Thomas Rhett and Lauren Akins make rare ACM Awards red carpet return

Thomas Rhett and Lauren Akins made a rare red carpet appearance at the 2026 Academy of Country Music Awards in Las Vegas on Sunday, May 17, stepping out together after welcoming their fifth baby earlier in the year. Rhett is also slated to perform at the 61st ACM Awards, which stream live at 8 p.m. ET.

Las Vegas Red Carpet

The couple joined other A-list duos ahead of the ceremony at the MGM Grand Garden Arena, where the night’s guest list leaned on pairs as much as solo nominees. Their date-night appearance carried extra weight because it came after baby No. 5, son Brave, arrived in February.

For a country artist whose public schedule now includes both a red carpet and a performance slot, the outing functioned as more than a photo call. It put Rhett back in the center of one of the genre’s biggest televised nights while keeping Akins beside him, a combination that is less common after a new baby enters the picture.

Shania Twain Hosts 61st ACMs

Shania Twain is hosting the 61st ACM Awards for the first time, and Megan Moroney leads the field with nine nominations. Miranda Lambert follows with eight, while Ella Langley and Lainey Wilson each have seven.

Those nomination totals set the competitive frame around the show, but Rhett’s presence adds another layer: he is both part of the evening’s performance lineup and one of the red carpet names drawing attention before the broadcast begins. That gives the ceremony a built-in crossover between spectacle and participation.

Baby No. 5 After February

Rhett and Akins’ outing stands out because it follows the start-of-year arrival of their fifth baby, and the family update was still fresh when they reached the carpet in May. In a room full of country’s biggest couples, their appearance read as a deliberate return to the public circuit rather than a routine stop.

For viewers, the practical takeaway is simple: the 61st ACM Awards begin at 8 p.m. ET on Prime Video, with Rhett already on the performance bill and the nominations led by Moroney, Lambert, Langley, and Wilson. The red carpet gave the night its first clear couple shot; the broadcast will decide whether the performance lineup or the awards race takes over from there.