Rascal Faltts are nominated for Group of the Year at the upcoming ACM Awards. The trio at one time was a mainstay at awards shows, winning in the category seven years in a row. But they haven’t won an ACM Award for Vocal Group since 2008, and haven’t even been nominated since 2016.
Their return is not only triumphant, but also telling about their future in country music.
“It really means the absolute world to us,” Gary LeVox says. “It felt so good to be nominated again. You miss what you don’t have, so we were just so humbled and honored. You know, I think once you start being nominated a bunch and you start winning them all the time, that’s really easy to get used to, you know? And it just goes to show that you miss what you don’t have. And we are truly honored and humbled.”
Prior to 2020, Rascal Flatts was still putting out music, even if they weren’t being nominated. They last released Back to Us in 2017, a record that included the No 1 single, “Yours If You Want It.” The lack of nominations was not easy for Rascal Flatts at the time, but is what makes their nomination this year that much more meaningful.
“It just became so normal for us to not be in there anymore, and it was a great way to wake up,” Jay DeMarcus says, recalling the moment they found out about their nomination. “It was a fantastic way to start the day. Some might think if you win it, you’ve won it, and that’s past you but it’s very, very humbling to have those things continue to happen in your career.”
Rascal Flatts share the Group of the Year nomination with Flatland Cavalry, Little Big Town, Old Dominion and The Red Clay Strays. When the nominations were announced, Rascal Flatts shared their reaction to hearing their name among the nominees.
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“We are blown away to be nominated for the ACM Awards Group of The Year, and extremely grateful to all of you for the support over the past 20 years!!” they said in a statement.
Rascal Flatts will likely hear their name among the list of nominees for years to come. The trio’s Life Is A Highway: Refueled Duets album will be out on June 6. The record includes their current single, “I Dare You,” a collaboration with the Jonas Brothers, which is currently in the Top 30.
“We were putting this record together, and one of the people we reached out to were the Jonas Brothers, about doing one of our songs,” DeMarcus recalls. “And they said they were thrilled that we asked, but instead of doing one of our songs, they had written a song recently with Shay Mooney that they wanted to throw in the hat. And I loved the song when I first heard it. It seemed to fit what we do and it’s a really great collaboration.”
Rascal Flatts will also perform during the ACM Awards. In addition to “I Dare You,” Life Is A Highway: Refueled Duets includes “Mayberry” with Blake Shelton, “I’m Movin’ On” with Kelly Clarkson, and more.
See a track list for Life Is A Highway: Refueled Duets below. Find all of Rascal Flatts’ music and upcoming shows at RascalFlatts.com.
Life Is A Highway: Refueled Duets Album Tracklist:
1. “I Dare You” (with Jonas Brothers)
2. “Fast Cars And Freedom” (with Jason Aldean)
3. “My Wish” (with Carly Pearce)
4. “Mayberry” (with Blake Shelton)
5. “Stand” (with Brandon Lake)
6. “Summer Nights” (with Ashley Cooke)
7. “What Hurts The Most” (with Backstreet Boys)
8. “Yours If You Want It” (with Jordan Davis)
9. “Life Is A Highway” (with Lzzy Hale)
10. “I’m Movin’ On” (with Kelly Clarkson)