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Bullpen packed for Green River Band celebration Earlier on CM: Green River Band wins 2026 Best of Kentucky award By Mig Feuser, from The Adair Progress The Bullpen on Campbellsville Street was packed on Friday night, August 21, 2026. And the reason was simple. The band performing that evening had just one day before been crowned the best musicians of the year by Kentucky Living magazine, beating superstars like JD Shelburne and Tyler Childers. For Columbia's Green River Band, it was quite a way to come home. The local group was named the 2026 Best in Kentucky winner in the Kentucky Musician or Band category, completing a remarkable run that put five musicians from Columbia into a statewide contest alongside two of Kentucky's best-known country music performers. And if there was ever a victory that belonged as much to the fans as to the musicians on stage, this was probably it. Green River Band lead singer Craig Dean said the members learned the result the same way everybody else did -- watching Kentucky Living's Best in Kentucky broadcast on August 19, 2026. "We all found out at the same time when it was announced on the Kentucky Living YouTube page on their broadcast August 19," Dean said. "We were all watching that morning." There had been plenty of anticipation leading up to that announcement. Kentucky Living announced the three finalists in April. Green River Band represented Columbia against JD Shelburne, a Taylorsville native who has built a successful career in country music, and Tyler Childers, the Lawrence County native who has become one of Kentucky's most internationally recognized musicians. Just making that final three was quite an accomplishment. Winning it was something else. The annual Best in Kentucky competition is a reader-driven celebration organized by Kentucky Living, the statewide publication of Kentucky's electric cooperatives. This year's contest featured 30 categories ranging from musicians and broadcasters to restaurants, attractions, road trips and other Kentucky favorites. After nominations produced three finalists in each category, online voting ran throughout May. Voters could cast one vote per email address each day, making enthusiasm and continued support from fans especially important. Winners were announced during the Aug. 19 Best in Kentucky Awards Show and will also be featured in the magazine's September edition. For the musician or band category, the finalists alone showed just how far Green River Band had come. Kentucky Living listed Tyler Childers, Green River Band and JD Shelburne as the three choices presented to voters. Childers was identified with Nashville and his Lawrence County roots, Shelburne with Nashville and Taylorsville, and Green River Band simply with one place: Columbia. That made the eventual result even sweeter. "To be able to compete with the big boys is an awesome and humbling experience," Dean said. There was also the practical matter of getting everybody together after finding out they had won. For a working band, that can sometimes require almost as much coordination as winning the award. Dean said Jake and Adam are normally off work on Thursdays, while Mark had not yet returned to work because the beginning of the school year had been postponed. John was already working in Louisville that day and could simply drive over. That left the lead singer. "Craig was the only one that had to take a 'sick day,' so don't tell anybody!" Dean joked. But behind the humor was something the members of Green River Band clearly took seriously: They knew exactly how they got there. This was a fan-voted award. And their fans voted. Again and again. "This is a fan voted award," Dean said. "So we just want to thank everyone in the community, and outside of Columbia and Adair County, for going online and voting for us." The support went far beyond clicking a button. Friends and family members shared reminders and encouraged others to vote throughout the contest. Businesses and venues promoted the band, and the campaign became something of a community effort. "We really feel connected to the folks around here and they show up to support us," Dean said. "So many of our friends and family spread the word daily to help us win. There's too many to name individually, but Vicki Hill led the charge." Patriot Realty sponsored billboards in Columbia encouraging people to support the hometown band. The 5000 food truck, which was itself nominated in the Best in Kentucky competition, helped spread the word among its followers. And then there were the places where Green River Band has done what bands are supposed to do -- play music. Dean specifically thanked Tuckers Tiki Bar, The Silver Eagle, Southern Kentucky Distillery and The Bullpen for helping promote the voting effort. "So many people helped in making this happen," Dean said, "and we just want everyone to know how grateful we are." Perhaps there was no better way to demonstrate that relationship than what happened the following night. There was no giant arena waiting for the newly crowned Best in Kentucky winners. There was no Nashville stage and no elaborate victory celebration. There was The Bullpen. There was Campbellsville Street. And there was a packed house in Columbia. For a band whose victory had depended upon people back home turning out day after day online to vote, their first show after winning could hardly have happened in a more fitting place. Among those celebrating the accomplishment was Adair County Magistrate Chris Reeder, a founding member of Green River Band who has since traded performing with the group for other responsibilities, including his current campaign for Adair County Judge Executive. Reeder knows the band from a perspective few others do -- from its beginnings. "What the GRB has done in a short period of time is nothing short of amazing," Reeder said, "but their success wouldn't be possible without the support of the hometown fans! I'm so proud of these guys!" That hometown support may ultimately be the biggest part of the story. Awards are nice. Winning one against performers with national name recognition is even nicer. And seeing "Green River Band -- Columbia" listed beside Tyler Childers and JD Shelburne on a statewide ballot is something the musicians and their supporters will probably remember for a long time. But Green River Band's success did not begin on an awards show. It was built the old-fashioned way. It came from playing local venues, setting up equipment, hauling it back out at the end of the night and doing it all again somewhere else. It came from friends bringing friends, people following the band from one show to another and local businesses putting their names behind a group they believed deserved a chance. Then, when that chance arrived, Adair County answered. Voting in the Best in Kentucky contest ended May 31, but the result remained under wraps until the Aug. 19 awards broadcast. Kentucky Living had announced beforehand that the order of finish among the three finalists would be revealed during the show. When the moment finally came, Green River Band was No. 1. A day later, the celebration had moved back where much of the support had started. The Bullpen was packed. The band took the stage. And this time, everybody in the room already knew they were listening to the Best in Kentucky. This story was posted on 2026-08-31 13:54:33
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