On December 6, world-famous pop star Taylor Swift was named the TIME Person of the Year for 2023. Over the last 12 months, the TIME editorial team has tracked the success of several athletes, CEOs, politicians, and musicians, but ultimately, Taylor Swift came out triumphant.

Taylor Swift is a singer-songwriter born in December 1989 in West Reading, Pennsylvania. Swift’s career first took off when she signed a record deal with BM Records. Her first album, Taylor Swift, was released later that year, including a mix of country and pop songs. Swift’s second album marked a moment in her career. Not only did it solidify her status as a country-pop singer-songwriter, but it also earned her a large audience and several awards, including four Grammy Awards. Swift kept producing music and gradually moved away from country to pop songs to appeal to a larger audience. Swift was the first woman to win Album of the Year twice at the Grammys, and after winning four awards at the 2018 AMAs, she became the most-awarded female in history.

Since 1927, TIME has picked an individual, concept, or group most influential on the world that year—for better or worse. “Man of the Year” was the title of the franchise up until 1999, until it was changed to “TIME Person of the Year.” Although the title change was made in 1999, only two women had won previously, making Swift the third individual woman to win. The award has gone to numerous presidents, politicians, leaders, and titans, but never before Swift had it gone to a musician.   

So, who was in the running for this year’s TIME Person of the Year? On December 4, the nine candidates who were in the running were revealed: The Hollywood strikers; Xi Jinping, the Chinese president; Sam Altman, the creator of Chat GPT; the Trump Prosecutors; Barbie; Vladimir Putin, the president of Russia; King Charles III, the monarch of the UK; Jerome Powell, the Chairman of the Federal Reserve; and of course, Taylor Swift. Out of the nine candidates, only two were women, and one of those two was a movie character. 

This is not Swift’s first time winning a TIME Person of the Year. In 2017, a group called the “Silence Breakers” created a movement that promoted anti-harassment and won the award. During that year, several allegations were made against Harvey Weinstein and other men. The magazine cover featured several women who spoke out about sexual harassment, including Swift. “I was made to feel bad about the consequences that my harasser faced,” Swift said. David Muller, her harasser, was fired, yet he sued her for millions in damages. According to TIME, she countersued him for a single dollar as an act of symbolism. This award for Swift was a powerful message we needed to hear from someone with an essential role like herself. 

Swift’s 2023-2024 Eras Tour has been a transformative period, which has significantly contributed to her success. Swift is known for her unique way of infusing personal experiences into her lyrics. This tour highlighted her journey through her music and allowed fans to connect with her. According to The Washington Post, she will make approximately $4.1 billion from The Eras Tour. Swift’s cult-like fan base raved about the concert, making it nearly impossible for people to get tickets to see it. Her massive following has snowballed over the past year and will continue to grow. The Eras Tour differed from anything artists did in the past, and she will continue to shape the music industry.

“I believe Taylor Swift is extremely deserving of this award,” Eliza Cekirge (’26) said. “She is a talented artist and businesswoman who truly cares for her fans. She has accomplished many things in her career, and I’m eager to see what else she can do.”