Jason Isbell, Lee Ann Womack and more lead Nashville Scene’s 18th Annual Country Music Critics’ Poll

PHOTOS FROM LEFT: JASON ISBELL BY DANIEL MEIGS; CHRIS STAPLETON BY ERIC ENGLAND; MARGO PRICE BY DANIEL MEIGS

The Nashville Scene published the 18th Annual Country Music Critics’ Poll, the genre’s most respected measure of critical consensus. The 94 voting journalists from all over North America and beyond handed Jason Isbell victories for Best Album (The Nashville Sound), Best Songwriter, Best Live Act, and Artist of the Year. 

With this year's triumphs, Isbell spearheads a movement of outsiders that includes Chris Stapleton (Best Male Vocalist, Artist of the Year runner-up) and Sturgill Simpson (Best Male Vocalist and Best Live Act in the 17th annual poll). All three men have backed up their critical acclaim with No. 1 albums on Billboard's country chart in recent years. This movement has inspired such newcomers as Midland (Best New Artist and Best Single) and Tyler Childers (Best New Artist runner-up), whose album was produced by Simpson. 

The women who have dominated the poll for most of its existence also made a strong showing. Lee Ann Womack was voted Best Female Vocalist and No. 3 best album (The Lonely, the Lonesome and the Gone). Margo Price was voted the No. 3 Artist of the Year, No 2 best female vocalist and the No. 2 best album (All American Made). Also receiving strong support were Rhiannon Giddens, Miranda Lambert, Angaleena Presley and Sunny Sweeney. Little Big Town was named Best Group.

The Nashville Scene’s coverage of the poll includes all the results, an exclusive interview with Womack, an essay on the results by poll editor Geoffrey Himes, an analysis of the numbers, and comments from many of the voters. 

The voters wrote for big coastal newspapers such as the New York Times, Los Angeles Times and Washington Post as well as smaller heartland dailies such as the Memphis Commercial Appeal, Green Bay Press-Gazette and Lincoln Journal Star. They wrote for big magazines like Rolling Stone, Billboard and The New Yorker and for specialty magazines such as The Bluegrass Situation, Texas Music and The Bitter Southerner.

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