TIME has released its full list of 100 most influential people of 2021 and plans to showcase the list with seven special, worldwide covers.
The list released on Wednesday featured Nigeria’s own Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala.
The 18th annual list of influential people includes 10 climate leaders, dozens of advocates, political leaders, 54 women and the youngest featured in the issues is 18-year-old Sunisa Lee. The oldest person in the 2021 issues is 78-year-old President Joe Biden.
Celebrities and political leaders showcased on the covers of the global magazine include Prince Harry and Meghan, gymnast Simone Biles, actor Kate Winslet, singer-songwriter Billie Eilish, director-general of the World Trade Organization Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, CEO of NVIDIA Jensen Huang and writer Cathy Park Hong.
“At TIME, we see the TIME100 as far more than a list,” said TIME CEO and editor in chief Edward Felsenthal in a statement.
“It is a community of leaders whose energy and commitment we hope inspires others to spring into action as well.”
The list also features pairings where TIME magazine asked guest contributors to talk about the impact of each of the people featured on the list. Some include:
José Andrés on Prince Harry and Meghan, The Duke and Duchess of Sussex
Kenneth Branagh on Kate Winslet
Serena Williams on Simone Biles
Megan Thee Stallion on Billie Eilish
Andrew Ng on Jensen Huang
Ali Wong on Cathy Park Hong
Prince Harry and Meghan on Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala
Paris Hilton on Britney Spears
Nancy Gibbs on Donald Trump
Michelle Kwan on Allyson Felix
Julie Andrews on Shonda Rhimes
Miley Cyrus on Dolly Parton
“I find reason for optimism… in our 18th annual TIME100 list of the world’s most influential people,” Felsenthal added. “It features extraordinary leaders from around the world working to build a better future, from entertainers striving to make Hollywood more inclusive to activists fighting for sustainability and human rights….They are disrupters, fixers, doers, iconoclasts, problem solvers—people who in a year of crisis have leaped into the fray.”
