Lil Wayne Is MTV News' #5 Man Of The Year
Eight-month jail stint couldn't keep Weezy from becoming a social-media king, ruling the airwaves and having his biggest year as a CEO.
#5 Man Of The Year
OK, so, maybe Lil Wayne isn't a traditional candidate for a Man of the Year list. The Cash Money rhyme spitter didn't even spit that many new rhymes in 2010. Weezy was sent to jail in March for eight months on a gun rap and was unable to record new material, save for a phone freestyle he delivered for a remix to Drake's "Light Up." But prior to his imprisonment, the New Orleans MC worked harder than Tupac in his last days. At one point, Lil Wayne actually shot nine music videos (!!!) in one weekend.
But it was his work outside the recording booth where the Young Money Entertainment founder left his real mark over the past 12 months. His star signings Drake and Nicki Minaj fulfilled their potential as both dropped impressive debut albums allowing him to kick up his feet and play the CEO role. And Wayne went viral by signing up for Twitter and launching a blog from behind bars. #FreeWeezy, indeed.
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Nicki Minaj Is MTV News' #5 Woman Of The Year
With her chart-busting Pink Friday debut, slew of collabos and signature style, Minaj became a game-changing force in2010.
#5 Woman Of The Year
In terms of running things in hip-hop, 2010 can be safely dubbed the year of Young Money. Even though YM general Lil Wayne was locked up for much of the final year of the decade, his protégés carried the camp's flag all the way to the top of charts, with Drake turning out major first-week sales and Lil Twist making his presence known on Twitter and on mixtapes.
But perhaps one of the biggest weapons in the YMCMB arsenal is their bewigged femcee Nicki Minaj, who not only changed the face of the female lyricist but proved she could more than hold her own with the big boys of rap -- no matter what some MCs may say.
2010 Highlights: This time last year, she was a Queens spitter being groomed by Weezy for mainstream dominance, but months later, she was lending her rollicking flow to records by everyone from Usher to Mariah Carey and building monster buzz for her forthcoming debut.
The rap diva entered the year with one of the most coveted co-signs in the game: a stamp of approval from Jay-Z. Hov suggested she drop some lyrics on crooner Robin Thicke's "Shakin' It 4 Daddy," and by February, she was vamping it up with pop superstar Mariah Carey in her crimson-themed romp of a video "Up Out My Face."
Minaj continued to build her presence on R&B joints, lacing Usher's "Lil Freak" with some bi-curious bars and turned up in the video in a two-toned wig and catsuit to seduce a pouty model.
By March, she and Drizzy hit the Madison Square Garden stage for the star-studded New York stop on Jay-Z's Blueprint 3 Tour and was hard at work on her debut visual, "Massive Attack."
Although the spitter spent much of 2010 cruising along the road to success, there were a few speed bumps, notably when her mentor Weezy headed to jail and when she decided to ditch Rihanna's Last Girl on Earth Tour. But the most high-profile drama erupted when Brooklyn MC Lil' Kim began accusing the Young Money Barbie of jacking her style without lavishing the appropriate props. While the "How Many Licks?" lyricist was kind of on her own in the Nicki bashing, Minaj handled the smack talk gracefully, calling for "positive energy" among women when she accepted her BET Award for Best Female Hip-Hop Artist.
After batting away rumors that she lip-synched her way through several energetic guest-spot performances at the BET Awards, Minaj proved her solo hitmaking prowess when the Annie Lennox-sampling jam "Your Love" shot to #1. The award nods kept coming, as Minaj picked up a Best New Artist nomination at the MTV Video Music Awards and she didn't let up with the scene-stealing collabos either, pretty much owning Kanye West's G.O.O.D. Friday joint "Monster," despite verses from heavy-hitters Jigga and Rick Ross.
As the drop date for Pink Friday neared, Minaj ramped up her big-deal status, turning out a colorful appearance at the VMA pre-show in September, and assailing the charts with hits like "Right Thru Me" and "Check It Out," which were each accompanied by inventive visuals.
When Friday finally rolled around in November, which featured a rowdy collabo with rap kingpin Eminem and a sexy-girl anthem with Rihanna, Minaj caused a level of consumer pandemonium that rivaled the blowout shopping date, taking over New York City and moving a robust 375,000 units.
By the time her rise to the top was chronicled in the November MTV News documentary "My Time Now," it was clear that everybody, even Regis Philbin, couldn't get enough Minaj.
Drake Is MTV News' #4 Man Of The Year
Lauded debut album and nonstop touring schedule keep Drizzy in the public eye in 2010.
#4 Man Of The Year
Drake delivered on his promise from the year before to earn a second consecutive slot on our Man of the Year countdown. The Toronto lyricist followed up his star-making So Far Gone mixtape with an album that was equally celebrated, the platinum-selling Thank Me Later.
In addition to his recorded triumph, Drake scored onstage as well, piling up loads of buzzworthy moments in the past 12 months, from joining Jay-Z at Yankee Stadium to inviting Eminem to rock alongside him during his OVO Festival. Not to mention the former "Degrassi" actor helped steer the Cash Money ship while Lil Wayne was behind bars. For all that and more, we're thanking Drizzy now.
2010 Highlights: Drake started the year with a bang when it was announced that he, Weezy, Eminem and Kanye West would perform at the Grammys. He quickly followed that news with word that he would go on an eco-friendly tour, his second in a matter of months, this time with Francis and the Lights and hometown ally K-Os.
In March, Drake made the transition from mixtape phenom to legit solo artist with the debut of his first official single, the rollicking "Over," which premiered on his personal blog. With Weezy's prison sentence set to begin, Drake proclaimed, "You won't even notice [Lil Wayne is] gone. Promise."
The Anthony Mandler-directed "Over" video arrives, further helping Drake move from underground act to full-fledged star. Toronto titans Justin Bieber and Drake then joined forces at Canada's Juno Awards.
The blockbuster "Find Your Love" served Drake up as a ladies' man over the Kanye West-produced track. Drizzy wasn't afraid to show off his adolescent side during his appearance on "When I Was 17," which was the highest-rated episode of the first season.
In May, just a month before his debut was scheduled to arrive, a series of songs from Thank Me Later leaked online, including "Unforgettable" and "Fireworks," featuring Alicia Keys.
Just days before his debut hit stores, Drake held court during a star-studded listening session where media outlets virtually coronate the upstart with a slew of slobbering reviews.
The "Best I Ever Had" star's expected attendance at an outdoor concert in Manhattan causes a riot as fans brawl before the show was eventually canceled; the scene was captured in the MTV documentary "Drake: Better Than Good Enough."
In July, Drake took flight after scoring a lucrative endorsement deal with Virgin, which added to his deals with Sprite, BlackBerry and Kodak.
The Toronto star closed the summer with a homecoming concert for the ages, as he brought Jay-Z and Eminem to town for his inaugural OVO Fest. As soon as he closed out one tour, however, Drake jumped right back on the road with Tyga for his Light Dreams & Nightmares jaunt, where along the way he would bring out J. Cole and Jay-Z and conclude things with a newly freed Lil Wayne in Las Vegas.
Add to that a rousing VMA performance, a Twitter marriage and divorce with Nicki Minaj and his first #1 record -- his "What's My Name?" duet with Rihanna -- not to mention a placement on our Hottest MCs in the Game list and a highly anticipated R&B mixtape and sophomore album, and it's easy to see why Drake was one of the year's biggest acts.
Snooki Is MTV News' #4 Woman Of The Year
The 'Jersey Shore' star with the towering pouf invaded the pop-culture landscape in 2010, and not even a U.S. senator could resist.
#4 Woman Of The Year
It's hard to believe that just a year ago the world was unaware of a pint-size, pouf-haired firecracker named Snooki. What a sad life we all led, in those pre-"Jersey Shore" days, before we learned that beats need beating and tanning is less beauty regimen than a way of life.
At the center of it all has been Nicole "Snooki" Polizzi. She's the loud, kind-hearted and insanely quotable engine driving the reality series toward its status as the most-watched show in MTV's 27-year history. And in 2010, she was everywhere, from "The Tonight Show" to magazine spreads to "Saturday Night Live" and "South Park" spoofs. Even President Obama dropped her name on TV. But ubiquitous appearances across the entertainment spectrum don't tell the full story of how thoroughly Snooki has invaded the pop-culture landscape.
But invade it she has, and for that, we are truly thankful. That's why we've named Snooki MTV News' #4 Woman of the Year.
2010 Highlights: We'd say the year began on a high note for Snickers, but the ensuing months were no letdown. The show became January's #1 original cable series among 12- to 34-year-olds and the season-one finale ranked #1 for the day across all television competition in the demo. Before the month was over, MTV had renewed the show for a second season.
A day after the renewal news, Snooki landed a spot as the network's guest correspondent for the Grammy Awards, where she rubbed elbows with industry A-listers and showed that her social skills most definitely extend from the nightclub to the red carpet.
"Do you get a lot of, like, girls?" she asked Justin Bieber.
Snooki had arrived. Her next stop was Miami Beach. She and her castmates escaped the cold Jersey beaches for the sun-drenched nightlife of Miami, where they began filming the show's second season. As we discovered when new episodes began airing in July, fame had not changed Miss Polizzi: She was the same tell-it-like-it-is-but-like-no-one-else diva we first met. She loved pickles and dancing, tanning and occasionally fighting. And beneath that artificial tan, she was just an incredibly sweet girl who was snookin' for love.
She also caused something of a political dustup when she spoke out hilariously against Obama's heath care bill, saying, "[Senator John] McCain would never put a 10 percent tax on tanning, because he's pale and he would probably want to be tan. Obama doesn't have that problem, obviously."
In one of the year's more bizarre moments, McCain took to Twitter ... and came to Snooki's defense. "U r right, I would never tax your tanning bed!" he wrote. "Pres Obama's tax/spend policy is quite The Situation. But I do rec wearing sunscreen!"
Ah, political discourse in 2010! But Snooki isn't heading to Capitol Hill anytime soon. She's having too much success doing her "Shore" thing. The season-two debut notched MTV's best premiere numbers since 2002, building up to a finale watched by 6.1 million viewers.
Yet Snooki, it seems, is just getting started. She's already taped the third season of "Jersey Shore," which is set to premiere in January. She's penning her first novel, called "A Shore Thing," which Simon & Schuster is publishing that same month. And she'll be ringing in 2011 as part of MTV's "New Year's Bash," during which she'll actually be stuffed inside a ball that will be lowered in Times Square. As she told her nearly 1 million Twitter followers, "I haven't rocked the poof in months, it feels. So I've decided to bring in 2011 with the biggest poof ever. Who's with me?"
The world, Snooki, the world.
Justin Bieber Is MTV News' #3 Man Of The Year
In 2010, the pop star cleans up at awards shows, causes worldwide pandemonium — and turns 16.
#3 Man Of The Year
Justin Bieber seemingly did it all in 2010. He sold out concerts, filmed a movie, released two albums and set girls hearts aflutter — all in the span of 12 months. Not only is he arguably the biggest pop star in the world, he's also pals with some of hip-hop's biggest names (just ask Drake, Ludacris and Kanye West if you don't believe us), and he chills with some of the prettiest girls in the game thanks to friendships with ladies like Kim Kardashian, Taylor Swift and Selena Gomez.
This really is Justin Bieber's world, and we're all just living in it. For a kid from a small town in Canada, Bieber's meteoric rise to fame from Internet sensation to bona fide musical superstar may have seemed fast, but let's face it: Bieber is the real deal.
2010 Highlights: Justin Bieber kicked off 2010 with his smash single "Baby." He also showed his charitable side appearing on BET's "SOS: Help for Haiti" telethon and lending his voice to the "We Are the World" remake. He was also a presenter at the Grammy Awards alongside Ke$ha.
Bieber then went bowling with Drake and Ludacris in his "Baby" video and would later date the clip's leading lady, Jasmine Villegas. In February, Justin caused hysteria in Paris during a trip to Europe, and then in March, he turned sweet 16, collaborated with Sean Kingston on the track "Eeenie Meenie" and had Aziz Ansari mock him in a Funny or Die clip he thought was "hilarious." He also released his sophomore album, My World 2.0, which he promised would be "a lot of fun."
Bieber became the subject of his own "Diary" special in late March, released his video for "Never Let You Go" and made an appearance at the Teen Choice Awards. He kicked off April by taking over Funny or Die, where he joked, "I'm a star. I do what stars do. I ride on yachts. I autograph lady lumps."
That same month, Bieber once again showed his funny side on "Saturday Night Live," where he was the night's musical guest. He sat down with MTV News and thanked his fans for making him a constant Twitter trend.
He shook up New Zealand and Australia, causing more fan hysteria, and by May, his fans were threatening the life of Kim Kardashian just for taking a Twitpic with him! In June, he hooked up with Jaden Smith for the "Karate Kid" track "Never Say Never." He was nominated for the Teen Choice Awards and hung out with his mentor Usher in the "Somebody to Love" video. That same month, Bieber was a big winner at the Much Music Awards and kicked off his first-ever headlining tour.
The second half of 2010 was just as busy for the star. In July, he and Lady Gaga battled it out for YouTube supremacy and announced he'd be on "CSI" and releasing a book. (He followed through on all those promises by year's end.) By the end of August, Kanye West's remix of "Runaway Love" hit the world, and it was announced that Bieber would be performing at the VMAs. He also filmed the concert portions of his 3-D movie at Madison Square Garden.
JB hit the stage at the VMAs in September and even took home his first-ever Moonman. At the show, he shared with MTV News that "girlfriends are trouble." He made his cameo on "CSI" and premiered his video for "U Smile," and then in October, he revealed the name of his 3-D flick — "Never Say Never" — as well as the first trailer for the movie.
In November, he released his book and his My Worlds Acoustic album and took home a few American Music Awards. And that brings us to December, when he sat down with Barbara Walters, made Google's Zeitgeist list and went out for pancakes with Selena Gomez.
If doing all that in 12 months isn't reason enough to make Justin Bieber our #3 Man of the Year, then we're not sure what can.
Taylor Swift Is MTV News' #3 Woman Of The Year
Swift fell in and out of love through song, but we never stopped loving the superstar in 2010.
#3 Woman Of The Year
After a year as impressive as 2009, Taylor Swift followed suit in 2010. She toured the world, released a chart-topping album and even starred in her first feature film. Swift kicked off the year winning awards and ended it dominating the charts, and in between, she never looked back.
Swift proved that she was more than just a crossover coincidence thanks to catchy songs and girl-next-door charm that appeals to the masses. She managed to scoop up awards and be surprised by each win. The other shoe isn't going to drop anytime soon, and 2010 proved that.
2010 Highlights: In January, Taylor took home her first People's Choice Award and covered Better Than Ezra's "Breathless" at the "Hope for Haiti Now" telethon. She also broke Britney Spears' record for first-week download sales by a female artist thanks to her tune "Today Was a Fairytale."
But it was February that would truly leave her breathless. At the Grammys in February, Swift took home four trophies, including Album of the Year. She also hit the stage with Stevie Nicks at the awards show. Weeks later, she would rule the box office alongside former beau Taylor Lautner in "Valentine's Day."
Swift spent much of 2010 on tour, but along the way, she racked up nominations at a slew of awards shows, including the Academy of Country Music Awards and CMT Awards. In the spring, she revealed that she was working on her next album and that, unsurprisingly, it would focus on "boys and love."
In July, the singer announced that her next album would be out in October and that she wouldn't hold back on the aptly titled Speak Now. Weeks later, in August, the album's first single, "Mine," leaked online and then soared to the top of the charts. "I was reflecting back on a boy I liked at a certain time," she said about the song. The video was released at the end of August and showed a more adult side of the singer.
Then September rolled around and Swift took the stage at the VMAs. It was a defining moment for the singer, as she publicly let go of the Kanye West incident from a year prior and buried the hatchet with the rapper thanks to her heartfelt performance of "Innocent."
Swift later explained, "I had a lot of options going into the VMAs: You can not go, you can perform your current single, you can pretend that nothing happened or you can say what you need to say at the time you need to say it."
By early October, Swift was pre-releasing Speak Now tracks, prompting speculation about whether the songs were referring to famous exes like Taylor Lautner and Joe Jonas. "I've never kept quiet the fact that I write songs about people," she said. "It's like, this is album number three. You guys have had fair warning!"
For the album's release, Swift invited fans to her album-release party, and just one week later, she found out that Speak Now had sold 1,047,000 units in its first week, making it the biggest album release in five years.
Swift capped 2010 with performances at the CMA Awards and the American Music Awards, announcing a world tour, embarking on a whirlwind romance with Jake Gyllenhaal and turning 21. Not a bad year, to say the least.
Eminem Is MTV News' #2 Man Of The Year
Em raised the bar in 2010, thanks to a blockbuster album, hometown stadium shows and awards galore.
#2 Man Of The Year
If there's one thing we've learned by now about Eminem, it's this: Never count him out.
The 38-year-old Detroit legend seemed like he was in a career funk last year with the release of the long-awaited but unevenly dark Relapse, which chronicled his near-death experience with drug addiction and left some fans a bit worried about whether he'd finally run out of lyrical magic tricks. But what a difference a year makes. Near the end of 2009, we began getting excited about the promised, more "emotionally driven" sequel, Relapse 2. Twelve months and an entirely different album later, Eminem has the year's best-selling release, handfuls of Grammy nominations and a fresh-eyed take on life that can only bode well for his next musical adventure.
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Katy Perry Is MTV News' #2 Woman Of The Year
Perry got married and ruled the charts in 2010.
#2 Woman Of The Year
For most women, getting married to the man of their dreams would be enough to make a pretty good year. But when you're a larger-than-life pop diva like Katy Perry, exchanging rings with comedic beau Russell Brand is just one of the bold headlines in a 365-day whirlwind that also included a successful tour and a trio of inescapable radio smashes that permanently smacked down any fears of a sophomore slump.
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Kanye West Is MTV News' Man Of The Year
Undeniable music, brilliant tweets and one ambitious short film put 'Ye back on top in 2010.
#1 Man Of The Year
He didn't sell the most albums (that was Eminem) or have the year's hottest single (that was Usher), but at the close of 2010, there really is no other choice for MTV News' Man of the Year than Kanye West.
After all, no one dominated the pop-culture landscape quite like he did. From his self-imposed hiatus to his triumphant return to his tantrums (and, of course, his tweets), everyone was talking about West in 2010. No one completed as compelling a comeback story, and most importantly, no one released an album as searing and soaring as My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy. And he did it all his way, without compromise or contrition. It truly was 12 months to behold.
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Lady Gaga Is MTV News' Woman Of The Year
Massive tour, event videos and social causes earn Gaga her second-straight Woman of the Year title.
#1 Woman Of The Year
Lady Gaga didn't even release a proper album in 2010, and somehow, she managed to become an even bigger star. This had as much to do with the fact that she kept working with what she had — the endless tour, the incomparable videos — as it did with her harnessing her hard-fought stardom and attempting to become a force for social change. She spoke out loudly and proudly in support of gay rights and in opposition to the "don't ask, don't tell" policy, and, in the process, she became the kind of star we haven't seen in decades: One unafraid to offend, no matter how much she stood to lose.
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CONGRATS 'Ye & GaGa 
Thoughts?
The rest can just sit their asses down and go the **** away!!! 
R u gurls kidding me? Katy will be #2 and GaGa will #1 if not then MTV needs to sit their asses down finally and obviously Em should be #1. 
!
