2012!
It was full of excitement, joy, controversy, history in the making and triumph, but for the following people it was the BEST YEAR EVER!
From Olympic gold medals to second terms, some folks had some of the best moments pop culture has ever seen. Granted we’ve reached the year’s end and your memory may have failed you, but you’re in luck because we’ve got the run-down on the top 12 people who had the best year ever!
Honorable Mention: LeBron James– This baller didn’t earn a spot on our top 12, but after hard work, diligence and enduring a bit of backlash, he won his first championship with the Miami Heat. Not to mention he started the year off also getting engaged to his long-time girlfriend and high school sweetheart Savannah Brinson, and landed the cover of Sports Illustrated as their Sportsman of the Year.
12. Honey Boo Boo– This little gal became a reality TV sensation! With her witty phrases and undeniable charm, it was hard to not redneckognize Honey Boo Boo!
11. Kerry Washington– Oh Kerry Kerry! This actress has been on a roll! Being the first African-American female lead on a major network show in 38 years, starring in Scandal, Kerry has been everywhere we turn this year. Her show instantly became a hit, taking over Twitter with the comments of millions of viewers every Thursday. Kerry has covered a number of magazines, hitting a major milestone in her career, along with her recent role in Django Unchained, which earned $14 million at the box office opening night.
10. Lena Dunham– She said it herself: 2012 was “the best year I’ve ever had as a human being.” At just 25, Lena Dunham scored an Emmy nomination for her new hit HBO comedy Girls, nabbed a role in Judd Apatow’s This is 40, signed a $3.5 million book deal, and accepted an invitation to the Met Ball, not to mention fans are at their wits’ end waiting for season 2 of Girls, and so are we!
9. 2 Chainz-You couldn’t turn on your radio without hearing a song with 2 Chainz featured on it. After getting a major cosign from Kanye West and a Grammy nomination for Rap Album of the Year, 2 Chainz proved that it’s definitely possible to make a comeback.
8. Channing Tatum– Not only was he named PEOPLE’s Sexiest Man Alive, the 32-year-old actor accomplished the astonishing feat of having three movies gross over $100 million in a single year. And to cherry top Channing’s 2012, his personal life is doing just as great, as he and his wife Jenna Dewan-Tatum are expecting their first child.
7. Marijuana- The ganja was legalized in Colorado and Washington this year and it was fondled all year long by Rihanna… need we say more?!
6. Jay-Z– After welcoming his first child into the world, Hov also helped bring the Nets to his hometown of Brooklyn, which he celebrated with 8 sold out shows. Also on his 2012 list is the launching of D’USSE, organizing and performing at the first “Budweiser Made in America” festival, his song “N*ggas In Paris,” becoming one of the biggest songs of the year and going platinum 3 times…Oh, and he is still married to the hottest chick in the game!
5. Gabby Douglas– At 16 years old she made Olympic history as the first woman of color to become the individual all-around champion, and the first American gymnast to win gold in both the individual all-around and team competitions at the same Olympics. Becoming America’s sweetheart, Gabby landed millions of dollars in endorsements and is now one for the books, literally!
4. Psy– If there’s one meme, song and face that has truly captivated us all in 2012, it’s South Korean rapper PSY and his outrageous “Gangnam Style.” The song swept through the country and is now the most-watched video on YouTube with over 1 billion views!
3. Barack Obama– He executed the plan and captured Osama bin Laden, reset our relations with Russia, ended the combat mission in Iraq, banned the use of torture, restored respectability to the United Nations and then proved that these haters can’t hold him back, winning four more years in the presidential re-election!
2. Frank Ocean– He took to Tumblr to open up about his sexuality, confessing to once falling in love with a man. And while it was a source of concern how well accepted the singer would be, he was honored and admired by many, from fellow Odd Future member Tyler, the Creator to Beyonce, making for a monumental moment in the world of music. And if that wasn’t enough, Frank has gone on to be nominated for six Grammys!
1. Rihanna– There’s no way you could’ve missed RiRi in 2012! She starred in her first movie ever, Battleship, covered almost every magazine you can think of almost always half naked, dropped her seventh album in seven years, which also landed the spot of her first No. 1 album on the Billboard Hot 200. This bad gal has been named the most downloaded artist ever, the most popular star on Facebook, the sexiest woman alive; and she’s reached nearly 3 billion views on YouTube. And to top all this amazing-ness off, RiRi has reunited and made amends with the love of her life… Chris Brown!
