Taylor Swift, Xi Jinping, King Charles III among TIME Person of the Year 2023 finalists

The finalists for the 2023 "Person of the Year" award by TIME magazine have been announced, featuring a diverse mix of political and cultural icons. Among them are Chinese leader Xi Jinping, American singer Taylor Swift and British king Charles III.

Chinese President Xi Jinping pop star Taylor Swift and King Charles. Photos Depositphotos

The finalists were revealed on NBC's "Today Show," and they also include the head of the Federal Reserve Jerome Powell, the blockbuster movie "Barbie," and the CEO of OpenAI Sam Altman.

Taylor Swift, who became a billionaire in October, according to Bloomberg, is one of the most influential artists in music history. The "1989" star is one of the rare musicians who achieved this financial success with only music releases and performances, the outlet reported. We cross our fingers and wish her luck!

“Taylor is in a unique position, in terms of monetizing her talent. In an era where artists have lost millions — as album sales gave way to digital downloads — she’s actually riding the tech wave, instead of going out with the digital tide,” branding expert Doug Eldridge told FOX Business.

King Charles, who turned 75 recently, has sometimes been eclipsed by the media attention on Prince Harry and Meghan Markle this year.

In 2022, TIME named Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy its "Person of the Year," beating out nine other individuals or groups who were finalists. The "spirit of Ukraine" was also honored for the Ukrainians' resistance to the Russian invasion of their country.

Russian leader Vladimir Putin also made the list of finalists from TIME staff, as his country continues to fight with Ukraine. Putin was the 2007 TIME Person of the Year.