Celebrity of the Year

We've reached the top of our Celebrity of the Year countdown. Or, as many might say, given the winner, the bottom.

The THG staff has spent the last couple weeks breaking down the most newsworthy stars of 2011, from Lindsay Lohan at #10, up to the impressive comeback of Jennifer Lopez at #9, to the popularity of Selena Gomez at #8 and the hilarity of viral video stars at #7.

There was the hit-generating Katy Perry at #6, Justin Bieber and his hair at #5, those gorgeous British Royal Family members at #4, Charlie Sheen and his winning ways at #3 and the most charitable, eccentric celeb of all at #2, Lady Gaga.

So who remains? The woman who accomplished both everything and nothing in 2011, our #1 selection of the year... Kim Kardashian!

For the record, this is a business decision. We do not like Kim Kardashian. We wish we never had to write a word about Kim Kardashian. We fail to see why a single human being is a fan of Kim Kardashian. But the facts speak for themselves, and no celebrity made more headlines in 2011. Consider:

In JANUARY: Kim kicked off the new year by debuting a single that made Kim Zolciak sound like Whitney Houston. She also met the family of Kris Humphries for the first time and premiered the highly-rated, critically-lambasted Kourtney & Kim Take New York.

In February: She starred in a Super Bowl commercial and whined over her latest nude photo spread. It also came out that she and her family made $65 million in 2010.

In MARCH: She appeared in a Midori ad campaign, as buzz first circulated that she might marry Humphries.

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We're down to the final two.

With the remaining moments of 2011 ticking down by the day (there are only two left!), THG has been ranking the most newsworthy celebrities of the past year.

Starting at #10 with Lindsay Lohan, the countdown moved on to Jennifer Lopez, Selena Gomez, viral video stars, Katy Perry and Justin Bieber. All worthy peeps.

Pretty much everyone in the British Royal Family came in at #4, followed by the winner himself, Charlie Sheen, at #3. Which brings us to COTY finalist #2 ...

... Ms. Lady Gaga!

Yes, Lady Gaga knows how to use shock value and outrageous antics to get attention, but she's so much more than a flash in the pan. The 25-year-old is an artiste, a powerhouse performer and a pop cultural sensation, through and through.

Can anyone really dispute that after the 2011 she's had?

With the release of her epic album Born This Way, and the premiere of its title track at the Grammy Awards, which featured her hatching from an egg on stage, Gaga put the planet on notice that she's just getting started as her generation's pop icon.

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We're down to the top three.

With the remaining days in 2011 ticking down to zero, THG has been ranking the most newsworthy celebrities of the year, starting at #10 with Lindsay Lohan and moving on, in order, to...

Jennifer Lopez; Selena Gomez; a host of viral video stars; Katy Perry; Justin Bieber; and pretty much everyone in the Royal Family. Now, at #3, we present... Charlie Sheen!

Due to a relatively quiet second half of the year, it might be easy to forget the unparalleled, unstable tear Sheen was on to kick off 2011. So here is a two-word reminder: Sheen's Korner.

The shenanigans got underway almost as soon as the calendar turned, as Charlie spent into the six figures on a Las Vegas-based sex and drug romp in January that included strippers, cocaine and plenty of headlines. He was then hospitalized a few days later after a similar party in his home.

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With the days remaining in 2011 becoming fewer every 24 hours, it's time to raise a glass to the year that was - and the stars that made the past 12 months so great.

At THG, we're doing that by counting down the 10 most newsworthy celebrities of 2011. First, there was the arresting centerfold Lindsay Lohan at #10. What a mess!

Jennifer Lopez came in at #9, Selena Gomez at #8 and a batch of hilarious viral video stars at#7 spot Katy Perry and Justin Bieber were #6 and #5, respectively.

Now, at #4, we salute ... the new generation of the British Royal Family!

Approximately a billion people watched Prince William marry Kate Middleton April 29. A billion. More than 36 million watched in the U.S., where they don't even live. 72 million streamed the Royal Wedding live on just YouTube!

It was a big deal is what we're saying.

In these troubled times mired by financial duress, armed conflict, natural disasters and a growing sense of uncertainty, the world looked to the matrimony of two wonderful young people - true class acts - as a respite from its daily struggles.

That's a lot of weight on William and Kate's shoulders, but they handled it as well as any 29-year-olds could. Their exchange of vows was as celebrated as any in history.

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Not so fast, Times Square ball.

Before we celebrate the beginning of 2012, it's time to raise a glass to the year that was. At THG, we're doing that by counting down the 10 most newsworthy celebrities of 2011.

First, there was the arresting centerfold Lindsay Lohan at #10; then the newly-divorced reality show judge Jennifer Lopez at #9; then the singing sensation Selena Gomez at#8; then those hilarious viral video stars at#7 spot; then everyone's favorite California Gurl Katy Perry at #6.

Now, at #5, who else? Justin Bieber himself!

2011 was the year Justin Bieber went from floppy-haired niche favorite to mainstream teenage icon. He met the President, he made wishes come true for family members of 9/11, he even proved infallible to the classic celebrity scandal.

Seriously. Nice try, Mariah Yeater.

Coming into this year, we all knew Justin could sing. But 12 months later, we know now he can also play basketball, give back to charities and dominate the box office as much as he can the music charts. "Never Say Never" made millions across the U.S. and was actually applauded by most movie critics.

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In a little over two weeks, 2012 will be upon us.

In our 5th Annual Celebrity of the Year countdown, THG gears up for the new year by revisiting the celebs that made us laugh, cry and cringe throughout a great 2011.

The rankings began with Lindsay Lohan #10, Jennifer Lopez #9, Selena Gomez #8, with viral video stars landing in the #7 spot. Today, we present COTY finalist #6 ...

Miss Katy Perry!

It was a good year to be Katy Perry.

After marrying Russell Brand in late 2010, the already popular pop star had a mammoth 2011. She's become an interview circuit and award show staple. She hosted SNL. She's performed everywhere and worn everything imaginable.

Katy's latest hit from her album Teenage Dream, "The One That Got Away," sits at #4 on the Billboard charts. The record's previous five singles all reached the #1 slot.

Only she and Michael Jackson have achieved that many #1s from a single album, and only she, Janet Jackson and George Michael have six top fives from one record.

Say what you will about her, that's impressive right there.

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Time Magazine revealed the 2011 choice for its iconic and often controversial, Person of the Year cover this morning, and that person is really more of a concept:

The Protester.

Not a protester specifically, but in a year marked by global demonstrations, from the Arab Spring revolutions to Occupy Wall Street, the collective idea of The Protester was an easy decision, Time's managing editor Rick Stengel said.

"There was a lot of consensus among our people," Stengel told Today show co-hosts Matt Lauer and Ann Curry, regarding the magazine's cover. "It felt right."

As it has for the past 84 years, Time selected the person (or group, or thing) that its editors feel had the greatest impact during the year, for better or for worse.

Charles Lindbergh was the first Man of the Year back in 1927 (the title was amended to Person of the Year in 1999), but the cover is not necessarily an accolade.

Many presidents, political leaders, innovators and captains of industry have been cited, one of the more notorious Persons of the Year was Adolf Hitler in 1938.

Joseph Stalin in 1943 and Iran's Ayatollah Khomeini in 1979 also "won."

Other conceptual choices included The American Fighting-Man (1950), Middle Americans (1969). Last year's winner was Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg.

What do you think of Time's Person of the Year choice?

Before you know it, 2012 will be upon us.

In our 5th Annual Celebrity of the Year countdown, THG gears up for the new year by revisiting the year that was, and the stars that made us laugh, cringe and hurl in '11.

The rankings began with Lindsay Lohan at #10, Jennifer Lopez at #9 and Selena Gomez #8. Coming in at #7 is a different kind of celebrity ... the instant YouTube celebrity!

That's right, we're paying tribute to some of the Viral Video Stars who emerged from the online ether to achieve 15 minutes of fame this year. What a group to choose from!

In narrowing down the list, we selected only those made in 2011 or which made it big on THG in 2011, then picked a personal favorite from each month, then one extra.

Let's get to the countdown and honor some truly great, random people/animals!

Little Girl Covers Super Bass

Little Girl Covers Super Bass: Sophia Grace Brownlee, 5, became a sensation with this mildly inappropriate Nicki Minaj cover. Nicki herself gave Sophia props!

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We're closing in on 2012.

But before the champagne can be uncorked, we need to take a look back at 2011. In our 5th annual Celebrity of the Year countdown, we revisit the stars that made us laugh, made us cry, made us cringe and made us nearly vomit up our last meal (hello, Kardashians!) over the past 12 months.

The rankings began with a look at Lindsay Lohan at #10; moved on to the comeback of Jennifer Lopez at #9; and now focus on the young girl fortunate enough to be on Justin Bieber's arm, Selena Gomez...

Selena was named Breakout Artist at the January People's Choice Awards and spent the next 12 months proving those voters correct. Her popularity soared and her records sold, despite being at the center of numerous death threats from crazy fans of her boyfriend.

Ah, yes. The boyfriend. His name is Justin Bieber and the couple went public in February, showing up together at the Vanity Fair Oscar party and stealing the sexy show. The two have been relatively drama free since then, avoiding the sort of tabloid fodder that has marked the reign of their competition for cutest young Hollywood couple, Robsten.

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It's that time of the year again.

With 2011 drawing to a close, THG is here to present our 5th annual Celebrity of the Year Award. Before we arrive at the top spot, however, we're counting down from number-10, honoring those that delivered the best scandals, most raunchy sex tapes and most ridiculous shenanigans of the past 12 months.

The rankings kicked off last week with everyone's favorite trainwreck, Lindsay Lohan. Now, it's on to number-9 and the bootylicious artist who returned to national consciousness after years out of the spotlight... Jennifer Lopez!

J. Lo was named a new American Idol judge in late 2010 and didn't waste any time using TV's top-rated show to get her wayward career back on track. She released a new single as soon as season 10 premiered; she quickly established herself as a panelist who, like Paula Abdul, grew emotionally-invested in contestants - remember this crying clip? - but, unlike Paula Abdul, was not insane.

Lopez offered sharp commentary and critiques without the snark of Simon or the repetitiveness of Randy. She also took full advantage of high-definition televisions to remind the world: I AM GORGEOUS.

After rising to prominence once again via Idol, Jennifer took a couple of strategic steps to ensure she'd remain in the headlines even after season 10 concluded:

1. She dragged out contract negotiations.
2. She was involved in a potential sex tape scandal.

Even Kris Jenner had to be impressed by these savvy moves.

Then, July hit - and J. Lo morphed back into a tabloid favorite due to her divorce from Marc Anthony. How was she dealing with the split? Did Anthony really cheat on her with a stewardess? With Jada Pinkett Smith?!? The chatter kept coming, but Lopez remained mostly quiet, staying above it all in interviews and simply saying she still believed in love.

Has she found it now with 24-year old backup dancer Casper Smart? Probably not. But these two appear to be having a good time and, after the year we just described, can you blame Lopez for wanting to have some naked fun with a guy nearly half her age?

Neither can we. We've missed Jennifer Lopez, we're glad 2011 brought her back into our lives and, like Pitbull in the image above, we're anxious to stand back and watch to see what 2012 brings for this beauty.