2009 Diva Cup Awards: The Actors

Best Actor

Matt Damon
The Informant!
Part of the joy of The Informant! is the fact that Damon plays this clueless buffoon without any sense of superiority. He doesn't hate the character and doesn't want the audience to either. He can't help the lies he tells and doesn't understand why people are so aghast. In his mind, he honestly believes he's a hero and standing up for the little man in his takedown of the company he works for. The character is clueless, but Damon is not and delivers laugh after laugh, especially with those nonsensical voiceovers, portraying this very confused man.

Colin Firth
A Single Man
As the hollowed-out core of director Tom Ford's beautiful valentine to a recently departed lover, Firth has the hard task of being emotionally dead while also remaining a vessel interesting enough to base an entire film around. Usually you can only be one thing or the other, but Firth (with the help of Ford's directorial gaze) manages to find the beauty and intrigue in melancholia and suffering. The repression of early 60's America has forced Firth to stay silent about his pain and you can see it slowly eating away at him until his insides are rotting. It's an unexpectedly moving performance Firth and hopefully a sign of great things to come from him.

Ben Foster
The Messenger
I've been quietly waiting for Ben Foster to make his next big move after his impressive supporting work in 3:10 to Yuma, and, with The Messenger, he proved yet again that he's an actor to watch. He has no big Oscar moments, nor does he call needless attention to himself as a performer. His performance here is the very definition of "lived-in." Foster walks on a tightrope throughout most of the film, his rawness either threatening to explode outwards or implode in on himself. His performance here is nothing short of miraculous and makes a grand case for more work for him in the future.

Joseph Gordon-Levitt
(500) Days of Summer
This isn't an acting exercise for Gordon-Levitt--come on, this is the kid who did Mysterious Skin a few years back--so much as it is a way for him to explore his star persona and charisma in an atypical project. He's an absolute joy to watch on screen, whether he's falling in love in Ikea, singing a musical number after getting some or trying to move on with his life after losing "the one." JGL makes it all look so easy and effortless, which is often times the hardest thing for an actor to do.

Sam Rockwell
Moon
Poor Sam Rockwell. The man is always game, but it rarely seems like the projects he's involved with have the ability to match him quality-wise. Moon is another one of these films, although I suppose I'm in the minority when I admit I'm not a huge fan. Rockwell, though, has never been better than here as a pair of cloned astronauts trapped in a lunar space station. Playing twins is the perfect way to "prove" how good of an actor you are as they often allow you to play two completely different people in the same film. Moon, however, is more in line something like Dead Ringers based upon the fact that it's not interested in exploring the difference between the two characters. Rockwell is interested in exploring the interaction between them and the ways they can fuck around with each other, building up suspense where the film doesn't. He propels the film forward and keeps you interested long after the film has stopped giving a damn about the central "mystery" (and I do use that term loosely). Rockwell isn't reinventing the wheel here, but he does have a good time making his own.

And the Diva Cup Goes to: Ben Foster, The Messenger

Best Actress

Drew Barrymore
Grey Gardens
While everyone else was talking about a different rom-com queen's star turn which nabbed a certain someone a deserved, if not especially revelatory, Oscar, Drew Barrymore was stuck on the sidelines all seasons, relegated to the less glamorous TV movie categories at all the award shows. Yes, Grey Gardens is in fact a TV movie, but when you have a performance like this that makes you reevaluate the performer's entire career, I think bending the rules is justified. Barrymore has a lot working against her with this character, most notably that infamous Little Edie accent which could trip up even the most gifted vocal imitators, yet she never looks like she is having a difficult time with it. In fact, she seems to be having fun in taking a risk like this, relishing every moment to show us something we haven't seen before. What remains most memorable about Barrymore's performance is the vitality and vivaciousness of her Little Edie and how she plays the character's "strangeness" as endearing quirks; her Little Edie is not someone to be pitied. Bullock may have the Oscar, but Barrymore was the one who truly wowed.

Beyoncé
Obsessed
A bit of a left field pick, I must admit, but just go with me on this. Normally, we judge acting by how well an actor or actress "inhabits" a character, how deep they dig within themselves to become the character they are portraying; actors such as Cate Blanchett have earned many accolades and fans for doing this over the years. Sometimes, however, a film doesn't require this level of cerebral thought. Sometimes, all an actor needs to do is simply be alive in the film and willing to do whatever it takes to make the film successful. A film such as Obsessed, a lame Fatal Attraction rip-off, needs all the help it could get and thankfully, Beyoncé was there to lend a hand. She knew the film was in trouble as soon as read the script and new it was up to her to spice it up. She doesn't portray a character so much as she's a walking, hulking presence throughout most of the film. Beyoncé doesn't approach the role in an actorly way and, frankly, that was the smartest thing she could have done. Any attempt at making this story look like serious drama would have made the film look even more ridiculous. B crafts her own unique spin in the role by using her in-bred diva and natural proclivity towards camp aesthetic. If this is Razzie-worthy acting, well, I'd like to see another actress tackle this role and come out shining like Beyoncé.

Taraji P. Henson
Tyler Perry's I Can Do Bad All By Myself
From my review of the film and Henson's performance: "The film and April's progression as a character often takes the expected path--let's just say that the ending doesn't exactly need a spoiler warning--but Taraji P. Henson plays every scene like it's all brand new. It is often astonishing watching her doing something countless other actresses before her have done and make it really come alive for us in the audience. Her entrance alone, fro-ed out, sashaying to the rhythm of Aretha Franklin's 'Rock Steady' and propelling herself into the opening frames of the film like an unstoppable force of nature, speaks volumes about the direction Henson is taking with this character. She's going to be fierce, loud, in your face and if you don't like it, well you can suck it...It's at this point that Henson recites this beautifully gin-soaked monologue about her own past with sexual abuse. She goes on about how men can't be trusted, especially ones that like to be around children. Then, the monologue takes a sharp turn as she starts aiming her dagger of hatred and suspicion toward the hot Latino who, at this point, has been the sole source of support for the children since their grandmother vanished. She questions his motives for spending so much time with them before, loudly, outright accusing him of molesting the children. April has been so damaged and jaded by all of the men in her life she becomes suspicious of anyone gets close to her; eventually they're just going to turn on her, so why bother? Henson does this monologue and scene a world of justice, sharply navigating the turnabout from one subject to another and making it all go together coherently."

Maya Rudolph
Away We Go
We all know and love Maya Rudolph as the sketch comedian who once made SNL a can't-miss show every week. In Away We Go, however, Rudolph is forced to challenge herself as one-half of a couple hoping to find themselves and the perfect place to raise their child. She nails the comedy bits perfectly, using a dry wit to match Mendes' subdued handling of the material. What's even more surprising is the fact that she's even more interesting during the emotional sections of the movie. Rudolph doesn't do a whole lot, but her warm face betrays a lot of the confusion and deep soul-searching she is forced to do in reevaluating her life. The final scene, when Rudolph and her on-screen husband John Krasinski finally choose their new home, works all because of her. By the end, she has become the heart and soul of the film, and seeing her so happy in her decision is the perfect reward for watching the film.

Tilda Swinton
Julia
Wow. How does one go about describing this performance in mere words? Even something as simple as "Drunken whore helps deranged neighbor kidnap her own child, gets in over her head, takes kid to Mexico only to have him kidnapped by someone else, starts to care for the kid but not in the pussy way you would expect in a Hollywood film" sounds nutty beyond belief. I suppose that's inescapable since Julia oscillates like an out of control ceiling fan on the verge of collapsing. Swinton obviously relishes this unpredictably and rises to the challenge of shouldering the film so it doesn't collapse around her. What's even more unpredictable are Swinton's acting choices as this normally cerebral actress opens up more than I've ever seen in my admittedly limited exposure to her work. You can almost feel the sweat dripping from her pores when things start (and continue) to go wrong. And her outward reactions to the characters surrounding her are priceless, especially the moment when her neighbor who launches the kidnapping plan goes completely off the deep end and Swinton shoots her this look like "Bitch, what the fuck are you doing?" The entire two and a half hour runtime is filled with moments like this that enrich both Swinton's monumental performance and the film as a whole. Swinton is a living legend and it's good to see her continue to challenge herself when many other actresses in her position have all but abandoned their indie spirit.

And the Diva Cup Goes to: Tilda Swinton, Julia

Best Supporting Actor

Adam Brody
Jennifer's Body
A gleefully underrated star turn by the one and only Seth Cohen in a film no one seemed to pay much attention to after savagely tearing it apart upon release. That's such a shame since Brody is obviously having a ball playing the villainous, opportunistic lead singer of an indie rock band willing to sell someone else's soul for fame and fortune. Just like Ellen Page, Brody is a perfect match for Diablo Cody's gloriously overwritten dialogue. In the wrong hands, her vernacular could sound forced and unconvincing, but Brody kills the one-liners he is given; I was literally cracking up at every line during his big scene with Megan Fox. He invented the dorkalicious persona that Michael Cera and Jesse Eisenberg now use as their stock-in-trade, so why isn't he being used up to his full potential?

Peter Capaldi
In the Loop
Capaldi's performance in the political satire In the Loop can basically be summarized as a symphony of cuss words. While it's true that there is no other actor on the planet who swears as well as he does (see also his hilarious work on Skins as Sid's father), he also uses the profanity as a device for understanding the character and his importance in the film. His character is the loudest in the film and his cursing is the way he gets his message across. It doesn't matter what he is saying--as long as he's the loudest, he'll always get his way. And he does, scarily, by the end of the film.

Woody Harrelson
The Messenger
I suppose it's the reason he got a much deserved Oscar nomination, but I'd be lying if I didn't admit that that breakdown scene at the very end of the film was what completely convinced me of Harrelson's worth here. Seeing that tiny crack in his foundation only proved how well Harrelson had set up the character's (and our) belief that everything was really okay.

Mark Ruffalo
The Brothers Bloom
Ruffalo, right from his big breakthrough in You Can Count On Me, has always had this roguish sort of charm about him. He's never exactly a bad guy, yet he always gives the impression that there's a little naughtiness just underneath the surface. As a con man trying to lure his brother into doing one last con, Ruffalo gets to explore this facet of his personality. He takes obvious pleasure in constructing this game for both his brother and their target, but it's almost as if the reasons he does this don't even register with him anymore. He's so lost in his own little fantasy con world he can't quite assimilate with real people in the real world anymore.

Christoph Waltz
Inglourious Basterds
Everything one could possibly say about Waltz and his Oscar-winning performance in Inglourious Basterds has been said. The role of a charming psychopath killer is not exactly new, but Waltz makes it feel completely fresh. He's a sadistic son of a bitch who toys with people emotions, yet he can be a regular Cary Grant, chatting you up with a friendly grin on his face and completely charming the pants off you. You never know which Waltz you're going to get and the surprise is half the fun. That's a bingo.

And the Diva Cup Goes to: Adam Brody, Jennifer's Body

Best Supporting Actress

Emily Blunt
Sunshine Cleaning
When Emily Blunt earned mad critical love for her work in The Devil Wears Prada, I must admit I was a little surprised. Not that she's bad by any means, it's just that she isn't given very much to do in the film. She says a couple of bitchy lines, gets a few guffaws and that's it; there's no meat for Blunt to really sink her teeth into. With Sunshine Cleaning, Blunt is given an opportunity to mine the dark, edgy side of her personality. She's given ample opportunity to be funny as the loser sister who can't seem to get her act together, but she also excels in the film's darker moments. A typical monologue about the death of her mother becomes in her hands an uncomfortable, blabbering breakdown worthy of Ronee Blakley in Nashville. Vivid work from a young woman with huge potential.

Rinko Kikuchi
The Brothers Bloom
The character Kikuchi plays in The Brothers Bloom, Bang Bang, is nothing more than a plot device, an easy joke to get certain scenes moving. Kikuchi, her second time playing a mute character after her Oscar-nominated work in Babel, rises above the shallowness of the role to make something interesting out of it. Taking from silent films, Japanese anime and action blockbusters as her inspiration, she creates her own unique spin on the "munitions expert" every film of this sort needs. Much like Beyoncé, she's vivid and alive in every scene she's in. Kikuchi doesn't let the handicaps of the role carry her--she works to remain a constant pleasure whenever she pops up.

Mo'Nique
Precious
With a character as dominant and tyrannical as Mary Jones, an actress wouldn't really have to push themselves to earn acclaim. And, at first, it appeared like Mo'Nique would fall into this trap as Lee Daniels kowtowed to the role and Mo'Nique unquestionable presence as an actress. Then, suddenly, something clicked and Daniels seemed to be pushing her to do more than just be intimidating. Mo'Nique's Mary became unpredictable, almost unreadable, an altogether more frightening creature than her already horrific traits suggest. Her complete emotional meltdown at the end of the film is the final nail in the coffin for Mo'Nique's immersion in the role. Instead of focusing on the pity her monologue could elicit, she highlights Mary's ignorance to further show just how lucky Precious is for getting out of that situation. With a bunch of smart choices, Mo'Nique more than lived up to the hype her performance here generated.

Samantha Morton
The Messenger
The appeal of Samantha Morton is often lost on me. She's pleasant enough to watch, but I'd hardly seek out a film just because she was in it. So the fact that her characteristically subdued and lived-in performance in The Messenger worked so well for me this go-around was a pleasant surprise. Morton works immaculately, often almost unrecognizably, within the confines of The Messenger's iceberg of emotions--90% of the emotion is buried underneath the surface. She's a wizard at using just her face to portray a wide variety of emotions, and it's often the haunting contortions of her face that stick out the most when I think back on this movie. How she was passed over for an Oscar nom in favor of Penélope Cruz slutting it up in Nine will remain a complete mystery.

Olivia Williams
An Education
From my post for the 2009 Supporting Actress Blog-a-thon: "Williams' Miss Stubbs, with her hair pulled straight back into a too-tight ponytail and thick, horn-rimmed glasses, is presented as the traditional, straight-laced British teacher we have seen in films for decades. She's not supposed to care about her students, their feelings or their personal lives outside of class; her job is to teach and that's that. At first, Miss Stubbs seems to follow that archetype quite well, but as the film progresses, we see her shed that image layer by layer. Miss Stubbs constantly struggles with the idea of seeing her students as actual people and has to resist interjecting herself in their situations...Williams says so much about her character while not doing much. Her face stays stoic throughout the entire scene, yet her eyes betray a deeply resonant sense of sorrow and pity when Jenny shoots her and her profession down in an angry response to Miss Stubbs's plea. But she isn't sad that Jenny has insulted her, or at least not completely. What really upsets her is that she hasn't gotten through to Jenny, her desperate pleas have fallen on deaf ears...She doesn't have a typical 'Oscar scene' to lean on or what you would call a fully-explored character arc, yet she still gives probably the most realized and complete performance in the entire film."

And the Diva Cup Goes to: Olivia Williams, An Education

The Ladies of 2009

A couple of weeks ago, I gave props to the men of 2009. While I'm sure many of you appreciated the eye candy, I think we can all admit that 2009 was all about the women. For better or worse, these six women defined and dominated 2009. So, instead of lumping them with the men, I decided the ladies needed their own post so they could be fawned over and appreciated properly.

I envisioned this post as one of those Vanity Fair covers where seemingly random celebrities, given clever nicknames, congregate in a room in coordinating ensembles. Unfortunately, I don't have a budget and couldn't make it work (Tim Gunn would be so disappointed). I hope, however, that you enjoy what I came up with and will celebrate these glorious women for having a fantastic 2009.

Drew Barrymore
The Actress

Aside from Never Been Kissed, I've never been a big Drew Barrymore fan. That's not her fault exactly, I'm just not big on many of the Romcom Queens like Meg Ryan, Julia Roberts or Sandra Bullock. What they do is all in good fun and, although it doesn't thrill me, who am I to say that they aren't "actors." Having true movie star presence is not something you can learn. If you do have it, it is something to be treasured, not frowned upon and degraded like most people seem to do. Drew has this quality, so I was curious to see how she would handle Little Edie in the made-for-TV movie Grey Gardens. I had never seen the acclaimed documentary or stage show of the same title, but I knew the general gist of the story. It would be an amazing opportunity for Barrymore to prove the haters the wrong, but also a tad perilous since one wrong move and she would be exiled back to doing one Fever Pitch after another for the next ten years. Thankfully, she absolutely nailed the performance, working wonders with an incredibly odd accent that would have tripped up other actors while still more emotionally gripping and compelling than I've ever seen her before. I know you're probably thinking, "She was great in one film, whoop-de-do. Why is she one of The Ladies of 2009?" Let me tell you why: a couple of days after Grey Gardens, I watched He's Just Not That Into You and thought to myself, "Damn, this movie needs Drew Barrymore." I secretly cheered everytime she came on-screen, loving her monologue after a long absence in the narrative about the problems that modern technology has on dating. When I am praying for more Drew Barrymore screentime and seriously considering seeing Everybody's Fine in theatres for her, you know she is having a kickass year.

Beyoncé
The Diva

For a woman who has literally done it all at least three or four times, it was exciting to see B (she's so huge now she only needs to be referred by a letter now!) surprise us yet again in 2009. Riding high on all of the 'Single Ladies' love from the end of 2008, B's big year kicked off at the Oscars. Was she nominated for that elusive statue she's been trying so hard to get? Unfortunately, no. But she was on-hand to take part in one of the best live performances of the year: the "The Musical is Back!" medley with...ummm...come to think of it, who else was on that stage? I can't remember because all I can recall is Beyoncé in all of her diva glory, coyly smiling while launching into a rendition of 'At Last' and launching herself to center stage when 'Somewhere Over the Rainbow' came on. Then came the epic film of our times, the movie from 2009 I fondly think back on most often: Obsessed. Without Beyoncé, the film would have been close to unwatchable, but B decides add some, um, class to the film, especially during that epic catfight finale. If you ever wanted to see B headbutt Ali Larter and then drag her across the floor while yelling, "I'ma wipe the floor wit yo skinny ass!" you are in luck! Beyoncé is beyond brilliant in the film, managing to deliver a fantastic star performance in a film that should have been a complete snoozefest. Although not as iconic as 'Single Ladies,' the video for 'Sweet Dreams' became a must-watch literally everytime I hung out with my friends Kelli & Megan during the fall. My favorite bits? The dance breakdown during the "My guilty pleasure" verse and the indescribably weird gold corset/robot scene. I still have no clue what any of it meant but I was enchanted. When September came around, it was time to pick up her VMA's for 'Single Ladies' but I doubt even she could predict the shit that went down around her at the ceremony. The whole Kanye/Taylor feud has been discussed at length all over the interweb, but I just have to say that I loved both B's humility during the whole thing (she allowed Taylor to come up and finish her speech after she won Video of the Year) and her many "Bitch please" looks (as in, "Bitch please, do not get me involved in this" and "Bitch please, you shot your video in a high school?"). Finally, B capped off her year with two collaborations with another one of 2009's biggest artists: Lady GaGa. 'Telephone,' the second single from GaGa's The Fame Monster, hasn't officially been released yet, but it's a surefire hit in the making. Not only will the video be hot, but the song is incredible and B completely dominates her verse; one thing 'Telephone' is surely not is a disastuh. We did get the video for an extended version of 'Video Phone,' and while the song is utter shit that I can't stop listening to, the video is a fun romp of girls, guns and garish colors. Whew. Just listing all of B's accomplishments this year is exhausting. How one woman did all this in a span of 12 months is astounding.

Sandra Bullock
The Pro

Like I said when I talked about Drew Barrymore, I'm not big on the Romcom Queens. Sandra Bullock has been charming audiences for years but outside of Miss Congeniality (I've seen that movie way too many times to count) and Crash I either haven't seen her movies or haven't cared. When The Proposal made a shit-ton of money in June, I didn't really pay attention because the combination of Sandy + Ryan Reynolds + "They've fallen in love, isn't that adorable?" storyline held no interest for me. When previews for The Blind Side came out in September and Adam claimed that Sandra Bullock was an underdog in the Best Actress race, I guffawed at the cheesiness of the movie, Sandy's accent and the craziness of the possibility of her getting nominated. But then something happened and I did a complete 180. Out of nowhere, people started attacking Sandy's performance in The Blind Side and it's inexplicable popularity (the gross is already close to $200 million). So, as with any silly little feud, I had to take a side and I suddenly found myself on Team Bullock before I had even seen the movie. Just the thought of seeing Sandy at the Oscars, giving the middle finger to all the haters when they read off the nominees. Now that I've seen The Blind Side, I can say that even if she won't make my shortlist this year, Bullock deserves her Oscar nom. Sure, she relies on her charming personality, but she also completely nails the bitchy PTA mom part of her character. It may not be Erin Brockovich but I'd be lying if I said I didn't have a good time. And at 45, the fact that Sandy is still entertaining audiences and raking in the cash is a nice kick in the balls to all the studio bosses who think actress' careers are over by 40.

Lady GaGa
The It Girl

It is scary to think about, but 15 months ago there was no Lady GaGa. She's become a part of our lives so quickly and so completely that it is hard to imagine a time when she wasn't a prominent feature of the pop music landscape. The greatest thing about GaGa is that she grew leaps in bounds in not just one but multiple ways over 2009. Her most noticeable change was through her music. She started 2009 riding off the success of 'Just Dance,' a simple little ditty about dancing to escape the worries of the day (an appropriate hit during the early days of the recession) and her music only grew more mature and considerably darker as the year progressed. First came 'Poker Face,' a great summer song with its simple hook and breezy message about the duality of sex and sexuality. Then 'Paparazzi' and its dark obsession with celebrity under the guise of a slick pop song. Finally came 'Bad Romance,' the #1 song of 2009 and true emotional epic, and the entire Fame Monster album, a far cry from the sunny and light tracks of The Fame. GaGa also became a legitimate fashion icon in 2009. From the beginning, GaGa was known for wearing odd clothes, often in clear danger of showing her vagina. As the year wore on, however, her choices remained just as weird but became increasingly more avant garde and fabulous. The VMA's, aside from the Taylor/Kanye feud, became all about "What is GaGa gonna wear next?" Will it be a 19th century masquerade ball mask? A red lace crown thing that covers her entire face? Or a cut up 80's wedding dress covered in blood? No one knows and that element of surprise keeps me entertained. The final, and possibly least discussed, reason why 2009 belonged to GaGa was the fact that she has become a gay icon practically overnight. The gays are usually fickle; we have our passing infatuations with celebrities, but once you're in with us, you're in for life. GaGa met some resistance initially from people who thought she was trying too hard to be Madonna, but, eventually, the majority of the gays caved in by the time 'Bad Romance' and The Fame Monster came out. GaGa's one of the few mainstream artists who have openly supported gays right from the beginning, catering to their love of money, boys and fashion and even performing at the big protest rally in Washington, D.C., instead of many "gay icons" who slowly lend their support as their career solidifies. She's here, she's queer-supporting, get used to it America and that's why I love her. If you think GaGa gives a flying fuck what you think about her, then your sadly mistaken. She's a true role model, someone whose attitude we can all embrace to become better and less judgmental people.

Demi Lovato
The Up-and-Comer

"Demi Lovato is pretty good as far as these things goes. She's a decent actress with a better than average voice for a Disney film, but she won't have a lasting career."

Boy, when I'm wrong, I'm really wrong. Back when I first saw Camp Rock, I never thought in a million years I would even think about Demi Lovato after those 90 minutes of pure visual and sonic torture, let alone adore her as much as I do now. She wasn't bad by any means, especially in comparison to co-stars Joe Jonas and Meghan Martin, but I was not particularly impressed. Like most Disney actors, she tried too hard to be funny and whenever a joke fell flat, she simply flashed her enormous smile as some sort of compensation. I wasn't buying it. I gave her first album, Get Back, a chance back in the beginning of the year but it was a bit too Jonasy for my taste (to be fair, I've recently come around on 'Get Back,' 'Lo Que Soy' and 'Behind Enemy Lines). When Here We Go Again came out in June or so, I gave it a shot and wasn't impressed at first. Everything sounded similar to the first album and I wasn't feeling it. Then I listened to it a few more times and became hooked. Unlike many of her Disney contemporaries, Demi can actually sing. I'm not going to deny that some of the Disney starlets have pleasant voices, but Demi's beyond-her-17-years maturity completely blows the out of the water. Here We Go Again is probably my most listened to album of the year and I won't get sick of it soon. Loving her album, I decided to give Demi another chance in the acting field by watching her Disney sitcom Sonny With a Chance. I was instantly hooked. Unlike most Disney shows where the star is the worst actor and least interesting cast member, Demi is actually an engaging personality and continuously improved her comedic chops throughout the season. By the time the episode "Cookie Monsters" (the one where she and Chad compete to sell more Blossom Scout cookies) rolled around in late November, the Camp Rock Demi was nothing but a distant memory. As if this stellar year wasn't enough, she contributed to the Disney Channel's charity single 'Send It On,' an attempt to cash-in on help end global warming. She sang with all of the Disney biggies--Miley, Selena and all of the Jonas Brothers--and, unsurprisingly, she blew them all way. Miley attempted to a sing-off with her at the end, but Demi was like, "Bitch please" and sang one big glory note to prove once and for all who should be the Queen of Disney. If Miley's not careful, 2010 will be the year Demi (rightfully) snatches that crown.

Rihanna
The Survivor

When reports broke that Chris Brown had horribly beaten his girlfriend Rihanna on the eve of the Grammy Awards, I was as stunned as everyone else was. Eventually, however, I turned into a strong black woman, rallying against Brown with an "Oh, HELL no!" How dare this moron beat up our pop princess. While I was preparing a petition to get Chris Brown the death penalty, Rihanna remained mum on the whole situation, much to the chagrin of a number of people (well, some people thought she was a bitch and deserved it, so I guess you can't please everyone). When she finally broke her silence in the fall, the reality became even scarier: if Rihanna, the woman who had spent a majority of 2007 and 2008 dominating the music world, can be abused, it can truly happen to anyone. In response to all the craziness that had gone down in 2009 and her new-found status as a poster child for woman's rights, she released Rated R, a dark meditation on violence, revenge and love gone bad. While obviously not as single heavy as Good Girl Gone Bad, Rated R proved that Rihanna is a true artist capable of intertwining personal situations into catchy, insanely glorious pop songs. That's not easy, my friends, and Rihanna did it with style and class.

"I was sick about awards, couldn't nobody cure me. Only playa that got robbed but kept all his jewelry"