This year, a whole new crop of entertainers broke through in music, TV and films, from feisty sitcom star Kat Dennings and soulful singer Adele, to silver screen stud Armie Hammer. "Extra" has the names you'll need to know in 2012.
Take a look at the new stars on our radar!
The spunky actress is now a household name since her new sitcom, "2 Broke Girls," is a CBS hit.She also had a role this year in the blockbuster "Thor," starring Natalie Portman.
From her album "19" to her latest release, "21," Adele has been making waves in the music industry with her heartfelt, edgy songs about love and love lost. The UK singer is racking up awards, and is nominated for six 2012 Grammys.
Fanning is the younger sister of teen actress Dakota Fanning, and proved with her "Super 8" performance that she is not living in her sibling's shadow. Elle stars in "We Bought a Zoo,"alongside powerhouse actor Matt Damon, opening December 23, 2011.
Spencer starred in the critically acclaimed film adaptation of the novel, "The Help," written by Kathrynn Stockett. Her portrayal of a 1960s maid is getting lots of Oscar buzz.
After playing the Winklevoss twins in "The Social Network," the handsome actor landed a starring role in "J.Edgar," with Leonardo DiCaprio. He'll also take on the role of a prince in the film, "Mirror, Mirror."
Shortly after graduating from The Tisch School of the Arts at New York University, Olsen snagged a lead role in the indie hit, "Martha Marcy May Marlene." Fun fact: She's the younger sister of Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen.
The "Pink Friday" rapper won two BET Hip Hop Awards, two American Music Awards and Billboard's 2011 Rising Star award this year. She also toured with pop icon Britney Spears, and Madonna recently confirmed to "Extra" that she'll be collaborating with Minaj on her latest album.
Also a "The Social Network" alum, this starlet beat out actress Scarlett Johansson for the role of Lisbeth Salander in the film, "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo." Next on Mara's agenda is "Lawless," alongside Ryan Gosling.
Performing with Brad Pitt and Sean Penn in "The Tree of Life" catapulted Chastain into the public eye. She also had a role in "The Help."
Evans played superhero Captain America in the big-budget flick, "Captain America: The First Avenger," and will reprise his role in 2012's, "The Avengers." He added the rom-com genre to his resume this year as well, starring in, "What's Your Number?"
Hailing from England, Jones is starting to make a name for herself in the US since her performance in the indie film, "Like Crazy." She has several projects in the works.
He starred in the huge blockbuster hit, "X-Men: First Class," with James McAvoy and Jennifer Lawrence. The German actor portrayed lead roles in films "A Dangerous Method" and "Shame."
Following a long run on the TV series "Brothers and Sisters," VanCamp is now the lead character in the new hit TV drama, "Revenge."
Horn won Teen Jeopardy with earnings of $31,000 this year. Shortly after, he earned a role in the feature film, "Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close," which is set for a January 2012 release. He plays the son of Tom Hanks and Sandra Bullock's characters.
Acting is in the blood for this teen "American Horror Story" actress. She is the youngest sister of actress Vera Farmiga, who cast Taissa in her directorial debut, "Higher Ground."
