Riley Green Still Can’t Believe He’s a CMA Nominee: ‘It’s Never Something You Really Expect’
Green is heading into “Country Music’s Biggest Night” as a four-time nominee this year.
Photo Courtesy Riley Green
Riley Green is celebrating a major milestone in his career with four CMA Award nominations this year. The country superstar, along with fellow Alabama native Ella Langley, is up for Single, Song, and Music Video of the Year for their hit collaboration “You Look Like You Love Me.” The pair is also nominated for Musical Event of the Year for “Don’t Mind If I Do.”
For Green, who has watched the CMA Awards for years as a fan, just being among the nominees is a huge honor.
“It’s never something that you really expect,” Green admits. “I always think about things as just a fan of country music because it’s not too long ago that I was, you know. And you see the names that are mentioned in winnin’ these awards and being nominated, and then to get kind of thrown in with that is always a big deal. And I’m excited to have it lifted up there with all these other great songs and collaborations.”
With multiple nods this year, Green is clearly making his mark on country music, and fans will also want to tune in to the show as he was just announced among the latest round of performers for the show.
According to the Country Music Association and ABC, Green will take the stage during “Country Music’s Biggest Night” to perform his chart-topping, self-written hit, “Worst Way.”
In addition to Green, fans can look forward to performances by Kelsea Ballerini, Brandi Carlile, Kenny Chesney, Miranda Lambert, Patty Loveless, Old Dominion, The Red Clay Strays,Chris Stapleton. BigXThaPlug, Luke Combs, Ella Langley, Megan Moroney, Shaboozey, Zach Top, Tucker Wetmore, Lainey Wilson and Stephen Wilson Jr.
Hosted by Lainey Wilson, “Country Music’s Biggest Night” broadcasts live from Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Wednesday Nov. 19 (8:00-11:00 PM/ET) on ABC and is available next day on Hulu.
Following his big night at the CMA Awards, Green will return to the road for his final shows of the year, with dates planned in Lincoln, Nebraska, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, Little Rock, Arkansas, and more before closing out the year with back to back nights in Las Vegas.
Afterward, Green will take some well-deserved downtime before heading to Mexico in January for Luke Bryan’s Crash My Playa and kicking off his 2026 headlining Cowboy As It Gets Tour.
He’ll start the year with a series of shows in Australia before returning stateside for what promises to be his biggest headlining tour yet. The run will feature Justin Moore as direct support, with special guests Drake White, Mackenzie Carpenter, Zach John King, Hannah McFarland, and Adam Hood joining on select dates.
Produced by Live Nation, the tour will bring Green to arenas and major cities across the U.S., including stops in Nashville, Alpharetta, Cleveland, Saratoga Springs, Salt Lake City, Hartford, and more.
Click HERE for a full list of dates and more info.
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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