Time announces Person of the Year
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has been announced as TIME Magazine’s Person of the Year for 2022, alongside the “spirit of Ukraine”, for “proving that courage can be as contagious as fear”.
Editor-in-chief Edward Felsenthal said the choice was “the most clear-cut in memory” after the announcement was made on Wednesday.
“Whether the battle for Ukraine fills one with hope or with fear, the world marched to Volodymyr Zelensky’s beat in 2022,” he said.
TIME's 2022 Person of the Year: Volodymyr Zelensky and the spirit of Ukraine #TIMEPOY https://t.co/06Y5fuc0fG pic.twitter.com/i8ZT3d5GDa
— TIME (@TIME) December 7, 2022
The comedian-turned-politician was elected as the country’s President in 2019 and has been working to rally support among his people and the world at large since the Russian invasion began in February.
Zelenskyy’s decision “not to flee Kyiv but to stay and rally support was fateful”, according to Felsenthal.
“For proving that courage can be as contagious as fear, for stirring people and nations to come together in defence of freedom, for reminding the world of the fragility of democracy — and of peace — Volodymyr Zelensky and the spirit of Ukraine are TIME’s 2022 Person of the Year,” he added.
The magazine also honoured the people of Ukraine, highlighting engineer Oleg Kutkov - who worked to help keep Ukraine connected - Kyiv Independent editor Olga Rudenko, and David Nott, a British combat surgeon.
The annual award, which has sparked debate and controversy over the nearly 100 years since it began, is given to an event or person deemed to have had the most influence on global events each year.
Along with Zelenskyy and the spirit of Ukraine, the finalists for this year’s award included protestors in Iran, Chinese leader Xi Jinping, and the US Supreme Court.
Women in Iran were the magazine’s 2022 Heroes of the Year, while K-pop band Blackpink were deemed the Entertainer of the Year.
To see TIME’s full list of recipients for 2022, head here.
Image: Twitter