One Direction named MTV's 2012 Artist of the Year

They’re platinum. They’re fascinating. And now One Direction is MTV’s 2012 Artist of the Year. MTV says the fivesome is “the clear choice for the top spot” after a year that included two No. 1 albums, hits such as “What Makes You Beautiful” and a sold-out world tour. [caption id=“attachment_557013” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] Band members, from left, are Liam Payne, Zayn Malik, Harry Styles, Niall Horan, and Louis Tomlinson: AP[/caption] One Direction’s Louis Tomlinson called Thursday’s honor “the icing on the cake.” MTV’s team of music staffers chose Carly Rae Jepsen’s “Call Me Maybe” as song as the year. One Direction placed third on the UK version of “The X Factor” in 2010 and made their US debut in March with the No. 1 album “Up All Night.” Their sophomore album, “Take Me Home,” was the year’s third-highest debut. The group also made Barbara Walters’ most fascinating people of 2012 list.