TIME Magazine's "Person of the Year" award has, since 1927, endeavored to determine whom, "for better or for worse...has done the most to influence the events of the year." The award has gone to Mahatma Gandhi, Martin Luther King, Jr., "American women," and most recently "Ebola fighters." However, like the description indicated, the recipient of the award does not have to be a beneficent force in the world. "Person of the Year" (called "Man of the Year" until 1999) has gone to Adolph Hitler, Joseph Stalin, and Ayatollah Khomeini. This year's nominees do not seem as controversial, however. The magazine is holding a vote among readers for who will receive the award in 2015. TIME will also make its selection for the "Person of the Year.' Although Bernie Sanders is currently leading in the polls, popular artist Drake and Nicki Minaj have been included in the voting, and stand a chance to receive the impactful award. Other nominees include Jennifer Lawrence and Barack Obama.
Regarding the rationale behind choosing Drake as a nominee, the magazine wrote, "The first artist to go platinum in 2015. Drake saw his 'Hotline Bling' video get spoofed by Donald Trump and get covered by a range of artists. His feud with Meek Mill over ghostwriting accusations also reignited debates about authenticity in hip-hop."
In reference to their choice of Minaj as a nominee, TIME said, "The artist broke out as one of the entertainment world's most outspoken voices on issues of race, gender, and sexuality, and made waves with a headline-grabbing MTV Video Music Award appearance and third world tour."
Voting ends at 11:59 on December 4th, and the choice will be revealed on December 7th. TIME's editors will then announce their "Person of the Year" on December 9th on The Today Show.
