THE HOLLYWOOD Walk of Fame, one of Hollywood’s most famous and iconic destinations, celebrates its 50th Anniversary this year. As the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce plans various local events honoring the golden milestone, the Chamber had a busy month of June while it reviewed hundreds of applications for Stars to be approved and unveiled in 2011.

Unlike other major Hollywood honors such as the Oscars and Emmys, the Chamber does not reveal the names of all the nominees submitted for Stars – just those selected to be honored. However, according to the Chamber, since there is a cap on how many Stars will be installed in one calendar year, “those not selected for the current year are requested to resubmit for the following nomination period. Posthumous awards require a five-year waiting period.”

The criteria for receiving a star consists of the following: professional achievement, longevity of five years or more, contributions to the community and the guarantee that the celebrity will attend the dedication ceremony if selected. 2011’s honorees clearly meet the criteria and add some the biggest and brightest star-power to the legendary attraction, including award winners, a TV titan, an acting dynasty and some very lively “inanimate” stars:

The Walk of Fame recipients for the year 2011 are:

MOTION PICTURES: Penelope Cruz, Bruce Dern, Laura Dern, Diane Ladd, Ed Harris, The Muppets, Kenny Ortega, Gwyneth Paltrow, Ridley Scott, Sissy Spacek, Donald Sutherland and Reese Witherspoon.

TELEVISION: Danny DeVito, Tina Fey, Simon Fuller, Neil Patrick Harris, John Langley, Ed O’Neill, John Wells, and Oprah Winfrey.

RECORDING: Melissa Etheridge, Los Tigres Del Norte, Rascal Flatts, Go-Go’s, Slash, Will i. Am, and Bebe & Cece Winans.?Posthumous: Buddy Holly and Louis Prima

LIVE PERFORMANCE/THEATRE: Joe Mantegna

For more information on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, including 2011induction ceremony dates and locations, and the Walk of

Fame’s history, go to hollywoodchamber.net the summer.”