Last week TIME magazine released its annual list of the 100 most influential people in the world, and while we were happy to see stars like Jennifer Lawrence and Beyoncé make the cut, we wished that some of our other favorite celebrities had been recognized too. So we decided to do something about it!
Below, check out our roundup of the 10 most influential stars who are using their fame and power to make the world better for all of us. Be sure to let us know what you think of our list in the comments!
10. Lady Gaga
Some recent health issues have forced Lady Gaga to take a break from the spotlight, but let's not forget all of the incredibly generous things that she's done in the past, from making a $1.2 million personal donation to jumpstart her Born This Way foundation to pleding $1 million to help victims of Hurricane Sandy.
9. Bella Thorne
The Shake It Up! star stays just as busy CeCe in real life; not only is she involved with The Nomad Organization, the Humane Society, and the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, she is also a Youth Ambassador for StompOutBullying.org.
8. Demi Lovato
Demi has always used her personal struggles with body image to help other troubled teens deal with the same issues. The most recent example: When she tweeted a pic without makeup earlier this month -- along with the message "Ladies, be brave today... take off your makeup and stop using those filters!! WE are beautiful!!!" -- the X-Factor judge practically started a natural beauty revolution among her fans.
7. Victoria Justice
How's this for using your talent to help others: Victoria was so inspired by her charitable trip to Guatemala with the United Nations Foundation's Girl Up campaign -- a group that gives American girls the opportunity to become global leaders -- that she wrote a song called "Girl Up" to benefit the organization.
6. Cody Simpson
This Aussie singer isn't just easy on the eyes -- he's also a passionate advocate for animals' rights, appearing in a PSA for PETA last summer. As Cody explained to Do Something, "I've always loved dogs and after seeing a news report on dogs being abused, I asked my manager if there was some way I could be a part of something to speak up for animals since they can't speak for themselves."
5. Miley Cyrus
Miley is involved with a handful of charities -- from Save The Music to Make-A-Wish -- but Saving Spot! Rescue, an Los Angeles-based non-profit dedicated to finding homes for dogs from high-kill shelters, is her favorite of the bunch. In fact, earlier this year that's where she adopted her latest pup, an adorable Chihuahua mix!
4. Selena Gomez
Selena became the youngest UNICEF Ambassador in the United States back in 2009, and has used her star power to promote important social causes for them ever since; case in point, her recent UNICEF charity concert raised $200,000 for kids in Africa.
3. One Direction
One Direction's recent Comic Relief trip to Ghana proved that the boys are just as interested in making a difference as they are making amazing music. "My mum worries about me all the time so I can't imagine how terrible it must be for these mothers to see their babies so poorly," Harry Styles said during a visit to one of the country's children's hospitals. "Looking into a tiny baby's eyes and seeing their pain is terrible."
2. Taylor Swift
From her inspiring work with young cancer victims to her recent donation of $4 million to the Country Hall of Fame Museum, there's a good reason why the pop star topped DoSomething.org's 2012 list of the most charitable celebs and became the youngest person ever to receive the Ripple of Hope Award from the Robert F. Kennedy Center.
1. Justin Bieber
Earlier this week we told you that the singer is about to go down in history as the musician to grant the most wishes through the Make-A-Wish foundation. When you add that to his recent Believe Charity Drive, which raised more than $1 million, it's almost impossible to compete with Justin.