Riley Green accepts the Groundbreaker award from Ronnie Dunn at Billboard’s Country Power Players 2025.
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00:00They should have got the other guy because I suck at this.
00:03Somebody said, like, no teleprompters.
00:05Like, Billboard can't afford a teleprompter.
00:09So I went to the Antichrist and went to AI.
00:15I fed all this information in there.
00:16Check this out.
00:19I'm going to read it like a computer in monotone.
00:23Good evening, everyone.
00:26So tonight we're here to honor someone who embodies what it truly means to be a groundbreaker.
00:33Someone who's done things their own way, stayed true to who they are,
00:37and helped carve out a new territory in country music.
00:40They're not only made their own mark, but they also cleared a path for others to follow.
00:46This year's Billboard Groundbreaker Award goes to a man who's built his career with grit,
00:52authenticity, and a whole lot of heart.
00:54AI says, Riley Green.
00:59That's where you cheer.
01:02All right.
01:02You're doing good.
01:04In the past year alone, Riley's continued to rise, pushing boundaries,
01:09and staying rooted in what fans love most about him.
01:12He released his third studio album,
01:15a project that is honest and as soulful as the artist himself.
01:19I met him.
01:20He's got soul.
01:21He's a southern boy.
01:21Anyway, he took home a CMA award and multiple ACM awards,
01:26showing the world that country music is paying attention and applauding.
01:32Go.
01:32All right.
01:33Yeah.
01:33He also launched his damn country music.
01:38You couldn't say that years ago, so you can.
01:41All right.
01:41It's good to know.
01:43Taking his sound to fans across the country,
01:45and he opened the Duck Blind, his very own bar in Nashville,
01:49probably right down the street or next door.
01:51This may be it.
01:51A place where music memories and a little mischief came together.
01:57Riley Green is more than just a chart topper.
02:00Chart topper, he's a trailblazer.
02:02And tonight, we celebrate not just what he's done, but where he's going next.
02:07We're almost through.
02:09Please join me in giving a big hand, a loud, proud welcome to the stage,
02:14Riley Green, this year's Billboard Groundbreaker Awards recipient.
02:18That was by far the best intro I've ever had.
02:30I wrote a little something down.
02:33Groundbreaker Award, this is something else.
02:34I appreciate you all.
02:35I'm honored to be here.
02:37When I hear that word, groundbreaker,
02:38I think about people that are not afraid to kind of pave their own path,
02:41no matter if it's the norm or not.
02:46They just write country songs.
02:47It's real and true to them.
02:49People like Toby Keith, Randy Owen, Merrill Haggard,
02:52those are the guys that I looked up to
02:54and the guys I wanted to be when I grew up.
02:56I want to start by thanking Billboard,
02:58especially Melinda and Christina.
03:00Without y'all's support, I wouldn't be here.
03:02Thank you so much.
03:02I appreciate it.
03:05To my label, management, band, PR team,
03:07and everybody that works for me,
03:08I appreciate all y'all do.
03:09I wouldn't be here without you.
03:11When I came into country music,
03:13I didn't want to chase the sound that everybody else was doing.
03:17I want to tell a story
03:18and write songs about the small town I grew up in.
03:23I want to write songs that my family and friends back home would be proud of,
03:26and I owe a lot to them.
03:29My granddaddy Buford taught me the value of a good handshake
03:32and how to look somebody in the eye when you talk to them.
03:36My granddaddy Linden taught me patience
03:37and if all else fails, just go fishing.
03:40My grandmother Nancy was the most selfless person I've ever met.
03:46And my grandmother Jean is the hardest working person you'll ever meet,
03:48and she's probably weed-eating right now.
03:51So any success that I've had, I owe to just trying to make them proud.
03:56Thank y'all again for this.
03:57It means a lot.
03:57It's always great to get any kind of recognition,
03:59and it makes me want to write more songs and play more shows.
04:01Thank y'all so much.
04:01I appreciate it.