ADELE – The British songstress started off the year with a bang by earning an amazing 6 Grammy Awards – including Album of the Year - for her second album 21. If you listened to popular radio on any given day throughout 2012 it was virtually impossible not to hear her rich, sultry voice.

CLAIRE DANES – Award-winning actress Claire Danes headlines the cast of one of cable tv’s most talked–about series Homeland. As CIA officer Carrie Matheison. Danes brings texture and depth to a driven women battling both enemies of the state and a bipolar disorder. This year, Danes’ performance on the show earned her both a Primetime Emmy and a Golden Globe.

ZOE SALDANA – From magazine covers to starring turns in some of the year’s hottest films, Zoe Saldana firmly solidified her place among Hollywood’s elite this year. The decision to cast her to play legendary vocalist Nina Simone in an upcoming biopic was among one of the most talked-about moves in Tinsel Town this year.

AVA DUVERNAY – A veteran Hollywood publicist and marketing strategist, Ava Du Vernay made history at the 2012 Sundance Film Festival, when she became the first African-American woman to win the Best Director Prize for her second feature film Middle of Nowhere.

BEYONCE – Mrs. Carter added “motherhood” to her long list of achievements with the birth of daughter Blue Ivy on January 7; and in December, she inked a creative deal with mega-brand Pepsi worth a whopping $50 million dollars.

KATY PERRY – Known for her distinctive, powerful voice, throughout the 2012 U.S. Presidential election, Katy Perry let her mouth and her wardrobe do the talking as she showed unwavering support for President Barack Obama in his bid for re-election. From her skintight “ballot dress” to her eye-popping “Forward/Behind dress” – Katy Perry showed she knows how to make both a political and a fashion statement.

KERRY WASHINGTON – If you or anyone you know has access to a television or Netflix, then you’ve probably heard about ABC’s red-hot dramatic series Scandal. From a network that has brought strong stunning portrayals of women for decades, Kerry Washington added her name this year to the list of fan and critic favorites for her portrayal of crisis management professional Olivia Pope.

ANNE HATHAWAY – 2012 is bound to go down in history as one of Anne Hathaway’s most memorable. She displayed tremendous acting range throughout the year in roles as varied as Catwoman in Christopher Nolan’s final chapter of the Batman saga The Dark Knight Rises, to her much-lauded turn in the sure-to-be-nominated adaptation of Les Miserables. And in her spare time, she also found time to get married!