Riley Green brought a steamy performance of his chart-topping hit “Worst Way” to the life on the 2025 CMA Awards. On Wednesday (Nov. 19), the 37-year-old country superstar took to the CMA Awards stage inside of Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena
Donning a cowboy hat, jeans and a pearl snap shirt, Riley Green strummed an electric guitar as he belted out the words to the sultry track.
“I want you in the worst way, my hands are needin’ your hips/ Want the first taste of whiskey to be off your lips/ So close all the blinds, lock all the doors/ Put away anything that’ll break/ Baby, I need you tonight/ Let’s see how much love we can make/ I want you in the worst way,” Green sang on the sultry track’s chorus while strumming his guitar.
“Worst Way,” written solely by Green, appears on his third studio album, Don’t Mind If I Do. The track officially hit Country radio on February 10, 2025, as the third single from the project, and became his third No. 1 on the Country Airplay chart and his first No. 1 as a solo artist. He previously performed the song during his appearance at CMA Fest 2025.
Ahead of the CMA Awards ceremony, Green opened up about his performance and how much it means to him to get to showcase his music on such a big stage. “I’m performing ‘Worst Way’ on the CMA stage, and it’s such a cool thing to get to come to these awards, but to be able to actually perform and play a song of mine that was a big hit in the last year is going to be a really cool moment,” he revealed.
Green was also nominated for four awards at the event, including Single of the Year, Song of the Year, and Music Video of the Year for “You Look Like You Love Me” with Ella Langley, as well as Musical Event of the Year for “Don’t Mind If I Do,” also featuring Langley.
Of the nominations, Riley Green admitted that he can’t believe he’s even a nominee. “It’s never something that you really expect,” Green admitted in a statement. “I always think about things as just a fan of country music because it’s not too long ago that I was, you know. And you see the names that are mentioned in winnin’ these awards and being nominated, and then to get kind of thrown in with that is always a big deal. And I’m excited to have it lifted up there with all these other great songs and collaborations.”
2025 CMA Awards
The 59th Annual CMA Awards featured unforgettable performances from BigXthaPlug, Luke Combs, Ella Langley, Megan Moroney, Keith Urban, Little Big Town, Shaboozey, Zach Top, Tucker Wetmore, Lainey Wilson, Stephen Wilson Jr., Kelsea Ballerini, Brandi Carlile, Kenny Chesney, Miranda Lambert, Patty Loveless, Old Dominion, The Red Clay Strays, Chris Stapleton and more.
In addition to performances, the show also featured a star-studded list of presenters and special guests, including Lady A, Alison Brown, Jessica Capshaw, Billy Ray Cyrus, Lauren Daigle, Jordan Davis, Elizabeth Hurley, Cody Johnson, Bert Kreischer, Brandon Lake, Ella Langley, Steve Martin, Leanne Morgan, NE-YO, Chris O’Donnell, Kimberly Perry, LeAnn Rimes, Alan Ritchson, Lara Spencer, Billy Bob Thornton, Grace Van Patten, Gretchen Wilson, Bailey Zimmerman and more.
“Country Music’s Biggest Night” also honored Vince Gill with the CMA Willie Nelson Lifetime Achievement Award. The 68-year-old country music legend was celebrated with a special tribute performance before accepting the coveted award. The 59th Annual CMA Awards was a production of the Country Music Association. Robert Deaton was the Executive Producer, Alan Carter was the Director and Jon Macks was the Head Writer.
Hosted by Lainey Wilson, the 2025 CMA Awards broadcast live from Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena on Wednesday, Nov. 19 (8:00–11:00 PM ET) on ABC and will be made available to stream the following day on Hulu.
