Celebrity Odds – Who’ll Win 2016 Instagram Battle?

Young celebrities are crazy about selfies. According to CrowdTangle, the top-ten Instagram posts in 2015 came courtesy of Hollywood’s most youthful stars like Kendall Jenner, Justin Bieber, and Selena Gomez. Meanwhile, Taylor Swift reached a social media milestone last December, when she broke 60 million Instagram followers.

In an age when number of Instagram followers doubles as an indelible marker of celebrity status, we can effectively pit celebs against each other in popularity contests supreme. Who will end the year as the coolest of the cool (based on number of Insta-followers)? We set the odds!

Odds on which celebrity will have the most Instagram followers in 2016:

Taylor Swift: 3/1
Current number of followers: 61.4 million

The smashing success of her pop album 1989 and its subsequent world tour made Taylor Swift one of the hottest artists of 2015. Her high-profile romance with Calvin Harris, and her ongoing beef with Katy Perry, will surely keep her in the conversation this year.

Kim Kardashian: 4/1
Current number of followers: 55.8 M

Kim Kardashian continued to dominate the tabloids in 2015. She welcomed baby Saint, published a portfolio book, and released her own emoji pack. K-Kar (does anyone call her that?) is also set to star in Zoolander 2 this year, which should boost her star power even further. That’s if she doesn’t break the Internet first.

Kylie Jenner: 6/1
Current number of followers: 47 million

Kylie Jenner had an excellent year in 2015. The Kardashian half-sister earned over one billion likes on Instgram in 2015 alone. Her pouty lips also fueled the online beauty fad dubbed the “Kylie Jenner Challenge,” which had girls everywhere augmenting their kissers in shot glasses.

Kendall Jenner: 7/1
Current number of followers: 45.5 million

Another member of the Kardashian clan, Kendall Jenner is catching up to half-sister Kim. One of many fashion models using social media to grow their fanbase, Kendall made a name for herself strutting the runways for the hottest designers last year. Kendall also launched a clothing line with sister Kylie for Topshop, which speaks to her brand power.

Justin Bieber: 8/1
Current number of followers: 52 million

Considering Justin Bieber gained worldwide notoriety via social media, you don’t have to be a Belieber to understand why he is a top Instagrammer. After several run-ins with the law, the Biebs made a comeback in 2015 teaming with Skrillex and Diplo for the smash hit “Where Are U Now?” Bieber will be embarking on his Purpose Tour this year, which should generate plenty more buzz.

Ariana Grande: 10/1
Current number of followers: 54.6 million

The pint-sized Grande has been busy of late. The former Broadway star turned pop sensation wrapped up her Honeymoon Tour, guest starred in Scream Queens, and released a Christmas LP. She is also working on her third studio album, Moonlight, which is slated to drop later this year.

Selena Gomez: 15/1
Current number of followers: 59.1 million

Selena Gomez’s ongoing saga with Justin Bieber has fans rallying behind her in record numbers. Gomez is also focusing on her film career, with three upcoming films in 2016. It’s safe to say that “Selly” will be getting her fair share of the spotlight.

Beyonce: 18/1
Current number of followers: 55.7 million

Beyonce is looking to be taken seriously as an actress, which is why she is writing a screenplay for a film about Saartjie Baartman. Queen Béy and Jay Z are also collaborating on a joint album, which should keep her firmly in the news and picking up Insta-steam.

Nicki Minaj: 20/1
Current number of followers: 43.9 million

Nicki Minaj, the hugely successful rapper/singer-songwriter/actress, has a legion of fans online. Her array of colorful costumes and wigs photograph well, and her appearances as a judge on American Idol have made her a household name.

Khloe Kardashian: 30/1
Current number of followers: 39.1 million

Reality star Khloe Kardashian dropped 30 pounds last year and is proudly showing off her hot bod on social media. Khloe’s ex-husband, Lamar Odom, was also the top trending search on Google which earned her lots of media attention in 2015.

Kourtney Kardashian: 30/1
Current number of followers: 31.7 million

Kourtney was relatively quiet in 2015, but when your last name is Kardashian, it’s hard to keep a low profile. Keeping Up with the Kardashians was renewed for another season, which means you can expect to see more of older sister Kourtney whether you like it or not.

GiGi Hadid: 45/1
Current number of followers: 11.2 million

GiGi Hadid (pictured) doesn’t boast the Instagram numbers of the rest of the people on this list, but her account may be ready to explode. GiGi was linked to Joe Jonas and former One Direction member Zayn Malik. The sexy model also appeared in music videos for Taylor Swift, Calvin Harris, and Cody Simpson. After walking the runway at the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show in December, Hadid is officially on a roll, and her online fanbase is growing quickly.

(Photo credit: Eva Rinaldi [CC BY-SA 2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons. Photo has been cropped.)