We’ve picked the top celebs we think were the most influential trendsetters when it came to hair this year. We can’t wait to see what they do in 2012!

1. Kate Middleton

The demure Duchess of Cambridge always looks classically beautiful and has brought back an appreciation for soft, simple, natural looking hair.  We’re not sure what she’s going to do in 2012 however since it’s been reported that her hairstylist, James Pryce (who she took on her Canadian tour with her this past year) has left London’s Richard Ward Salon, where he’s made quite a name for himself. Will she leave the salon and go with Pryce or find a new stylist? We’ll have to see how her hair looks in the new year.

2. Rihanna

Rihanna’s bright red locks (which varied in texture and length all year long) appeared on nearly every magazine cover this year and inspired thousands of knock-off looks. This risk taker always manages to bring new trends to the red carpet (remember the angled bob?) but she’s recently gone for a more natural look with rich, brown curls. Maybe she’s just in a transition period but we have a feeling she’s currently deciding her next big hair move.

3. Katy Perry

This has been quite a year for Katy Perry in terms of her hair. When she released her first fragrance she shocked fans with orangey-red locks. Then we spotted her at The Smurfs premier with honey yellow strands. More recently she was seen all over with bubblegum pink hair, but it seems like she’s settled on a mix of pink and blonde for now. While we like this fresh look for Perry (who is a natural blonde) we still think she looks stellar with jet black hair. What will she settle on in 2012?

4. Dianna Agron

Dianna Agron, known for her role as pretty cheerleader Quinn Fabray on Glee, chopped off her blonde locks this year for a shabby chic chin length ’do. She shared images of her hair being cut on her Tumblr blog – continuing the whole new trend of using social media to share new looks before the paparazzi can. The red carpet darling worked the new ‘do on the cover of Cosmopolitan and looks stellar every time she steps out. It just goes to show that you don’t need long hair to look glamorous in Hollywood.

5. Emma Watson

Shedding her mousy Hermione Granger image from Harry Potter, Emma Watson chopped off her long locks in favour of a trendy pixie cut in 2010, which is now growing out into a sweet shag. This dramatic change looks incredible with her bone structure and gives her a timeless, attractive look, reminiscent of Audrey Hepburn. She’s already a muse to designer Karl Lagerfeld and artist Mark Demsteader (as well as the new face of several Lancôme Paris beauty products) and we can’t wait to see if she continues to grow it out in 2012.

6. Jennifer Aniston

Jennifer recently lopped off her longer tresses in favour of shoulder length hair that frames her great jawline. We love how relaxed and simple this look is, and how she never looks like she’s trying too hard. Could this new length, which her stylist Chris McMillan calls a “growb” (a growing-out bob), be the “Rachel” of 2012?

7. Nicki Minaj

We’re not really sure if putting Nicki Minaj on our list means she’s had some of the best hairstyles this year – she’s definitely not afraid to take chances! Her looks range from playful pink curls to funky dip dyed strands to things we’ve never seen before (or care to see again). We can’t say all her looks were hits, but we like that she always shook up the red carpet with something daring and different.

Let us know if you agree or disagree with our picks!