Hottest Celebrities 2017

Finally, the sun is shining, the temperatures are normal again, and the clothes are getting smaller. It must mean that it's time for the annual Hot Celebrities list from yours truly! Some major surprises this year on all sides of the spectrum. When I started this idea, there was no such thing as Snap Chat or Instagram and we were limited to what was posted in magazines or on television. Now, every attractive (or not so attractive) individual has time to filter pictures to put themselves in the best light possible, and share their poses with the world! I have tried to stay consistent over the years (at least beyond the selection - from 20 to 101 back to 20 and now 9 of my favorites and 9 of the consensus favorites), but I think this is going to get more difficult as time goes on. I would also like to share my plans for a "Hot Celebrities Retirement Party" which I am planning on having in 2021, the same year I turn 40. With Aiden turning 11 that year, I believe it is the perfect time to pass the torch, especially considering that he'll have a better idea on what's "hot" than what his old father will. For those that have forgotten, list is determined by beauty, relevance, and age requirements. No 17 year old's, no grandmothers, no 36 Twix bars in one sitting, and must have one accomplishment in the calendar year. Thanks for reading!

Thank you to those that always contribute beautiful men and women to this blog. I'm glad that this topic has evolved where we are all comfortable with my thoughts on the same gender attractiveness as I am for all the beautiful ladies in the world. Ladies, you were a great help. Gentlemen, I can't thank you enough. Every year, I'm introduced to individuals I had no idea about. My thanks is in the inclusion of your offerings. Finally, a shout out to my wonderful wife. While this is light conversation and fun bathroom reading for most of you, my commitment to it is very serious, and I'm glad that I have your unwavering support.

World's Top 9

9. Emma Stone. She has never been one of those beauties for me, but she keeps on gathering interest by churning out massive hits and new looks. La La Land was the biggest sensation of the 2016 year, and it helped that the main characters were very attractive. Locked in Stone for years to come?
   

8. Hailey Baldwin. Maxim's number one. They weren't wrong. Heading toward superstar status.
   

7. Beyoncé Knowles. Used to run rampant in my lists, still getting affection for the public list. Starting to get consideration for what we call "timeless beauty". I imagine we will see her again next year.
   

6. Gigi Hadid. In the world of modeling she is beloved by all. She can pull off all the great looks, but she is also adept at just simple photography as well. Check out her Instagram page, I think her best shots are the non-filtered, simple lighting ones. Also in an arms race for Baldwin for a future #1 spot.
   

5. Deepika Padukone. 12 months ago, I would've asked you to speak English. Now I'm just asking for more.
   

4. Margot Robbie. I would say that she slipped a bit due to irrelevancy, but it doesn’t really matter. Hailey Quinn will be back soon too, so things should be rectified by then.
   

3. Taylor Swift. When the Kardashian's can't keep your name out of their mouth, you must be doing something right. 250 million dollars in net worth, must mean you are doing something right. To have not released an album in almost 3 years, but still crushing the "world of trending" means you will always have a spot for millions of boys and girls everywhere.
   

2. Sommer Ray. Rookie of the Year? (I wasn't on Insta until 2016, so I don't know for sure.) What I do know is 15 million people can't be wrong. Motivating for all of those that want to get back to the gym. Hard work pays off here.
   

1. Hannah Jeter. I had a feeling this day would come. Personally, I think there are more attractive ladies. I think some have had to work harder to get to where she is. But, just like oceans are wet, the sky is blue, and space is vast, the royal crown was just meant to be Hannah's at some point. An SI cover. Derek Jeter at bedtime. Funnier than most comedians. More multi-purpose than the President. A real champion in the flesh.
   

Top 9 Boys

9. Liam Hemsworth. Lot of worthy replacements, but still so relevant, he has to hold on to this place.
   

8. Antonio Brown. While he is my favorite player in a non #12 jersey, I never thought to consider him until he started twerking and Dancing with the Stars.
   

Ryan Gosling. I had about 10 Ryan's when I started this list, but he's definitely the best one of them.

6. Lorenzo Insigne. Usually I don't go for the 5'4" guys, but Lorenzo has some serious skills, plays a ton of FIFA even though he has one of the hotter WAG's around, and he could literally step right into an Armani role when his playing career is over.

5. Chris Hemsworth. As long as he continues in the Thor role, I imagine he'll continue making this list.
   

4. Channing Tatum. His wife out danced his Magic Mike ass, and it just made him look all the more hotter for pulling such a winner.
   

3. Cristiano. First name basis status.
   

2. JT. Initials status.
   

1. Zac Efron. Taking the crown away from the greatest Mickey Mouse club member. I always imagined him here, but it wasn't until the perfectly coifed hair and the red swimsuit that he is able to take his place on the throne.
   

Nate's 9 Favorites

Before we start, I would like to address two situations. The first one is Lada Kravchenko. I stumbled onto her thanks to Playboy's announcement that they would go back to the complete undress magazines of year's past, as opposed to the almost version. Then within a few days, Kravchenko made the SI swimsuit casting calls (a group that I take very seriously, as Sports Illustrated never seems to get it wrong. Ever.) While she didn't make the final cut for the 2017 issue, I believe the future is bright and one of these 9 places should be open next year for this Russian.

Second, I would like to show some appreciation and love to Keira Knightley. Since the inaugural list back in 2003, there has always been a spot for my favorite Brit. It was very hard to get rid of her. She made great films (or if not great, I enjoyed the view), she is a big West Ham fan - any supporter of this sport is fine by me, and she could sing in addition to the rest. A match made. Well, due to unforeseen circumstances, namely a husband and child, Keira did not make the 9 this year. If I do decide to carry on and create a Hall of Fame of sorts, well, let me introduce you to the first inductee. Thanks Keira, for being my first, most and longest celebrity crush.

9. Ariana Grande. For a while, I thought she was going to challenge for the most important throne of all. She was generating hit after hit, staying ahead of the trend curve (which isn't easy to do), and giving just enough leg to keep all of us guessing. A little lull in 2016 caused for a dip in status, as well as the introduction of a few names but she's still an all-star. A strong 2017 should have her close to the top again.
   

8. Katherine McNamara. Another stumbling upon. Anna Kendrick used to make this position hers, but the emergence of this red head, knocked out another all-time favorite. I'm not sad about it. While flipping through television shows, I found a program called ShadowHunters and I watched it through to the end. Not because it was captivating per se. (Although it is a pretty good show). McNamara wouldn't let me turn away.
   

7. Ariel Winter. Under normal circumstances, this wouldn't be okay. She's like my favorite sister from Modern Family. She's my sons favorite princess on the Disney channel. There isn't supposed to be anything sexy about that. But she is a great Twitter follow. Not ashamed to post any pictures considering her roles on television, and a big supporter of loving yourself no matter what. I hate that public opinion dictates how people should look, and I'm pleased to say that I'm a fan because she doesn’t give a crap.
   

6. Hunter King. Almost got the boot. When I fell "in love" with Summer from the Young and the Restless years ago, I thought that King would have a year or two to shine, then she would disappear from consideration forever. Then she did a little guest modeling on The Price is Right, which gave her another year in this elite group. Now she's moved to comedy on Thursday night television and it's paying off. They brought her on for one reason only, but Life in Pieces is just a little funnier with all the boys lusting after this bombshell.
   

5. Zendaya. My LeBron James. When I first discovered her talents, she was a 17 year old dancer on DWTS. Not cool. But Sports Illustrated was touting LeBron when he was only 17. So I thought to myself, why not wait and see. Patience has paid off here. Zendaya is cute like a fox, but confident like a lady. She isn't able to skip part of the process like her comparison did, but I imagine when Zendaya leaves Disney, she'll elevate herself even higher.
   

4. Scarlett Johansson. Another Hall of Fame inductee. I've had her around since Tokyo (kudos if you know the reference), but she never locked in on the number one spot. It doesn't matter. Her evolution into a Julia Roberts type star hasn't gone unnoticed, and her diversity in work may be her most impressive attribute. She crushes the Black Widow role (and now no one else can play it). She is one of the staple hosts of SNL now in my humble opinion. She can pull off both beautiful and sexy. It's not her fault she fell a few places, but other ladies had better years.
   

3. Selena Gomez. It was always going to be tough to beat her perfect year. Hot album, hot videos trending most of the year, crushed swimsuits. It's amazing to look back and see where she came from. A somewhat awkward wizard on Disney that tried to be sexy but wasn't, and now I'm not sure that from a beauty standpoint that she can be surpassed this year. Plenty of time to get to the top again, and I'd be very surprised if she wasn't there.
   
   
   

2. Kate Upton. I thought she was going back to the #1 spot this year, because she did everything right. Back on top of the Swimsuit world with an SI Cover. Stud fiancée. Good Instagram. Didn't change for the mainstream expectation. Nothing wrong with #2 this year, especially considering my selection for #1.
   

1. Victoria Justice. I really didn't see this coming. I've always been a fan, but not to the point where I would put her in the group of the Upton, Knightley, Johansson triumvirate. She's pretty, but not in the sense of a knockout. More or less extremely elegant. Her ascension to the top begins with her personality. She might be the nicest, most genuine person in Hollywood. I've never really used that as criteria for a list that doesn't require that type of skill to reach the summit. But her persona is so warm, so real, that I can't not enjoy it and evolve in my thought process for picking the best. Victoria is changing the world.