E! Launches 'Best of 2011': Celeb of the Year' Tournament

E! is kicking off the "Best of 2011: Celeb of the Year Tournament," a competition that will determine which superstar captured everyone's attention and most impacted pop culture over the past year. This competition is not just about who is the hottest star, but who also entertained, inspired and made the biggest splash in 2011 – and looked good and had fun doing it. For five weeks, entertainment fans around the globe will get the chance to vote for their favorite personalities from the worlds of film, music and television as they face off in a bracket-style tournament. Then on Thursday, December 29th, one celebrity will be crowned Celebrity of the Year and E! will donate $25,000 to the charity of his or her choice. Can Natalie Portman overtake Bradley Cooper? Is Kate Middleton any match for Justin Bieber? Did Charlie Sheen or Lindsay Lohan make more news this year? The decision is yours!

In the "Celeb of the Year Tournament," 64 top personalities chosen from four different categories – Leading Ladies, Leading Men, Newsmakers and Hitmakers – duke it out for 5 rounds. Each day from Monday-Thursday, users can log on to E! Online to vote on the match-ups in one bracket. Then on Friday, true enthusiasts can vote to either bring back an eliminated star or introduce a new one in the Wildcard Round. For this round, fans will tweet their votes using the #celeboftheyear hashtag. Four contenders will be chosen through Wildcard voting and will return in the quarter finals on December 26 to shake the game up. The final winner who will take home the coveted crown will be announced on E! Online on December 29 and E! will donate $25,000 to the charity of his or her choice.

E! News will follow the progress throughout the month and air highlights from the tournament when the winner is revealed, showcasing the biggest face-offs and most controversial wins. "Celeb of the Year" runs as part of E! Online's extensive Best of 2011 series, which will also compile Top 10 lists on the year's biggest and best trends, fashions, movies, photos, scandals, tunes and more.

Follow all the action on E! Online and E! News beginning November 28th and see who will win the honor of being called "Celeb Of The Year."