This year we got to know a lot of new faces. We got to meet some [article id="1601414"]teen queens[/article], a

[artist id="2088128"]brother boy band[/artist] who aren't named [artist id="541"]Hanson[/artist], [artist id="2034673"]German pop-rock stars[/artist] and a pair of love-struck teens whose star-crossed love affair made [article id="140468"] teen girls everywhere want to fall in love with a vampire[/article]. We have this group of young people to thank for making 2008 the year that pop music and culture became teen-driven again.

[artist id="2389485"]Taylor Swift[/artist]

[article id="1593867"]Taylor Swift proved to everyone she was "fearless" in 2008[/article]. Between battling her ex-boyfriend, Joe Jonas, on the pages of [article id="1599318"]gossip Web sites[/article] and getting nominated for a slew of awards, including a [article id="1594216"]VMA[/article], Swift told MTV News, "To me fearless doesn't mean you are completely unafraid. It means you have a lot of fears, but you jump anyway."

[artist id="3067527"]Miranda Cosgrove[/artist]

If [artist id="2408193"]Miley Cyrus[/artist] rules Disney, then Miranda Cosgrove is the queen of all things Nickelodeon. Starring in "iCarly," Miranda sings and vlogs as her onscreen alter ego. This year, the TV movie version of the show was a hit with fans, and even scored more ratings than the Jonas Brothers' juggernaut "Camp Rock." And don't expect Miranda to rest on her laurels in 2009: She's already [article id="1591500"]hard at work on an album[/article], some of which she helped write, that's due sometime next year.

[artist id="3079282"]Selena Gomez[/artist]

She kicked off the year with her TV show, "Wizards of Waverly Place," only to find herself [article id="1591988"]pitted against Miley Cyrus[/article], starring in a Jonas Brothers music video and accidentally [article id="1598305"]leaking news that there's a "Wizards" movie in the works[/article]. She also became a member of the Jonas Brothers girlfriends club when she reportedly began dating Nick over the summer.

[artist id="2088128"]Jonas Brothers[/artist]

Nick, Joe and Kevin make girls swoon everywhere they go. They were "Burnin' Up" the music charts, the Disney channel, the [article id="1594447"]VMAs[/article] and the loins of their rabid teen base all year long. They have a TV show and some movies, including their [article id="1601623"]foray into 3-D cinema[/article], in the works for 2009, so they may have broken out in 2008 but they'll soon be ranking as MVPs.

[movieperson id="262629"]Kristen Stewart[/movieperson] and [movieperson id="365131"]Robert Pattinson[/movieperson]

This year Kristen Stewart and Robert Pattinson solidified themselves as Hollywood players. Starring as Bella and Edward in the amazingly popular [movie id="414921"]"Twilight,"[/movie] they won the hearts of teenage girls everywhere, whose fanaticism and support of the movie made it a surefire hit. [article id="1600080"]They are already lined up to work on its sequel, "New Moon,"[/article] so you know these two are ready to rule the 2009 box office as well.

[artist id="3079280"]Demi Lovato [/artist]

Early this year, Demi Lovato found herself working alongside the Jonas Brothers in "Camp Rock." She quickly [article id="1591448"]scaled the Disney ranks[/article], where she toured with the JoBros, denied she had any feud with supposed rival Miley Cyrus and released her album "Don't Forget," which debuted at #2 on the charts. She's got a TV show, [article id="1596461"]"Sonny with a Chance,"[/article] in the works, and we're thinking that Demi has proven she's worth her weight in mouse ears.

[artist id="2034673"]Tokio Hotel[/artist]

A group of German teenagers, whose lead singer defies gravity thanks to his hairstyle choice, quickly won the hearts of teens throughout the world, including the United States. They won a VMA, [article id="1596022"]got waxed[/article] and [article id="1598895"]shared their piercings and tats[/article] with MTV News. They're already hard at work on the follow-up album to their much loved "Scream," despite [article id="1595558"]their fears that their English just isn't up to par[/article].

[artist id="2034479"]Plies[/artist]

After telling MTV News, "I had to lose something to get where I am today," it must have been a good feeling to have his album [article id="1589582"]"Definition of Real" debut at #2 on the charts[/article]. He also put out some tracks that saw him [article id="1592227"]collaborating with everyone from Ne-Yo to Jamie Foxx to Keyshia Cole[/article]. He explained, "I wanted to try something differently than I did on my last album." Mission accomplished.

[movie id="338328"]"HSM3" New Class[/movie]

Justin Martin and Jemma McKenzie-Brown are hoping to pick up where Zac, Vanessa, Corbin and Ashley left off. [article id="1597776"]Describing themselves as a "breath of fresh air" to the franchise[/article], and with rumors of a fourth "High School Musical" in the works, there's definitely the possibility that these two young'uns have what it takes to sing and dance their way into the hearts of teens everywhere.

Who do you think were the hottest rookies and breakout artists of 2008? Sound off below!