Ella Langley, the winningest person at this year’s ACM Awards, has an admission to make about her tourmate and duet partner Riley Green.
That mustache everyone loves? That’s her doing — at least, she encouraged him to keep it.
“Everyone’s excited about Riley’s mustache. You can thank me for Riley’s mustache,” Langley said backstage after the ACM Awards.
“Other than God, I guess.”
Langley explains that she co-directed the “You Look Like You Love Me” music video — her duet with Green, which led to three ACM Awards wins last week, including Single of the Year — and she knew she wanted it to look like “an old Western.”
That’s what the song reminds her of, so she pictured it taking place in a saloon in the Old West.
“I told Riley that he could not shave his mustache off, at least for the music video,” she says.
“… and so here we are still, a year later, and I don’t think he can get rid of the ‘stache. We’re stuck this way.”
As for her bangs? Same thing — she’s not getting rid of them. “I don’t think I would now,” Langley admits. “It really does fit my face.”
“Plus, who needs Botox when you have bangs?” she quips.
Related: Did Ella Langley’s ACM Awards Look Seem Familiar? It Should Have
Green is seemingly fond of his facial hair, too — he even named it, “The Conquistador.”
“You know what I realized? I can hide a lot of emotions with this,” he admitted of his mustache and soul patch in an interview last fall. It’s his poker face assist.
Mustaches have made a big comeback in 2025, especially in country music. Take Zach Top, the 2025 ACM New Male Artist of the Year, for example — he’s rocking quite a fur sash on his upper lip, and fans have taken to it, as well. They even joke that he looks like he’s Alan Jackson’s son.
Tucker Wetmore is another newer country artist who rocks a mustache quite well:
See the Winners of the 2005 ACM Awards Then and Now
Although it feels like the 2005 ACM Awards were only yesterday, they were actually 20 years ago!
Below we’ve rounded up the winner from that year and created a class reunion of sorts. Talk about a glow up!
See the 2005 ACM Award winners then and now.
Gallery Credit: Jess
20 Years Ago: See What the ACM Awards Looked Like in 2005
The ACM Awards celebrated its 40th anniversary in 2005. The show saw artists like Brooks & Dunn, Rascal Flatts and Brad Paisley receiving trophies. Meanwhile, Gretchen Wilson took home the win for both Top New Artist and New Female Vocalist of the Year that year and Kenny Chesney was the big winner, with his name being called for Entertainer of the Year.
Keep scrolling to see your favorite country singers at the 2005 ACM Awards.
Gallery Credit: Jess
