Taylor Swift - Celebrity of the Year Finalist #7

As the calendar gets ready to flip over to 2010, The Hollywood Gossip staff is looking back on the year that was. We're excited to present out 10 finalists for our prestigious, Third Annual Celebrity of the Year award.

These A-listers have given us their best, their worst, their naked pics (sometimes) and their hysterical, off-the-wall antics (often). It's time for THG to pay tribute to their unique greatness.

Last week, we continued the 2009 countdown with Carrie Prejean at number-eight. (No, it wasn't that low because she's Christian.)

Today: Celebrity of the Year finalist #7 … Taylor Swift!

When the 2009 kicked off, Swift was a modestly successful singer on the rise. Her fan base was mostly comprised of the same tweens that screamed their lungs out for Zac Efron, Robert Pattinson and other celebs that were a notch below mainstream status.

Fast forward 12 months, however, and the numbers speak for themselves:

• Swift's "Fearless" was the best-selling album of 2009;
• She was named Artist of the Year by Billboard Magazine;
• She won four Country Music Awards;
• She won five BMI Awards;
• She's been nominated for eight 2010 Grammys.

Aside from her trophy haul, Swift also made headlines this year when she was rudely cut off by Kanye West at the MTV Video Music Awards. She handled the incident with maturity and grace, earning many new fans in the process.

Taylor concluded the best year of her life with a widely-praised Saturday Night Live hosting gig; and by entering into a rumored relationship with Taylor Lautner.

The only downside to 2009 for Swift? She's guaranteed that 2010 will be a let down in comparison!

Read More On: TheHollywoodGossip.com

Celebrities & Their Pooches

Hollywood celebrities and royalties are very much known for their active lifestyle. They're always on the go — filming, promoting films in different parts of the world, holding tours and concerts, or meeting other influential super stars. Now who would have thought that they can actually take care of dogs?

Indeed, dogs are becoming such a part of these celebrities' lives that they've become stars themselves, appearing in magazines or even in movies.

Queen Elizabeth II

All of England knows that this queen is a certified animal lover. In fact, she's an awarded equestrian. What other people may not know about is that she doesn't travel alone. Besides her husband, she's also fond of tagging along her little pups, such as Oxo, Flash, Spick, Span, and Bisto. They are all cocker spaniels. She also has other dog breeds like Corgis and Dorgis, which are actually a cross breed of corgis and dachshund.

Drew Barrymore

The men in Drew Barrymore's life may come and ago, but her beloved yellow Labrador/Chow still remains her ultimate companion. As a matter of fact, there's no other "friend" that loved her more than this little pooch. Back in 2001, when the mansion Drew and her then-husband Tom Green were staying caught on fire, it was actually Flossie that saved their lives by banging on the couple's door. Without her, we could have lost a much adored Hollywood actress.

Paris Hilton

Paris Hilton, a certified socialite and hotel chain heiress, is notorious for many things, including pioneering small dogs as fashion statements. For many years she was never seen without her little Tinkerbell - a chihuahua. Since Paris never leaves the spotlight, it's only a matter of time before Tinkerbell herself starts making headlines, just like her infamous owner.

In 2004, Tinkerbell became the main story when she went missing and a $5,000 reward was posted. She was also the inspiration of a Paris Hilton book satire, which was entitled Tinkerbell Hilton Diaries.

Matthew McConaughey

Before there was Penelope Cruz and Camila Alves, a supermodel, there was Miss Hud, a Labrador and chow mix, who was the love of Matthew McConaughey's life. Their companionship allowed Matthew to easily move on from heartbreaking split-ups with several beautiful Hollywood celebrities and made him one of the most appealing and endearing men. Sadly Miss Hud passed away in 2005.

Oprah Winfrey

Oprah's dogs are her babies. She loved them as much as she loved her partner, Stedman, and her best friend Gayle. She would often share her spotlight with her pooches - Sophie, Solomon, Gracie, and Luke, among others. They were sometimes turned into subjects of her own talk show, such as when Sophie passed away and a tribute was made to her. And if these weren't enough, to honor her memory, Oprah bought a condominium unit, which she named Sophie's Penthouse LLC.

Original Source: Articleblast.com