Another 12 months have come and gone and now it’s time to look back on who were the biggest names in 2013. Here are THE MAG’s picks for the most noteworthy people of the year!
10) Ariana Grande
Nickelodeon star Ariana Grande jumped into the music scene this year. She released her debut album, ‘Yours Truly,’ opened for Justin Bieber on his Believe tour, and even won the Best New Artist award at the American Music Awards. She also continued to play her VICTORIOUS character Cat Valentine in the new show SAM & CAT, with iCARLY’s Jennette McCurdy.
9) Selena Gomez
After WIZARDS OF WAVERLY PLACE ended, Selena Gomez moved onto the big screen. She starred in SPRING BREAKERS and GETAWAY. Selena returned to the role of Alex Russo one last time in THE WIZARDS RETURN: ALEX VS ALEX. She also made her mark as a solo artist with her album ‘Stars Dance,’ which included the hits “Come & Get It” and “Slow Down.”
8) Prince George
A year and a half following Prince William and Kate Middleton’s wedding, it was announced that they were expecting their first child. Fast forward to July 2013 and Prince George Alexander Louis is born! The baby Prince was born on July 22 and is now the third in line for the throne.
7) Bruno Mars
No stranger to the spotlight, Bruno Mars dominated the music charts once again this year. Bruno released four singles from his album ‘Unorthodox Jukebox.’ He also went on the Moonshine Jungle Tour in North America and Europe. To top it all off, Bruno was named Billboard’s Artist of the Year!
6) Malala Yousafzai
Sixteen-year-old Malala is fighting for girls’ rights to an education, especially in the Swat Valley in Pakistan, where girls were banned from going to school. She wrote blogs for the BBC in 2009 and her story has since gained worldwide attention. This year, she released her memoir I AM MALALA and was nominated for numerous awards, such as the Nobel Peace Prize.
5) Justin Timberlake
After seven long years, Justin Timberlake made his return to music. He released not one, but two albums in 2013 and had six singles throughout North America and Europe. He sang on Jay Z’s song “Holy Grail” and the pair toured together on the Legends of the Summer Stadium Tour. Justin started his world tour in November, with dates planned all the way until August 2014!
4) Jennifer Lawrence
Actress Jennifer Lawrence continued to dominate the big screen this year. She starred as Katniss Everdeen in THE HUNGER GAMES: CATCHING FIRE and in AMERICAN HUSTLE alongside Christian Bale and Bradley Cooper. She also managed to nab some big awards for her acting, including an Academy Award and a Golden Globe for her role in SILVER LININGS PLAYBOOK.
3) Lorde
Ella Yelich-O’Connor, better known as Lorde, has had a huge year. Thanks to her single “Royals,” Lorde became a household name. The song topped charts everywhere, including Billboard’s Hot 100 list. She is the first solo artist from New Zealand to have a number one song in the US!
2) Miley Cyrus
No matter what she did, Miley had us all talking about her for the latter half of 2013. From her breakup from fiancé Liam Hemsworth to her megahits “We Can’t Stop” and “Wrecking Ball,” her name was constantly in the news. With her upcoming Bangerz tour next year, Miley is ready to have another big year in 2014!
1) One Direction
The boys of One Direction have had a pretty impressive year! Over the past 12 months, they took their Take Me Home tour to Europe, North America, Australia and Asia; released their 3D concert movie/documentary THIS IS US; travelled to Ghana to volunteer at a children’s hospital, and released their third album, ‘Midnight Memories.’ 2013 has proved to be the group’s biggest year yet.