Introduction to the 2020 TIME Person of the Year
Every year, TIME names a single person or symbol that best reflects the news and forces that shaped the preceding 12 months. The 2020 selection arrived amid a global pandemic, widespread social unrest, and contentious politics, requiring a choice that could represent many people rather than one individual. In line with its practice for similar milestone years, TIME chose not to name a single person but instead named “You,” meaning the tens of millions of people who drove essential change in 2020. This evergreen explainer describes how the choice was made, why it was made, what it represents, and how the recognition fits into TIME’s broader Person of the Year tradition.
Background on TIME Person of the Year
TIME Person of the Year began in 1927 with aviator Charles Lindbergh and has since honored individuals, groups, objects, or abstract concepts that materially shaped the year’s events. The selection is editorial, based on influence and news impact rather than popularity alone. Over time, the practice evolved to include symbolic choices when a person cannot fully capture a year: for example, "You" in 2006 (the year of user-generated content), "The Silence Breakers" in 2017, and multiple recipients in some years to reflect broad movements. In 2020, TIME framed its decision as a reflection of collective action during crises, aligning with earlier symbolic choices while responding to a year defined by global health emergencies and demands for racial and social justice.
How the 2020 Selection Was Made
TIME’s editors and analysts evaluate candidates through a lens that prioritizes impact on events, news cycles, and public discourse. For 2020, the year was characterized by the COVID-19 pandemic, economic disruption, protests for racial equality, and pivotal elections in several countries. Rather than naming any one person, TIME announced on December 10, 2020, that the cover and annual designation would go to "You." This marked one of the few times in the award’s history that the honoree was intentionally plural, representing the many individuals who mobilized as caregivers, activists, frontline workers, organizers, and neighbors. The announcement came with a detailed explanation that the choice was editorial, nonpartisan, and intended to recognize agency at a collective level during an extraordinary year.
Context for the Choice
By late 2020, TIME noted that traditional measures of influence looked different. Billionaires, politicians, and CEOs still made headlines, but the year’s defining stories were also driven by millions of unseen contributors. Healthcare workers risked their lives in hospitals; educators rapidly moved classes online; racial justice protesters organized in cities worldwide; and neighbors delivered aid to vulnerable households. TIME’s editors framed “You” as a way to acknowledge that the year’s outcomes were less the product of a single person and more of widely distributed effort and risk-taking. The choice was also consistent with TIME’s history of adapting the Person of the Year to reflect technological shifts and social movements, from early individual honorees to later symbolic recognitions.
Why the Recognition Matters
TIME Person of the Year functions as both a historical record and a cultural mirror. It captures who or what commanded attention and shaped daily life, politics, and policy over a 12-month window. Symbolic choices like “You” extend the utility of the recognition: they expand the conversation from personality to systems, and from singular moments to ongoing dynamics of power and participation. For researchers, journalists, and the public, the designation offers a reference point for how a year is summarized in a single, widely disseminated cover. By naming “You” in 2020, TIME signaled that the year’s outcomes were not inevitable but were instead shaped by ordinary people who took extraordinary action under difficult conditions.
2020 in Context: Comparable Symbolic Choices
TIME has used symbolic or collective selections in notable years to reflect movements or forces rather than a single person. These choices illustrate how the magazine balances specificity with representativeness:
| Year | TIME Person of the Year | Type of Selection | Primary Reason |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006 | You | Symbolic (collective) | Rise of user-generated content and social platforms |
| 2017 | The Silence Breakers | Group | #MeToo movement and speaking out against harassment |
| 2020 | You | Symbolic (collective) | Mass mobilization during pandemic, protests, and elections |
Frequently Asked Questions
- Who is on the 2020 TIME Person of the Year cover? The cover prominently features the word “You” in large text, often accompanied by multiple faces, hands, or symbolic imagery representing many people acting together.
- Does naming “You” diminish the achievement of specific individuals? No. TIME clarified that the choice was meant to complement stories of specific actors by highlighting the broader context in which their efforts gained meaning. Individual stories were still covered, but the overall emblem of the year was collective action.
- Can businesses or movements be named Person of the Year? TIME has named organizations (e.g., "The Whistleblowers") and groups, but in 2020 the honoree was intentionally abstract and universal, representing widespread participation rather than any single entity.
- Is this the first time “You” was chosen? No. TIME previously chose “You” in 2006 to recognize the impact of everyday people creating and sharing content online during the rise of Web 2.0.
What the 2020 Choice Signals for Future Recognition
By selecting “You” in 2020, TIME acknowledged that influence can be distributed and that historical turning points are often the result of countless coordinated actions. The choice does not diminish leadership; rather, it contextualizes it within ecosystems of mutual aid, protest, care, and innovation. Moving forward, the Person of the Year continues to serve as a tool for framing annual narratives, with the 2020 edition underscoring the importance of civic participation, resilience, and shared responsibility in times of crisis.
Conclusion
The 2020 TIME Person of the Year was deliberately broad: “You.” This decision reflected a year when global health, justice, and governance were shaped not only by prominent figures but by millions of people responding to unprecedented challenges. The recognition remains useful as a historical marker of collective agency, and it demonstrates how editorial honors can evolve to capture complex, multifaceted years. As a consistent practice, the Person of the Year offers a concise yet powerful lens through which to understand a year’s most influential forces, whether those forces appear in the form of one person or many.