Singer, songwriter, designer and gay rights activist Lady Gaga is a powerful figure in the global entertainment industry. The 25-year-old super star was recognized Monday when she was named the 2011 AP Entertainer of the Year.

The self-proclaimed Mother Monster beat Apple founder Steve Jobs who passed away this year by three votes. Taylor Swift, Charlie Sheen, Adele and the cast of Harry Potter were also popular votes. In the past, the AP Entertainer of the Year award has gone to Betty White, Taylor Swift, Tina Fey and Stephen Colbert.

The award was chosen based on 135 ballots submitted by U.S. news organizations part of AP's membership. The ballots were cast by editors and broadcasters based on who they thought had the most influence on entertainment and culture in 2011.

The singer also topped Forbes' Top Earning Women in Music award this year with her estimated earnings of $90 million between May 2010 and May 2011.

She gets people talking, Greg Retsinas, digital director of the Press Democrat of Santa Rosa, Calif. She's a polarizing figure not just in music and fashion but in pop culture and society. In a recent week, I heard her referenced personally by my 9-year-old daughter, a prominent local CFO and an airline pilot, all glowingly.

Mother Monster was on a Monster Ball Tour for much of this year and is currently prepping for a Born This Way tour.

One of my greatest artworks is the art of fame, the 25-year-old told 60 Minutes earlier this year. I'm a master of the art of fame.

Singer Lady Gaga appears at a ribbon cutting ceremony of Gagas Workshop
Singer Lady Gaga appears at a ribbon cutting ceremony of Gaga's Workshop at luxury department store Barneys in New York November 21, 2011. Barneys is teaming up with flamboyant pop singer Lady Gaga for a Christmas holiday campaign and window display called "Gaga's Workshop," the pop singer's interpretation of Santa's Workshop. REUTERS/ERIC THAYER
Singer Lady Gaga at International Emmy Awards
Singer Lady Gaga is seen after presenting the Founders Award at the International Emmy Awards in New York on Nov. 21, 2011. REUTERS/Jessica Rinaldi
Lady Gaga poses with the trophy for Pop International
Lady Gaga poses with the trophy for Pop International during the 63rd Bambi media awards ceremony in Wiesbaden on Nov. 10, 2011. Every year, the German media company 'Hubert Burda Media', honors celebrities from the world of entertainment, literature, sports and politics with the Bambi awards. REUTERS/Alex Domanski
Lady Gaga Performs at the MTV Europe Music Awards
Lady Gaga performs at the MTV Europe Music Awards show in Belfast on Nov. 6, 2011. REUTERS/Cathal McNaughton
Lady Gaga at iHeartRadio Music Festival
Lady Gaga performs during the second day of the iHeartRadio Music Festival at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada on Sept. 24, 2011. The festival marks the official launch of iHeartRadio, Clear Channel's free digital radio product combining more than 800 broadcast radio and digital-only stations from 150 cities. REUTERS/Steve Marcus
Lady Gaga at 2011 MTV Video Music Awards
Singer Lady Gaga poses with her awards for Best Video with a Message and Best Female Video at the 2011 MTV Video Music Awards in Los Angeles on Aug. 28, 2011. REUTERS/Danny Moloshok
Lady Gaga Hits Sydney
U.S. singer Lady Gaga waves as she walks across the tarmac after arriving by private jet at Sydney Airport on July 9, 2011. REUTERS/POOL New
Lady Gaga in Taipei
U.S. singer Lady Gaga listens to a question during a news conference in Taipei July 4, 2011. Lady Gaga will be in Taiwan from July 1-5 to promote her latest album "Born This Way". REUTERS/Nicky Loh
Lady Gaga
Lady Gaga, aka Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta (USA), had more than 11,259,372 Twitter followers of her @ladygaga Twitter feed as of June 29, 2011. REUTERS/Issei Kato
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