Time Magazine is set to announce this year’s Person of the Year tomorrow.
The award is a tradition that dates back to 1927, according to Time, and is the “annual designation for the person, group or concept that most shaped the headlines, for good or ill.” Volodymyr Zelenskyy was named Time Person of the Year in 2022.
The nine candidates for the honor were revealed recently; let’s have a look at this list of the personalities among one of them will become Time’s Person of the Year. So, here are the finalists for this year’s award:
Taylor Swift
Swift, who beat Jinping for the 2017 Person of the Year, had a massive year, from re-releasing her albums with record-setting streams to make one of the most successful concert films in history, according to Time. Her “Eras Tour” tour is also on track to become the highest-grossing global tour of all time.
Hollywood strikers
According to Time, the strike put on by Hollywood actors and writers this year was “a rare show of the power of both labor and the entertainment industry.”
The strike, which lasted 118 days, ended when a tentative agreement was reached in November between SAG-AFTRA, the union representing 160,000 actors and media professionals, and Hollywood studios and streaming services.
Barbie
The Greta Gerwig-directed film became the highest-grossing movie of 2023 with more than $1.36 billion globally, surpassing “The Super Mario Bros. Movie.” “The film made clear the possibility for theatrical success remains even in a streaming world,” Time said of the movie.
Vladimir Putin
The Russian President was Time’s Person of the Year in 2007 and has been on the Time100 list multiple times, including in 2022, the publication said.
Russia continues to wage war in Ukraine after a full-scale invasion in 2022.
King Charles III
King Charles III took his position on the throne in May.
“At a moment of change for the monarchy, he signified the power of tradition,” Time said. His mother, Queen Elizabeth II, was Time’s Person of the Year in 1952 when she ascended to the throne.
Xi Jinping
The Chinese President has been on the Time100 list more than 10 times, according to the publication. The list honors the 100 most influential global figures. Jinping was also a runner-up for Time’s 2017 Person of the Year.
Jerome Powell
Powell has been the Chairman of the Federal reserve since February 2018 and has “played a key role managing high inflation in the U.S.,” according to Time. He has been on the Time100 list twice before, in 2019 and 2020.
Sam Altman
Altman has previously appeared on the inaugural “Time 100 AI list” as well as the 2023 Time100, according to the publication.
Time said Altman “has made countless headlines for his departure (and swift return) to his position as CEO of OpenAI, the company that released the groundbreaking ChatGPT.”
Trump prosecutors
Trump became the first U.S. president in history to be indicted, charged in four separate cases with more than 90 counts.
Prosecutors in Florida, Georgia, New York and Washington D.C. brought forward felony charges for election interference and illegally holding on to classified documents.
