 in Nashville.
Green, who served as the Billboard Country Power Players cover artist, was on hand to accept the honor from Black, who he’s looked up to for years
“His music is pure country,” Black praised at the event, later adding, “I’m impressed with his songwriting.”
When accepting the award, Green shared that the recognition serves as motivation to keep building on his career.
“For me, this kind of recognition is a pat on the back that gives me the confidence to go out and write more songs and play more shows,” Green said, according to Billboard.
The Alabama native also dedicated the award to his late “granddaddy Buford,” who “loved country music.” Green has previously honored both of his grandfathers in his hit song “I Wish Grandpas Never Died.”
“I had a lot of great role models growing up,” Green shared, recalling a recent moment when his grandmother, Lola Jean, was in the crowd for one of his sold-out Atlanta shows. “She said, ‘Man, I just wish Buford could see this.’ It’s moments like this that make me very certain he’s sittin’ in a recliner somewhere watching down on this.”
Riley Green had a busy CMA Fest week packed with major moments.
Following the Billboard Country Power Players event, the multi-PLATINUM, ACM and CMA Award-winning singer-songwriter hosted CMA Fest and helped close out the festival with a standout performance on Sunday.
On the music front, Green also scored his seventh No. 1 at country radio with “Change My Mind.” Written by Green alongside Erik Dylan and Randy Montana, the track leans into the push-and-pull of trying to walk away from someone who still has a strong pull.
The milestone comes on the heels of the announcement of his upcoming album, That’s Just Me, set for release on September 18. The project will feature new music, including the just-released track “Think As You Drink.”
Green’s Cowboy As It Gets Tour continues this month with dates planned across the north east.
Lauren Jo Black, a University of Central Florida graduate, has immersed herself in the world of country music for over 15 years. In 2008, she co-founded CountryMusicIsLove, eventually selling it to a major record label in 2015. Following the rebranding of the website to Sounds Like Nashville, Black served as Editor-in-Chief for two and a half years. Currently, she assumes the role of Editor-in-Chief at Country Now and oversees Country Now’s content and digital footprint. Her extensive experience also encompasses her previous role as a Country Music Expert Writer for Answers.com and her work being featured on Forbes.com. She’s been spotlighted among Country Aircheck’s Women of Influence and received the 2012 Rising Star Award from the University of Central Florida. Black also spent time in front of the camera as host of Country Now Live, which brought live music directly to fans in 2021 when the majority of concerts were halted due to the pandemic. During this time, she hosted 24 weeks of live concerts via Country Now Live on Twitch with special guests such as Lady A, Dierks Bentley, Jordan Davis, Brett Young, and Jon Pardi. Over the course of her career, she has had the privilege of conducting interviews with some of the industry’s most prominent stars, including Reba McEntire, Blake Shelton, Luke Combs, Carrie Underwood, Luke Bryan, Miranda Lambert, Lainey Wilson, and many others. Lauren Jo Black is a longtime member of the Country Music Association and the Academy of Country Music.
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