Ella Langley and Riley Green Score Early ACM Win—With a Little Help from Reba!

The 2025 ACM Awards may still be days away, but Ella Langley and Riley Green are already celebrating big wins—and in the most unexpected way. While performing their hit duet “You Look Like You Love Me” at Country Thunder in Tampa on May 2, the duo got a surprise video message from none other than Reba McEntire herself.

Ella Langley & Riley Green Secure Early ACM Award Win

The country legend (and 18-time ACM Awards host!) popped up on screen mid-performance to deliver the news: Ella and Riley had officially won Visual Media of the Year for the music video of their flirty, chart-topping duet. The moment caught the crowd—and the artists—completely off guard in the best way.

Ella Langley, Riley Green's 'You Look Like You Love Me' Wins Visual Media of the Year Ahead of 2025 ACM Awards

“Sorry to interrupt, but I have some big news,” Reba said in the clip. “Congratulations to Ella and Riley! Can’t wait to celebrate with you both in Frisco!”

For Ella, the surprises just keep coming. Just a week earlier, she found out she’d won New Female Artist of the Year while on stage at Rock the Country in Knoxville. That announcement came via another video message—this time from her close friend and collaborator, Miranda Lambert. Miranda called Langley her “soul sister in country music,” passing the torch nearly two decades after winning the same award herself.

With two ACM Awards already in the bag, Langley heads into the official ceremony as the most-nominated artist of the night. She’s still in the running for Female Artist of the Year, Single of the Year, Song of the Year, and Music Event of the Year—all tied to her red-hot duet with Riley Green. And yes, both artists are nominated as songwriters on “You Look Like You Love Me,” too.

The twangy, slow-burning track has already made major waves—hitting No. 1 on Billboard’s Country Airplay chart, cracking the Top 10 on Hot Country Songs, and even landing in the Top 40 of the Hot 100.

Don’t miss the full celebration! The 60th ACM Awards air live on May 8, streaming globally on Prime Video and the Amazon Music channel on Twitch. The show kicks off at 8 p.m. ET from the Ford Center at The Star in Frisco, Texas, and runs for two-and-a-half hours of pure country magic.