After the weirdness of 2020 and the lingering effects of the pandemic in 2021, the relative normal of 2022 felt pretty darn refreshing. Kids were back in school, travel seemed possible again, and celebrities returned to their natural habitats: movie and television sets, recording studios, and, of course, the red carpet. After two years of projects being delayed or canceled, there was so much good entertainment and social media content from celebs this year.
Some stars had the best 2022 because their new films, shows, or albums were at the top of the charts. Others will likely remember 2022 as the year that they killed it in their personal lives. One celeb (who we will of course talk about soon) had an amazing year due to both professional success and from watching karma take down their old nemesis. Ahh, revenge is awfully sweet, even for the rich and famous!
As we arrive at the end of the year, it always puts us in the mood to reflect, so we're sharing our list of the 15 celebrities who had the best 2022. We've got movie stars, music divas, television icons, royalty, and more, so get scrolling to see who made the cut.
Keke Palmer
Keke Palmer was living her best life in 2022. Not only did her role in the Jordan Peele film Nope get a lot of buzz (people are whispering that Oscar word), but she also got to host Saturday Night Live. On the show, she surprised everyone by joyfully revealing that she's expecting her first child with boyfriend Darius Jackson, so it seems like 2023 is shaping up to be another great year for her.
Prince Harry & Meghan Markle
This choice may be controversial to the dedicated haters who live to find fault with everything Prince Harry and Meghan Meghan Markle do, but the facts are the facts: The Duke and Duchess of Sussex had a great year. Meghan's podcast, Archetypes, debuted at No. 1 in August (despite critics in the UK whining about her daring to have an opinion and a voice). Then in December, Netflix released the long-awaited Harry & Meghan docuseries, and it got some of the best ratings of any of the streamer's shows this year, all while spotlighting a couple who is deeply in love, kind of goofy, and committed to being honest about what it's like to be the subject of relentless personal and racial attacks. Some folks will keep on hating them, but Harry and Meghan are proving they can make their own way in the world.
Check out our Meghan Markle page for all the latest news about Meghan, Prince Harry, and their growing family.
Lizzo
Lizzo killed it this year. She had a hit album with Special, launched a sold-out tour, got rave reviews hosting SNL, landed the cover of Vanity Fair, and debuted her clothing line, Yitty, which people couldn't wait to snap up. She'll finish out the year on SNL again, as she'll be the musical guest for the last episode of the season.
Taylor Swift
Taylor Swift literally broke the internet this year — or at least the part of the internet dedicated to selling concert tickets! Her 2023 Eras tour sold out in record time, no doubt due in part to the fact that her 10th album, Midnights, was the most successful album of the year. Critics loved it and fans did, too, as she had 10 top 10 songs and sold more than a million albums in the first week alone — all while her old nemesis, Kanye West, was publicly melting down on social media and dismantling his career.
Tom Cruise
After several years when it seemed like Tom Cruise was getting more attention for his odd Scientologist lifestyle, 2022 was the year that reminded people that the 60-year-old is also a major movie star capable of bringing in huge box office numbers. Top Gun: Maverick was the year's highest-grossing movie, proving that Tom's smile can still light up the big screen.
Quinta Brunson
Quinta Brunson is the creator and star of the hit TV show Abbott Elementary (our favorite sitcom of the year), which is both a critical and a ratings success. Not only has season two continued the show's upward trajectory, but Quinta won her first Emmy for writing for the pilot episode.
Harry Styles
Although Harry Styles' 2022 wasn't totally perfect — he received lackluster reviews for his acting performances in Don't Worry Darling and My Policeman and got some unwanted press attention thanks to ex Olivia Wilde — there's no doubt that the former One Direction star's music career moved him into icon status. His Harry's House album was a massive success, he had a sold-out tour, and his single "As It Was" was one of the most popular songs of the year, including a 15-week run as the No. 1 song in the US.
Jenna Ortega
Although she's had a few small acting roles prior to 2022, there is no doubt that this year was a breakout one for actress Jenna Ortega. Her creepy take on the character of Wednesday Addams in Netflix's Wednesday is the best part of a thoroughly enjoyable show. The success of the series helped her rack up more than 10 million Instagram followers in 10 days. We'll be watching to see what she does next and eagerly awaiting season two!
Michelle Obama
Michelle Obama, who still ranks as one of the most popular first ladies of all time, had another super successful book launch and tour in 2022. The Light We Carry came out in November and was an instant bestseller. Her first book, Becoming, which came out in 2018, went on to sell 14 million copies, so time will tell if her new offering (which has received strong critical reviews) will be able to top that.
Jennifer Lopez & Ben Affleck
After coming close in 2003 and then breaking up in 2004, Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck finally made it to the altar in 2022. The couple got re-engaged in April and then tied the knot twice this summer. They did both the Las Vegas chapel thing and a more formal wedding in August at Ben's Georgia estate. Months later, the two lovebirds seem like they are still totally in the honeymoon phase, and we love that for them.
Jack Harlow
Rapper and soon-to-be actor Jack Harlow had a great 2022. In March, it was announced that he'd landed a lead role in the upcoming reboot of the classic film White Men Can't Jump. He also released a best-selling album that earned him his second No. 1 hit, got great reviews for his hosting gig on SNL, and shared that he was marking a year of sobriety.
Selena Gomez
Selena Gomez had a busy and critically acclaimed 2022. She returned for the second season of her hit Hulu show Only Murders in the Building, got nominated for her first Emmy as a producer on the show, hosted SNL, released an Apple TV+ documentary shining a light on mental health issues, and even won awards for her makeup line, Rare Beauty. How did she even find time to sleep this year?
Lionel Messi
Argentine soccer star Lionel Messi is having a great 2022, and it could get even better if Argentina wins the World Cup. Lionel is one of the most popular athletes on the planet, with more than 387 million followers on Instagram. Yep, he is more popular on Insta than some of the Kardashians — sorry, Kylie and Kendall! He's also one of the highest-paid footballers in the world, with some estimates ranking him as having the second-highest salary in the world in 2022. Cha-ching!
Brett Goldstein
Brett Goldstein (who we love as the sexy, growly Roy Kent on Ted Lasso) got to live his dream of interviewing the Muppets for Entertainment Weekly, which would be a fabulous enough event to make 2022 great. But there's more: Brett had a small cameo in the movie Thor: Love and Thunder that revealed that (spoiler alert!) he's been cast as Hercules, which means that a future in superhero movies just might be awaiting him in 2023 and beyond.
Michelle Yeoh
After more than two decades of making amazing movies, actress Michelle Yeoh is having a moment in 2022. She was just named Time's "Icon of the Year" and one of the magazine's 100 most influential people. She also got rave reviews for her hit movie Everything, Everywhere, All at Once and is considered almost a sure thing for an Oscar nod in 2023. We love to see an icon in her 60s get the recognition she deserves!
