Year In No. 1's: Taylor Swift, 'The Avengers,' Kendrick Lamar, Honey Boo Boo And Other 2012 Winners

From Stacey Dash's political bellyflop to the box office implosion of "John Carter," 2012 left plenty of fodder for cynics and late night comics. But it was also a banner year for moneymakers and critical darlings, with a number of surprisingly successful musical acts, ascendant comedy TV shows and blockbuster movies.

HuffPost Entertainment sifted through the data to help identify the year's class of winners. In music, those who most pleased pundits (Kendrick Lamar's rap debut may prove to be the year's shining musical accomplishment) and runaway commercial hits (a still-young Taylor Swift had million-unit week) were signs of life in an industry that's been falling apart for over a decade. In television, "The Big Bang Theory" triumphed over talent shows like "American Idol" to put scripted (or, openly scripted) TV back on top. In movies, a small indie film known as "The Avengers" made a box office demigod out of a beloved TV director and James Bond enjoyed a bold return to form.

It was a big year for celebrities, too. Flip through the gallery below to see who -- and what -- had a damn good 2012.