Riley Green Accepts the Groundbreaker Award From Ronnie Dunn | Country Power Players 2025 - video Dailymotion

Billboard

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.

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Riley Green Accepts the Groundbreaker Award From Ronnie Dunn | Country Power Players 2025

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