16 people who you will be talking about in 2016

With a new year upon us, we can't help but wonder: who is the Next Big Thing? From up-and-coming models and musicians, to a female superhero and possible Oscar nominees, here are 16 rising stars who we're betting will be the topic of many conversations (all good!) in 2016.

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Kaia Gerber
The next Gigi Hadid? We certainly think so. Kaia Gerber is following in her supermodel mom Cindy Crawford's footsteps. The 14-year-old IMG model landed her first editorial in Italian Vogue in early 2015, so this budding cover girl's career is already off to a fashionable start. And keep your eyes on the big screen too: Kaia will also feature in the movie 'Sister Cities' in 2016.

Photo: WireImage

Giacomo Gianniotti
Giacomo may be new to Seattle Grace Hospital (he made his debut on 'Grey's Anatomy' this year), but 2016 will certainly keep Dr. Andrew DeLuca on his toes. Born in Rome, and having moved to Toronto, Canada when he was a teenager, he finally set out in 2015 for the City of Angels. Next year, the 26-year-old will be seen in the film 'Race,' which is based on the story of legendary athlete Jesse Owens.

Photo: Getty Images for GQ Magazine

Alicia Vikander
It's been a breakout year for this Swedish actress, who starred in 'Ex Machina,' 'The Man from U.N.C.L.E.' and 'The Danish Girl.' Alicia has already earned a Critics' Choice Awards nod along with a Screen Actors Guild nomination and two Golden Globe nominations for the upcoming award season. It's safe to say we'll be seeing a lot more of her! In 2016 alone, the 27-year-old has four projects scheduled for release including 'Tulip Fever' with Cara Delevingne and an untitled 'Bourne' sequel with Matt Damon.

Photo: FilmMagic

Charles Kelley
He might already be known as 1/3 of the country group Lady Antebellum, but this 34-year-old has some exciting solo projects in store for the new year. The Georgia-born singer is nominated for his first-ever Grammy for his song "The Driver" that he wrote with Dierks Bentley and Eric Paslay. Starting in the spring, the soon-to-be new dad will embark on a tour throughout the country.

Photo: Getty Images

Gal Gadot
Meet the new leading lady of the highly anticipated film, 'Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice.' The Israeli-born actress is one lucky, well, gal, playing Wonder Woman alongside two of Hollywood's most dreamy men, Ben Affleck and Henry Cavill. The 30-year-old is also getting into comic book character filming her solo superhero film 'Wonder Woman,' which is slated for a 2017 release.

Photo: WireImage

Benjamin Walker
If you are a fan of romantic films, then you're going to love Benjamin's upcoming project. This 33-year-old is following in the footsteps of Ryan Gosling and Liam Hemsworth, starring in the upcoming Nicholas Spark's film 'The Choice.' Something tells us he will be at the center of many dates and movies nights in 2016!

Photo: WireImage

Shanice Williams
She's not in Jersey anymore! This teen from Rahway, New Jersey broke out late this year with her performance as Dorothy on NBC's 'The Wiz Live!' starring alongside some of the biggest names in the music business. Something tells us Shanice will be following the yellow brick road to further success next year.

Photo: Paul Gilmore/NBC

Jacob Tremblay
At only 9 years old, Jacob has already earned his first SAG and Critics' Choice Awards nominations for his performance in 'Room.' The adorable star, who hails from Vancouver, Canada, also has Oscar buzz surrounding him as we approach the award season. Needless to say, we have our eyes set on this kid!

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Rachel Platten
This singer from Massachusetts had a huge year in 2015 with her hit single "Fight Song." The 34-year-old even joined pop star Taylor Swift on her '1989' stage to perform the tune. Want to see this talent for yourself? Rachel will be visiting states around the country when she kicks off her 'Wildfire' tour in 2016.

Photo: FilmMagic

Bel Powley
She's off to a good start! Bel beat out Oscar winner Cate Blanchett this year at the Gotham Awards for best actress. The 23-year-old British star is already garnering Oscar buzz for her performance in 'The Diary of a Teenage Girl,' and has five projects slated for a 2016 release date, including the comedy 'Carrie Pilby,' in which she stars alongside Vanessa Bayer and Jason Ritter.

Photo: WireImage

Charlie Puth
You might remember Charlie from his infamous make out session with Meghan Trainor at the AMAs, but this singer is about to be known for a lot more. Not only did he recently collaborate with Selena Gomez, but this first time-Grammy nominee snagged three nominations for his tribute song to Paul Walker, "See You Again." The 24-year-old, who hails from Rumson, New Jersey, is also nominated for best original song at the Golden Globe Awards.

Photo: Getty Images for iHeartMedia

Katherine McNamara
If 'Pretty Little Liars' is any indication, then Katherine's new ABC Family (soon to be Freeform) show 'Shadowhunters,' is sure to be a huge success. The 20-year-old will play the lead Clary Fray from the book to TV series. In 2015, Katherine starred on the big screen in the 'Maze Runner: The Scorch Trials,' which is nominated for a 2016 People's Choice Award.

Photo: FilmMagic

Alvaro Soler
This 24-year-old Spanish singer-songwriter is on the rise since recording a song with Jennifer Lopez this year. JLo heard Alvaro's "El Mismo Sol" and asked if he would like to do it again – but with her this time! As she told Billboard, "This fun infectious song came on and then we all started dancing and singing! I loved the spirit and message of the song, Alvaro's voice and the flamenco clap... We decided that night to call Alvaro and see if he would like to do it as a duet. He loved the idea and the rest is the record you hear." The duo recorded it together and performed the hit at iHeart Radio 2015. Don't be the last one to have seen the singer in action – his original video of the song has over 60 million views on YouTube.

Photo: Getty Images for iHeartMedia

Hannah James
This Virginia native, who just graduated acting school, is known for playing Beth in the short thriller 'Winding Lane,' but in 2016 will star in Ridley Scott’s new PBS mini-series 'Mercy Street.' The actress will take on the lead role of historical figure Emma Green in the Civil War drama which premieres in January.

Photo: FilmMagic

Chris Lane
This rising country singer-songwriter, who hails from Kernersville, North Carolina, debuted his single "Fix" earlier this year. The 31-year-old has already garnered the attention of his peers including country stars Brett Eldredge, Florida Georgia Line, Lucy Hale and Cole Swindell. He is currently on Dustin Lynch’s 'HELL OF A NIGHT' tour right now, but we think Chris is up for one hot year in 2016!

Photo: Chuck Around

Alessia Cara
The Canadian singer is already part of Taylor Swift's squad – the "Bad Blood" singer invited Alessia to join her onstage to perform during her 1989 tour. Taylor tweeted, "I honestly couldn't be more impressed by @alessiacara. 55,000 people and she was absolutely fearless." The 19-year-old, best known for her debut single "Here," has come a long way since covering songs on YouTube. She released her debut album in November of 2015, "Know-It-All."

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