Ella Langley Fires Back At Riley Green’s Award Speech Joke
on May 18, 2026
Ella Langley and Riley Green Won Musical Event Of The Year At The 2026 ACM Awards
Ella Langley won big at the 61st Annual ACM Awards, which took place on Sunday, May 17th at the MGM Grand Garden Arena.
She took home seven total trophies in five different categories: Female Artist of the Year, Singer-Songwriter of the Year, Song of the Year, Single of the Year, and Musical Event of the Year.
She won two trophies for Song and Single for being the artist and songwriter, as well as artist and producer, respectively.
She won one of the awards, Music Event of the Year, with Riley Green for their duet “Don’t Mind If I Do.”
This is the second year in a row the duo won this category. In 2025, they took home the award for “You Look Like You Love Me.”
RELATED: Ella Langley Dominates the 2026 ACM Awards: See Every Winner From Las Vegas
They became only the second-ever duo to win the category in back to back years. The first and only time this has ever happened was in 1998 and 1999 when Tim McGraw and Faith Hill won for “It’s Your Love” and “Just to Hear You Say That You Love Me,” respectively.
Ella Interrupted Riley’s Speech
After The War and Treaty announced that Ella and Riley won the award, they walked up the stairs together to accept the award on the stage.
“Thank y’all so much,” Riley said the the crowd. “Let me start by thanking my very lovely and talented duet partner, Miss Ella Langley, for being a part of this song. I was in a green room in Fayetteville, Arkansas sitting by myself I wrote this song, I knew there was something special about it.”
He continued, “We already had another big hit together, and I thought, ‘Well I need to find somebody to do this song with me.’ And I called Ella in Nashville, Tennessee and she showed up to the studio in her pajamas and sang what you hear on the track. And I knew…”
Then, Ella cut him off by setting the story straight!
“I had on jeans and a t-shirt, thank you very much!” she said.
He jumped in, “She might sleep in those, I don’t know. but I knew that it was never gonna get any better than that and I’m so proud of how far you’ve come. You continue to surprise everbody with everything you do in your career. And more than anything, I’m really proud how you represent our home state of Alabama.”
Some fans took this exchange as a little bit of tension between the two, but we think Riley meant that she can just roll out of bed and deliver insane vocals.
Watch the moment below, and let us know what you think.
