LOS ANGELES, Dec. 11, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- After more than 2.4 million votes were cast internationally, Hunger Games' humble yet fierce Jennifer Lawrence took the number one position on AskMen's "Top 99 Most Desirable Women" list. In the poll, which surveyed AskMen readers, Lawrence shot up ahead of her Hollywood peers, including Kristen Stewart (No. 7), Jessica Biel (No. 24), Charlize Theron (No.97) and reality TV star Kim Kardashian, who dropped from No. 8 on last year's list to No. 98 this year. 

The 12^th edition of the Top 99 Most Desirable Women poll, calls on AskMen readers to elect women who most closely match their ideals. These men were tasked with voting on more than just sex appeal, taking into account character, intelligence, talent, sense of humor, professional success, achievements in 2012 and potential for 2013.

Lawrence's victory follows an incredible 2012 for the 22-year-old starlet, whose breakout performances in Hunger Games and Silver Lining Playbook turned the heads of men worldwide and pinned her as the next big thing. Lawrence is followed by TED actress Mila Kunis, who has consistently appeared on AskMen's Top 99 since 2008 a Sports Illustrated turned Vogue model Kate Upton stayed high up on the list, landing at No. 3, dropping only one spot from the 11^th edition of the list.

With more than 40% of the women on the list appearing for the first time, it's fair to say there is a new breed of strong and independent women taking over. Take Lawrence's No. 1 ranking after her fearless roles, or Claire Danes, who earned an Emmy this year for her standout performance on Homeland, at No. 20. Anne Hathaway shaved her head for her dramatic role in Les Miserables and came in at No. 47. Other powerful women on the list include Marissa Mayer, President and CEO of Yahoo!, at No. 59, First Lady Michelle Obama at No. 33 and Nadezhda Tolokonnikova of Russian activist-punk group Pussy Riot at No. 85.

James Bassil, Editor-In-Chief of AskMen, commented, "The top-rated women on AskMen's 12^th edition of the Top 99 Most Desirable Women list speaks to men's growing comfort with strong and independent partners.  While undeniably successful candidates like Marissa Mayer have rocketed up the list, the more ambiguous "career" women -- like Kim Kardashian -- have plummeted on it."

The "Top 99 Most Desirable Women of 2013" features a new generation of leading women:

• Girls actresses Jemima Kirke (No. 51) and Allison Williams (No. 42), Mad Men actress Jessica Pare at No. 9, Beyonce's sister, singer Solange Knowles, at No. 50, Australian Youth Olympian Michelle Jenneke at No. 10 and newlywed U.S. soccer team goalie Hope Solo at No. 30. 
• Music icons have historically pushed boundaries on what's considered desirable, and this year is no different, with American Idol judge Nicki Minaj dropping off the list and making way for newbies Azealia Banks (No. 49) and "Call Me Maybe" singer Carly Rae Jepsen at No. 75.

For a third year in a row, TV actresses dominated the list, with 24 TV stars claiming spots. Modern Family's Sofia Vergara topped last year's list, and she continued to hold strong at No. 12 this year. Has dating bad boy Kanye West hurt Kim Kardashian's image? The reality tv star dropped to No. 98 on this year's list. Perhaps not, as "bad girl" Kristen Stewart's public infidelity had no impact on her desirability, which resulted in a climb from No. 27 last year to No. 7 this year. Likewise, Scarlett Johansson fell from No. 7 to No. 45. Will her upcoming sultry performance in A Cat on a Hot Tin Roof on Broadway restore her sex appeal?

Votes for the 12^th annual list also prove that men are loving women over 40, including Vergara (No. 12), Sarah Silverman (No. 23), Lucy Liu; (No. 69) and Rachel Weisz (No 72). First Lady, Michelle Obama, at age 48, is the oldest woman featured on this list, at No. 33.

1. Jennifer Lawrence
2. Mila Kunis
3. Kate Upton
4. Rihanna
5. Emma Stone
6. Miranda Kerr
7. Kristen Stewart
8. Jessica Gomes
9. Jessica Pare
10. Michelle Jenneke
11. Candice Swanepoel
12. Sofia Vergara
13. Blake Lively
14. Christina Hendricks
15. Emilia Clarke
16. Cheryl Cole
17. Zooey Deschanel
18. Olivia Munn
19. Naomie Harris
20. Claire Danes
21. Katy Perry
22. Lara Stone
23. Sarah Silverman
24. Jessica Biel
25. Kate Middleton
26. Chanel Iman
27. Adriana Lima
28. Freja Beha Erichsen
29. Emma Watson
30. Hope Solo
31. Rosie Huntington-Whiteley
32. Beyonce
33. Michelle Obama
34. Alison Brie
35. Erin Heatherton
36. Olivia Culpo
37. Sara Carbonero
38. Rashida Jones
39. Marion Cotillard
40. Alessandra Ambrosio
41. Lolo Jones
42. Allison Williams
43. Ronda Rousey
44. Candace Bailey
45. Scarlett Johansson
46. Kerry Washington
47. Anne Hathaway
48. Natalie Portman
49. Azealia Banks
50. Solange Knowles
51. Jemima Kirke
52. Keira Knightley
53. Antonija Misura
54. Olivia Wilde
55. Doutzen Kroes
56. Selena Gomez
57. Kat Dennings
58. Amanda Seyfried
59. Marissa Mayer
60. Marcela Valladolid
61. Heidi Klum
62. Bar Refaeli
63. Sherlyn Chopra
64. Cobie Smulders
65. Leryn Franco
66. Morena Baccarin
67. Bipasha Basu
68. Paula Patton
69. Lucy Liu
70. Genesis Rodriguez
71. Lana Del Rey
72. Rachel Weisz
73. Lindsey Vonn
74. Chloe Wilde
75. Carly Rae Jepsen
76. Jessica Chastain
77. Cassie
78. Joan Smalls
79. Tracy Spiridakos
80. Tina Fey
81. Iggy Azalea
82. Liu Wen
83. Rose Byrne
84. Olivia Thirlby
85. Nadezhda Tolokonnikova (Pussy Riot)
86. Imogen Poots
87. Bar Paly
88. Shailene Woodley
89. Aubrey Plaza
90. Jenna Marbles
91. Rocsi Diaz
92. Paulina Gretzky
93. Katie Holmes
94. Amrita Acharia
95. Kate Moss
96. Ana Ivanovic
97. Charlize Theron
98. Kim Kardashian
99. Berenice Marlohe

For exclusive videos, photos and comments from this year's honorees, visit www.askmen.com. Up-to-date coverage of the Top 99 Most Desirable Women can also be found on AskMen's Facebook and Twitter.

Here is what some of the Top 99 women had to say:

"Thank you Ask Men for choosing me this year! It's such an honor and I hope I can continue being park of the AskMen family!" – Jessica Gomes, No. 8

"I love AskMen.com. Thank you for including me amongst these incredible women. Honored!" – Candice Swanepoel, No. 11

"I am hugely flattered to have been voted on to the AskMen Top 99 Most Desirable Women list. Please pass on a sincere thank you to all the readers who voted for me."- Emilia Clarke, No. 15

"Being on the Top 99 list of askmen.com is extremely flattering! Thank you xx" - Chanel Iman, No.26

"Thank you Askmen.com! It is so amazing to be on your Most Desirable list!"- Olivia Culpo, No.36

"I am honored. I will adore this moment because I fear this title will drop next year because it's hard to look amazing in bobsled with snot running down your nose" – Lolo Jones, No.41

About AskMen
AskMen, a unit of News Corporation, is the world's No. 1 lifestyle site for men. Dedicated to helping readers become better men on subjects such as fashion, health, dating, career, fine living, and entertainment, AskMen has the widest reach in the men's lifestyle category, attracting 20 million unique visitors worldwide. A foremost content provider with an archive of more than 100,000 articles.

SOURCE AskMen.com