Each year, TIME Magazine assembles a list of the 100 most influential people of the year, called the TIME100. The people that win the honor of being on this list are those who have impacted the world heavily over the past year, for better or for worse. 

The list includes important figures from six categories: Artists, Icons, Titans, Leaders, Innovators. Nominations for the list come from previous TIME100 alumni and writers for TIME from all over the world. However, the final list is selected by the editors of TIME Magazine. Each person who is selected for the list gets a bio written about them, likely from the person who nominated them. Many important figures such as Michelle Obama, President Joe Biden, and Padma Lakshmi have written tributes to those nominated this year. Below we will discuss the varied figures that are part of this year’s TIME100 list. 

In the category of Artists, some significant people were Alia Bhatt, Dev Patel, Da’vine Joy Randolph and Leslie Odom Jr. Alia Bhatt is an Indian actress who has starred in many popular Bollywood films and recently made her English-film debut in 2023’s Heart of Stone. Dev Patel is known for starring in many popular movies like The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel and The Personal History of David Copperfield. Da’Vine Joy Randolph recently won the Oscar for Best Actress in a Supporting Role for her role in The Holdovers. Leslie Odom Jr. is best known for his role as Alexander Hamilton’s rival, Aaron Burr, in the hit musical Hamilton. He has been in a variety of other popular films such as Harriet and Murder on the Orient Express. 

Some notable faces in the category of Icons are Taraji P. Henson, Michael J. Fox, Sakshi Malik, and Hayao Miyazaki. Taraji P. Henson is known for her roles in Hidden Figures and The Color Purple. Michael J. Fox is well known for playing Marty McFly in the iconic ‘80s movie series, Back to the Future. Sakshi Malik is a professional wrestler from India who was the first Indian female to win an Olympic medal at the 2016 Olympics. Hayao Miyazaki is known for being a co-founder of Studio Ghibli and creating many of their films. 

Other important figures that have received honors are Patrick Mahomes, the quarterback of the Kansas City Chiefs, whose team recently won Super Bowl 2024; Kelly Ripa, famous daytime talk show host; and Ajay Banga, president of the World Bank. 

Overall, a variety of people from all over the world, not just America, have been honored as a part of this year’s TIME 100 list. Hopefully they will continue to impact the world in positive ways over the coming years.