Time 100 list: Megan Thee Stallion, Michaela Coel and Phoebe Waller-Bridge among most influential people in the world

This year’s list ‘looks far different than any of us could have predicted just six months ago’, says Time magazine boss

Sabrina Barr
Wednesday 23 September 2020 08:20 BST
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The annual Time 100 list of the most influential people in the world has been announced, with rapper Megan Thee Stallion, I May Destroy You creator Michaela Coel and Fleabag creator Phoebe Waller-Bridge featured on the list.

This year’s list, which was first launched by Time magazine in 2004, includes a record number of women, the publication stated, with 54 in total.

Among them is Megan Thee Stallion, who recently achieved her first UK number one hit following the release of “WAP”, on which she collaborated with fellow rapper Cardi B.

Empire actor Taraji P Henson paid tribute to Megan Thee Stallion in the new issue of the magazine, emphasising the influence the 25-year-old has had in the music industry in the early stages of her career.

"She rode the beat like I'd never heard anybody ride the beat in a long time – and I'm a hip-hop head,” Henson stated.

“The industry might try to pigeonhole her in this rap game, but she's got a plan that's much bigger. And we got her. I just want her to keep winning."

Taylor Swift, a fan of Fleabag, paid homage to Emmy Award-winning actor and writer Waller-Bridge, the brains behind the hit TV series.

"Sometimes all the puzzle pieces fall into place at the perfect time,” Swift wrote.

“A combination of razor-sharp instincts, killer wit and genuine care for the people she works with proved to be a winning hand."

Several of the other women featured on the Time 100 list included Michaela Coel, who has been lauded for the creation of critically-acclaimed TV series I May Destroy You; YouTube star JoJo Siwa; Democratic vice presidential candidate Kamala Harris and singer Halsey.

The issue of Time magazine, which has been released worldwide, features eight different covers of individuals included on the list.

The cover stars include American immunologist Dr Anthony Fauci, actor Gabrielle Union and her partner, athlete Dwyane Wade, and Amy O’Sullivan, a nurse who has been working throughout the coronavirus pandemic.

The magazine also features an additional cover in tribute to the late Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, who died on Friday 18 September at the age of 87.

Ginsburg was featured on the Time 100 list in 2015.

Edward Felsenthal, CEO and editor-in-chief of Time magazine, said that this year’s list “looks far different than any of us could have predicted just six months ago”.

“The Time 100 has always been a mirror of the world and those who shape it,” he stated.

“While you will certainly find people who wield traditional power on this year’s list – heads of state, CEOs, major entertainers­ – it also includes many extraordinary, lesser-known individuals who seized the moment to save lives, build a movement, lift the spirit, repair the world.

“Their work challenges each of us to wield our own influence toward a world that is healthier, more resilient, more sustainable and just.”

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