‘I Have Not Cried in 20 Years’

Rhett Akins was a ball of emotions as he received the Non-Performing Songwriter Icon Award from the National Music Publishers Association on Wednesday (June 11).

Just before he walked onstage to give his acceptance speech, his son, country star Thomas Rhett, performed a special tribute to his dad, which did the veteran songwriter in.

In a video shared to social media, Akins works to compose himself as he looks out on the crowd. He takes several deep breaths and pauses multiple times to blink back his tears, while nervously drumming on the podium with his thumbs.

“I have not cried in 20 years, I don’t think,” he says as he removes his hat to smooth out his hair.

“I don’t know how something like what I just saw can happen,” he continues, referring to his son’s performance. “I mean, only God can do this.”

Rhett sang “That Ain’t My Truck” and “What’s Your Country Song” as a tribute to the night’s big honoree. The two wrote the latter together, which made the moment even more special.

“Thomas Rhett, thank you for doing that,” Akins remarks (watch below). “I never would have dreamed that all the years we sat in the kitchen playing guitars and writing little dumb songs would turn out to be this.”

It was a sweet moment as he reminisced about those memories.

What Is the Non-Performing Songwriter Icon Award?

Each year, the National Music Publishers Association honors songwriters for their contributions to the music world. Akins received the Icon Award — an honor given to non-performing songwriters. He hasn’t released his own album as an artist since 2009, but he’s been behind many of the biggest songs in the genre.

The veteran writer has been an active contributor to country music for more than 30 years. He has written 44 songs that have been certified Platinum and/or Gold in that time.