diff --git a/tools/perf/builtin-script.c b/tools/perf/builtin-script.c
index baf17989a216137064e089d4e2f65fef07a4357f..b392770766ddd040c040fccf825ba41332ebde7b 100644
--- a/tools/perf/builtin-script.c
+++ b/tools/perf/builtin-script.c
@@ -288,7 +288,6 @@ static void print_sample_start(struct perf_sample *sample,
 			       struct perf_evsel *evsel)
 {
 	struct perf_event_attr *attr = &evsel->attr;
-	const char *evname = NULL;
 	unsigned long secs;
 	unsigned long usecs;
 	unsigned long long nsecs;
@@ -323,11 +322,6 @@ static void print_sample_start(struct perf_sample *sample,
 		usecs = nsecs / NSECS_PER_USEC;
 		printf("%5lu.%06lu: ", secs, usecs);
 	}
-
-	if (PRINT_FIELD(EVNAME)) {
-		evname = perf_evsel__name(evsel);
-		printf("%s: ", evname ? evname : "[unknown]");
-	}
 }
 
 static bool is_bts_event(struct perf_event_attr *attr)
@@ -434,6 +428,11 @@ static void process_event(union perf_event *event, struct perf_sample *sample,
 
 	print_sample_start(sample, thread, evsel);
 
+	if (PRINT_FIELD(EVNAME)) {
+		const char *evname = perf_evsel__name(evsel);
+		printf("%s: ", evname ? evname : "[unknown]");
+	}
+
 	if (is_bts_event(attr)) {
 		print_sample_bts(event, sample, evsel, machine, thread);
 		return;