From Vladimir Putin to Taylor Swift: The finalists for 'Time''s Person of the Year

Time magazine will announce the Person of the Year on Wednesday, December 6, continuing an almost 100-year-old tradition. Days before the 2023 election, the magazine has released the finalists’ names, ranging from world leaders to artists and fictional characters.

According to the magazine, the famous Person of the Year simply designates the “person, group or concept that has most influenced the headlines, for better or worse.” The last ones honored were Volodomir Zelensky and the “spirit of Ukraine,” Elon Musk, Kamala Harris, Joe Biden, Greta Thunberg and a group of journalists named Guardians, in that order.

For 2023, Time selected the following finalists: Taylor Swift, Sam Altman, the prosecutors who accused Donald Trump, Vladimir Putin, Barbie, Xi Jinping, the Hollywood workers on strike, Carlos III and Jerome Powell.

Taylor Swift

The artist stood out for the re-release of her most popular albums and her tour, dubbed The Eras Tour, which became the highest-grossing world tour of all time. For example, her fans in Argentina set up tents outside the stadium where she was set to perform, where they lived in shifts with their colleagues so they could be the first to enter and nab the best seats.

Sam Altman

Perhaps one of the most recent additions to the list, since the now reinstated CEO of OpenAI lost his job in November and did not take long to recover it. His initial departure caused resignations from the company’s board of directors, which days later decided to rehire him, so his name was in the news worldwide.

The prosecutors who charged Trump

In 2023, Donald Trump became the first president in the history of the United States to be formally charged with a crime, which, of course, made headlines around the globe. For this reason, Time has as finalists the prosecutors who accused him in New York, Georgia, Florida and Washington DC.

Vladimir Putin

Vladimir Putin, who was already highlighted as Person of the Year in 2007, continues to wage his war in Ukraine. However, 2023 came with an additional dispute: the conflict with the Wagner Group.

Yevgeny Prigozhin, leader of the paramilitary group that was once an ally of the Russian leader, died a short time after his revolt in a plane crash.

Barbie

The only fictional character among the group of finalists paved her way to the nomination after starring in her first live-action film. The film, directed by Greta Gerwig and starring Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling, became the highest-grossing film of 2023, grossing approximately $1.4 billion.

Xi Jinping

The president of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) came in second place in 2017 and is now seeking to reach the cover of Time for the first time after having achieved an unprecedented third term in the history of the eastern country.

The Hollywood workers on strike

Hollywood screenwriters and actors were in the news throughout the year due to strikes that paused the production and filming of shows and movies, which, of course, reached all the portals in the world due to its impact on the entertainment world.

Charles III

After several decades of waiting for the throne, the now king of England was crowned in May of this year, marking the end of the long reign of Elizabeth II, who was already named Person of the Year in 1952, precisely the year in which she became queen.

Jerome Powell

To finish up the list of finalists is the chairman of the Federal Reserve who has been attempting to control inflation. Powell carried out a strategy called “soft landing,” which sought to increase interest rates without causing a recession.