| THEROCK | Recently named highest grossing actor of 2013, how is Dwayne Johnson better known? (3,4) |
| SCOTT | In NCIS: New Orleans, actor _ Bakula is Dwayne Pride. |
| SWIFT | Recently named by Forbes as the highest earning celebrity of the past 12 months. (5) |
| TAYLORSWIFT | Singer recently named Time's Person of the Year for 2023; five of her No. 1 hits are this puzzle's theme entries |
| GATLAND | Recently named Lions coach for next year's tour of New Zealand. (7) |
| POSTTRUTH | Which adjective was recently named "word of the year" by Oxford Dictionaries? (4,5) |
| GRIMES | One-named singer who recently named her son X AE A-Xii |
| HALLGRIMSSON | Who was recently named the new manager of the Ireland men's football team? (12) |
| PARISJACKSON | The King of Pop's daughter who was recently named an ambassador for the Elizabeth Taylor AIDS Foundation: 2 wds. |
| AXISOFEVIL | Recently named grouping of rogue states |
| ABBEYLEIX | Recently named Ireland's Tidiest Small Town for 2021. (9) |
| TRAIN | GWR 802109 - recently named after a Canadian pop star (6, 5) |
| SHANIA | GWR 802109 - recently named after a Canadian pop star (6, 5) |
| SMERTIN | Alexey ___, former Russia and Chelsea midfielder; recently named as the Russian FA's new anti-racism inspector (7) |
| CONANOBRIEN | Gallup recently named Finland the world's happiest country for the fourth year in a row; this American comic traveled there in 2006 to meet with its president, since he bears a striking resemblance to |
| WADHURST | Hastings line station serving town recently named in the Sunday Times as the best place to live in the UK (8) |
| WILLIAMS | American rapper and singer-songwriter recently named as UN ESCO Goodwill Ambassador for Arts, Education and entrepreneurship (8,8) |
| PHARRELL | American rapper and singer-songwriter recently named as UN ESCO Goodwill Ambassador for Arts, Education and entrepreneurship (8,8) |
| FROZEN | Highest-grossing animated film of 2013 |
| END | "This Is the ___" (apocalyptic James Franco comedy of 2013) |
