The Jonas Brothers: Entertainers of the Year

Just 10 months ago — what amounts to nearly a lifetime in the teentainment universe — the Jonas Brothers were no more than a footnote to Disney star Miley Cyrus. They played on her tour, appeared in her 3-D concert movie, and guested on her TV show. But after a full-court press by the brothers — with starring roles in Disney's Camp Rock, the release of their summer anthem ''Burnin' Up,'' and a platinum album (A Little Bit Longer) — 2008 became the Year of Jonas faster than you could utter ''Hannah who?''

The Jonas Brothers — singer and guitarist Nick, 16; singer Joe, 19; and guitarist Kevin, 21 — were built to be teen idols: a band of brothers with wholesome good looks, but also a soupçon of trendy emo style, who churned out infectious pop-rock tunes and have been linked to red-hot teen stars like Taylor Swift and Selena Gomez. But though their shtick may seem overly produced, one quality sets the JoBros apart: They're actually talented. The brothers write all of their own music and have managed to mature as songwriters, drawing both Disney tweens and a larger mainstream audience.

Despite all that actual artist stuff, the pandemonium swirling around the Jonases is as frenzied as that for any of the boy bands of yesteryear. Fans mark their bodies with permanent-marker tattoos (''Future Mrs. Jonas!'' stands as the most popular). And back in August, when the trio took residence in New York City for a week to herald the release of Longer, a midnight trip to Virgin Megastore to buy their album turned into a hormonal mob scene. ''Our fans basically shut down Times Square,'' remembers Joe. ''It was insane. For a good five minutes, it felt like Times Square on New Year's Eve, but in August.'' Adds Nick: ''We're living a lot of people's dreams.'' And they're likely in a lot of people's dreams, too.