Last night, May 25, marked the 52nd annual American Music Awards, with a few familiar faces from country music returning to the MGM Grand Garden Arena for the second weekend in a row following the previously held ACM awards.
Representing the genre on both the red carpet and on-stage was none other than 2026 Best Male Country Artist nominee, Riley Green. While, unfortunately, Green did not take home the fan-voted award (crowned to Morgan Wallen), he did make his debut on the live, televised CBS broadcast with a performance of his 2024 hit, “Worst Way.”
Green went for the crowd-pleaser with this steamy song choice from his Way Out Here album, which has since become his most-streamed song on Spotify with over a whopping 426 million streams. While Green has been gearing up to release new music with his latest track “My Way” dropping this past April 17 and his upcoming “Think As You Drunk” this Thursday, May 28, given the show is multi-genred, he stuck to what he knows best, swooning the ladies.
With a full band arrangement and his signature cowboy hat, Green delivered a crowd-swaying rendition with his “duckman” strapped guitar in hand. In a pre-show carpet interview with Entertainment Tonight, he also admitted he was slightly nervous for the live show, “I’ve always felt like pop, and rock, and hip hop singers are a little more famous than country singers. I guess I’m around country so much, so it’s gonna be a little more nerve-racking seeing Ludacris and Queen Latifah in the crowd.”
Sure enough, the six-time number one hit maker showed no signs of stage fright, with the crowd reciprocating the praise with erupting applause, including a standing ovation from the USAA Military Appreciation section filled with service members and veterans.
Following last night’s performance and the end of Green’s debut acting stint on Marshals, the “Change My Mind” singer will transition his TV appearances to NBC in a few months, joining the network’s singing competition, The Voice, as a new coach for Season 30, premiering in September. While filming for the show throughout the summer, Green will also continue out on his headlining Cowboy As It Gets tour, returning to the road on June 18 in Holmdel, NJ.
Tour Dates:
- June 18 – Holmdel, NJ – PNC Bank Arts Center
- June 19 – Saratoga Springs, NY – Saratoga Performing Arts Center
- June 20 – Wantagh, NY – Northwell at Jones Beach Theater
- June 25 – Noblesville, IN – Ruoff Music Center
- June 26 – Burgettstown, PA – The Pavilion at Star Lake
- July 16 – Green Bay, WI – Resch Center
- July 23 – Salt Lake City, UT – Utah First Credit Union Amphitheatre
- August 6 – Darien Center, NY – Darien Lake Amphitheater
- August 7 – Cuyahoga Falls, OH – Blossom Music Center
- August 8 – Bristow, VA – Jiffy Lube Live
- August 13 – Camden, NJ – Freedom Mortgage Pavilion
- August 14 – Hartford, CT – The XFINITY Theatre
- August 15 – Bangor, ME – Maine Savings Amphitheatre
- August 21 – Sioux Falls, SD – Denny Sanford
- August 22 – Grand Forks, ND – Ralph Engelstad Arena