Tenille Townes and Riley Green are both ACM Awards winners! Tenille won New Female Artist of the Year, while Riley won New Male Artist of the Year. The rising stars, who will now get to perform during the ACM Awards, were both given the good news by reigning ACM Entertainer of the Year, Keith Urban.
Tenille thought she was doing an interview via Zoom when Keith appeared on her video screen, and shared the good news.
“For real?” the stunned rising star asked.
“I’m not pranking,” Keith replied. “You are it. Well deserved … You’ve had a great year. About to have a bigger, better one next year.”
When Keith asked what she would play on the ACM Awards, the 26-year-old admitted she had no idea.
“I’ll always remember this feeling, standing here as a new artist,” Tenille said after the honor was announced. “I feel so honored and incredibly grateful just to be a part of this country music community that inspires me. Receiving this ACM Award feels like belief from that community, and that means so much to me.”
Riley was also in a meeting with several people, including Big Machine Label Group head Scott Borchetta, when Keith suddenly appeared to share the surprising news.
“Now I wish I would have gotten a glass of wine,” Riley quipped. “Congrats to everyone else. That’s a team effort right there.”
Later, Riley credited his family heritage with instilling in him a love of country music.
“My love for country music started with my granddaddy Buford playin’ me some old Merle Haggard songs when I was a kid,” he said. “I have always appreciated the way a song can tell a story. That’s what motivated me early on to write songs of my own. I wanted to tell my story. The story of my hometown, my home state, and my friends and family who helped make me who I am today.
“It’s an incredible feeling to have fans relate to that story and sing it back to me at shows all over the country,” he continued. “I owe it all to my fans, my team, all of the believers at Country Radio, and everyone who ever played a song of mine or bought a ticket to a show. To win an award like this is such an honor and I can’t wait to celebrate with every one of you just as soon as we are able to get back out on the road.”
Tenille was nominated along with Ingrid Andress, Gabby Barrett, Lindsay Ell and Caylee Hammack, while Riley shared the New Male Artist of the Year category with Jordan Davis, Russell Dickerson, Cody Johnson and Morgan Wallen.
The 2020 ACM Awards were originally scheduled for April 5 in Las Vegas, but moved the date to September 16, and the location to the Grand Ole Opry, Ryman Auditorium and Bluebird Cafe, due to the coronavirus pandemic. Keith will still serve as the evening’s host, although more specific details have yet to be announced. The ACM Awards will air live at 8:00 PM ET on CBS.