THE COUNTRY TASTEMAKERS HAVE SPOKEN

Sturgill Simpson’s Metamodern Sounds in Country Music was named Album of the Year, rookie duo Maddie and Tae's "Girl in a Country Song" got Single of the Year, and Miranda Lambert was voted Artist of the Year in in the Nashville Scene’s15th annual Country Music Critics' Poll. The 90 journalists who turned in their ballots gave New Act honors to Angaleena Presley and awarded Live Act to Eric Church. The envelope-pushing Simpson—who follows in the footsteps of Kacey Musgraves, a major presence in last year’s poll—was also named Best Male Vocalist and Best Songwriter, while Lambert was voted Best Female Vocalist. Among the other critics’ picks were Rosanne Cash, Lee Ann Womack, Bob Dylan, Dierks Bentley and Little Big Town. You’ll find complete poll results here.