By The Associated Press

ROME - He's Italian premier, media mogul and one of the country's richest men. Now Silvio Berlusconi can add "Rockstar of the Year" to his caps.

The Italian edition of Rolling Stone magazine said it named Berlusconi for a "lifestyle worthy of the greatest rock stars." The magazine dedicated the cover of its December issue to a smiling Berlusconi, the red, white and green colours of the Italian flag in the backdrop.

The 73-year-old premier has been entangled in a sex scandal this year, with several young women saying they attended parties at his residences. One prostitute says she spent one night with Berlusconi in Rome but wasn't paid.

The premier has denied ever paying for sex, though he said he is "no saint."

Last year, Roberto Saviano - the author of the book "Gomorrah," a crime expose on Neapolitan organized crime - became the first winner of the Rolling Stone "Rocksar of the Year" award.