Lady Gaga of the Year

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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As 2010 draws near, The Hollywood Gossip staff looks back on the year that was, honoring finalists for our prestigious, 3rd Annual Celebrity of the Year award.

These stars have given us their best, their worst, their off-the-wall antics and in the case of these two, an immediate, but lasting impact on the music world.

It's time for THG to pay tribute to this greatness.

Yesterday, the '09 countdown featured lots of Tiger Woods mistresses at #6. Today, we present Celebrity of the Year Finalist #5: Adam Lambert and Lady Gaga!

The year in music belonged to these two rising stars.

He started the year as an unknown; made headlines in February for his flamboyant acts; finished second on American Idol; and has to already be considered one of the most successful singers in the show's history.

Adam Lambert hasn't merely made a name for himself in 2009, he's created a cult following in fewer than 12 months.

Hated by some and embraced by others, the crooner managed to handle his sexuality with both subtle grace AND over-the-top exploits. Adam has more in common with Lady GaGa than unique fashion taste and controversial performances.

Both are well-spoken in interviews and deadly serious about their craft.

Lambert made out with a man at the American Music Awards, but 2009 will be best remembered as the year he made off with the title of Most Fascinating Singer Alive.

As for his female counterpart, Lady Gaga produced a half-dozen hits this year, proving herself so much more than a gimmick or flamboyant flash in the musical pan.

Not that there was a shortage of flamboyance.

She dressed as scrap metal, a gimp, a button, a chain-smoking rabbit, and a Kermit the frog doll collage. She simulated her own bloody murder on stage. She was even rumored to be a hermaphrodite after one revealing display.

We love her for every moment of it. That's just Lady Gaga for you.

It's only fitting that these dynamic performers share the #5 spot on our end-of-year countdown. Click to enlarge pics of Adam Lambert and Lady Gaga below ...