The top newsmaker of 2011 is likely to be Britain's Prince William, whose wedding to Kate Middleton is scheduled for April 29, 2011. Here, the newly engaged couple pose in the Cornwall Room in St James's Palace in London on Nov. 25, 2010, in one of their two official engagement portraits.
Prince Albert II of Monaco and his fiancee, Charlene Wittstock, stand on the balcony of the Monaco Palace on Friday Nov. 19, 2010, during celebrations of Monaco's national day. The couple are scheduled to wed in a civil ceremony on July 2, 2011, followed by a religious ceremony the following day.
All eyes will be on Aerosmith frontman Steven Tyler, second right, and singer-actress Jennifer Lopez, second left, in January when they debut as judges on "American Idol." Randy Jackson, left, continues on the panel and Ryan Seacrest, right, continues as host.
Oprah Winfrey's OWN Cable Network launches in January as the talk-show host winds up the 25th - and last - season of her popular show. The season has featured outsized versions of all previous events, including taking 300 audience members on a trip to Australia, where she was photographed cuddling Elvis the koala at the Hamilton Island Wildlife Park.
We can't tell you who will win a Golden Globe in January, but we can tell you who will get the most laughs. It's British comendian Ricky Gervais, who is hosting the Jan. 16 awards show for a second straight year.
Be prepared to hear some buzz about "the Duchess" and her band. After all, the Black Eyed Peas are providing the half-time entertainment at this year's Super Bowl.
British TV personality Piers Morgan has some very big shoes to fill and TV fans across the country will be watching when his show replaces Larry King in CNN's primetime lineup. King "hung up his suspenders" on Dec. 16 after 25 years on CNN.
Eminem and Lady Anteblellum are favorites to take home a Grammy this year. They are heading into the Feb. 13 ceremony with with more nominations than anyone else.
Musicians will be singing the praises of legendary singer Barbra Streisand in February when she is named MusiCares' 2011 Person of the Year.
Prepare to see more of the "Jersey Shore" stars, if not on MTV, then at the book store. Snooki's novel, called "A Shore Thing," is scheduled to come out in January. "The Rules According to JWoww," due out in February, will share "secrets on landing a mint guy, staying fresh to death, and kicking the competition to the curb," the book's publisher, William Morrow, said. And Mike "The Situation" Sorrentino just released his book, "Here's the Situation: A Guide to Creeping on Chicks, Avoiding Grenades, and Getting in Your GTL on the Jersey Shore."
Singer/actress Mariah Carey and husband Nick Cannon can be expected to make news in the spring with the delivery of twins. See who else is expecting this year.
Actress Anne Hathaway, seen here hosting the Nobel Peace Prize concert in Oslo, Norway, on Dec. 11, 2010, will be taking on hosting duties for the 2011 Oscar ceremony. She also is a long shot for taking home a prize.
Actor James Franco, seen here as an honoree at GQ magazine's 2010 "Men of the Year" party, will be cohosting the Oscars with Hathaway. And he's on the short list for an award himself, for his role in the drama "127 Hours."
"The Bachelorette" star Ali Fedotowsky is planning a wedding for 2011. She chose fiance Roberto Martinez in the summer finale of ABC's reality TV show.
Actress Natalie Portman, pictured at the 20th anniversary of The Gotham Independent Film awards in New York, on Nov. 29, 2010, can be expected to pick up some awards (maybe even an Oscar) for her work in "Black Swan."
"Clean House" host and "Dancing with the Stars" alumna Niecy Nash is engaged to her electrical engineer boyfriend, Jay Tucker. The couple plans to marry in May.
All eyes will be on actor Michael Douglas, pictured at the premiere of "Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps" Sept. 20, 2010, in New York, as he resumes a public schedule after treatment for throat cancer. He is scheduled to begin shooting a Liberace biopic in late spring and may even pick up an award or two in coming months for his work in the "Wall Street" sequel and the indie "A Solitary Man."
Douglas' co-star in "Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps," actor Shia LaBeouf, will also be making headlines this summer when the third "Transformers" film hits theatres.
But the focus may be on LaBeouf's co-star, Victoria's Secret model Rosie Huntington-Whiteley, who replaces Megan Fox in the new "Transformers" film.
It's really the end for Harry Potter" stars, from left, Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson and Rupert Grint. The final movie, based on the second half of J.K. Rowling's last Potter novel, "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2" is set to hit theaters in July.
The pirates are back this summer, too. Actor Johnny Depp is expected to reprise his role as Captain Jack Sparrow in another movie in the popular "Pirates of the Caribbean" franchise.
Actress Rooney Mara, pictured at the premiere of "A Nightmare on Elm Street" on April 27, 2010, in Los Angeles, will be making headlines as Lisbeth Salander in the Hollywood remake of "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo." Daniel Craig co-stars.
Octogenarian actress Betty White has a two-book deal with G.P. Putnam's Sons and the first volume is due out in 2011. Both books will feature what 88-year-old White, seen here at the premiere of "You Again" on Sept. 22, 2010, has learned over "her incredibly varied, decades-long career in Hollywood."
Actors Jennifer Connelly and Paul Bettany are expanding their family. The actress, 40, is pregnant with her third child, a rep confirmed to People magazine on Dec. 14, 2010.