Katie Austin Chats with Riley Green, Gabby Barrett, Chase Rice & More at the CMA Awards

Before the stars made their way into Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena for The 53rd Annual CMA Awards on Wednesday (Nov. 13),…

Lauren Jo Black

| Posted on

November 15, 2019

10:46 am

Katie Austin, Riley Green; Photo by Osprey Media

Before the stars made their way into Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena for The 53rd Annual CMA Awards on Wednesday (Nov. 13), they strutted their stuff on the red carpet and several artists stopped by to chat with Country Now‘s correspondent for the evening, Katie Austin!

Austin, a fitness instructor and host, caught up with artists such as Riley Green, Gabby Barrett, Justin Moore, Jordan Davis, Scotty McCreery, The Backstreet Boys’ AJ McLean, newlyweds Tyler Rich and Sabina Gadecki, Stephanie Quayle, Chase Rice and Mitchell Tenpenny to talk about their excitement over the CMA Awards.

The evening was a true celebration of women and many artists were thrilled to see what Carrie Underwood and her guest hosts, Reba McEntire and Dolly Parton, had planned for the night.

Several stars also showed off their fancy red carpet looks, while all-vocal group Home Free, serenaded Austin with “Leave This Town.”

Our host got a bit emotional after meeting new country group Gone West, as member Colbie Caillat is one of her all-time favorite singers. The sweet run-in left Austin in tears.

Watch the video above for a look at Katie Austin’s CMA Awards red carpet interviews. Stay tuned for Part II where Austin puts the artists’ lyrical knowledge to the test.

Written by

Lauren Jo Black

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.