CMT Spoiler alert: The red carpet at Wednesday’s CMT Music Awards happened to be blue, but the excitement inside Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena was still building toward the show that’s known as one of the most fun parties of the year — and the unofficial kickoff of CMA Fest.
Riley Green admitted he felt a little out of place, attending his first major event since his debut single, “There Was This Girl,” went to number one.
“I feel like somebody let me slip in a side door or something, with all these famous people,” Riley confessed. “But it’s pretty cool to have some part in something this big. You know this really is the biggest party in country music this week.”
High-profile couple Carly Pearce and Michael Ray spent some time earlier coordinating their looks.
“I let him wear a color tonight…” Carly explained, “because I’m wearing every color of the rainbow tonight. But yeah, we want to at least coordinate a little bit so that we don’t clash.”
Carly was both looking forward to presenting the trophy she won last year, and anticipating an unbelievable performance. “It’s already been a busy CMA week, but tonight’s extra special,” she reflected. “I get to present the new Breakthrough Video of the Year Award winner.”
Carly added, “And I’m getting to be a part of a performance that is literally all of my nineties country and legendary country women goals. That’s all I can say but I’m freakin’ out.”
By show’s end, we knew she was talking about Tanya Tucker’s “Delta Dawn” performance that included Trisha Yearwood, Martina McBride, Deana Carter and more.
Meanwhile, soon-to-be Male Video of the Year winner Kane Brown was fan-focused.
“It’s all about the fans, getting to give back to them, because they got me where I’m at,” he pointed out. “So every time I see somebody asking for a picture, even… if it’s four hundred of ’em, I wish I could get to every single one.”
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