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Thomas Rhett is nominated in two Academy of Country Music Award categories — and his daughters couldn’t care less. But the father of four explains that he’s “so grateful” that it’s not a big deal to them. To his girls, Rhett is just “dad.”
Rhett is up for Male Artist of the Year and Album of the Year, for Country Again: Side A. The 57th ACM Awards show is set for Monday (March 7) at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas. The two-hour “concert event of the year” will livestream commercial-free on Prime Video beginning at 8 p.m. EST.
Of course, Rhett’s wife, Lauren Akins, knows it’s an honor and will likely help their daughters congratulate their dad if he wins, though he appreciates that they don’t fully understand what the awards mean. Rhett and Akins are parents to Willa Gray (6), Ada James (4), Lennon Love (2) and Lillie Carolina, who was born in November. Rhett said in a statement shared by his record label:
“I don’t think they know and I don’t think they care, and I think that’s my favorite part. They take so much pressure off of me so often. I just love the fact that to them, dad just plays guitar every now and then. It’s a very grounding experience and I’m so grateful for it. I don’t know, there’s something about the innocence of the way that I could come off stage and just kinda be like, ‘Man, that wasn’t my best show.’ And they’re like, ‘Daddy, we thought it was awesome, especially the fire part.’ That’s what they notice and that’s what they see, and they kinda help me see the world through a kid’s eyes as well. And I think that’s really important to keep, especially as you continue to grow in a career like this.”
Rhett, who is releasing two albums this year, said Country Again: Side A is “definitely an accumulation of stuff that I’ve learned over the last 10 years.” It’s a “deep dive” into his soul as he determines who he is as a 30-year-old artist, including the journey to get “back to that root of just kind of simplicity.” Country Again: Side B is set to release later this year, following Where We Started, which is due in April.
Rhett is one of many artists included in the star-studded lineup at the iHeartCountry Festival presented by Capital One, set for May 7 in Austin, Texas. Fans can tune in and stream the 2022 iHeartCountry Festival on iHeartMedia's Country music radio stations in local markets across the country, as well as on iHeartRadio.com and the iHeartRadio app on May 7th at 8pm ET/5pm PT (7pm CT). Tickets are on sale now via Ticketmaster.com.