The Beckhams rocking hats at the royal wedding. Photo: Getty Images

The Headwear Association of America has announced their 2012 winners and, well, it’s quite a diverse group. You may not think you have what it takes to rock a top hat to work or a fascinator to your local bar, but chances are you have something in common with at least one of these people: LL Cool J, Lady Gaga, Victoria Beckham and Kid Rock. The Headwear Association says their mission is “to promote the headwear industry” and they’ve recruited quite a crew to speak up on behalf of hats. LL has the Kangol look down (and the release actually says, “Ladies love cool James in a hat”) while Kid Rock, who’s often seen without a shirt, is rarely seen without a cowboy hat. We don’t often think of Victoria Beckham wearing something on her head, unless it’s a royal occasion, but we do always expect a topper on Gaga. Even without such dedicated hat-wearers, it was quite a year for hats given the attention paid to the royal family. And that brings us to the most glaring omission: If Fred Astaire and Marlene Dietrich can be inducted post-humously for their sartorial choices, surely Princess Beatrice can at least get an honorable mention for wearing the most talked about hat of the year?