Who would you vote for? Our people of the year nominees are individuals whose courage, conviction and impact shaped the world in profoundly different ways.
2025 in review: People of the year
Gamechangers: Four people who inspired others and took risks in 2025. Glossary
Virginia Giuffre - A campaigner who offered support to victims of sex trafficking. She has accused Prince Andrew of sexually abusing her. Andrew eventually settled out of court. Giuffre died in April 2025 aged 41.
Advocate - To publicly recommend or support a particular cause.
Posthumous - After death.
Oval Office - The president's main office in the White House.
Volodymyr Zelensky - Zelensky won more than 73% of the vote to become Ukrainian President in April 2019. Incredibly, he once starred in a satirical drama in which his character accidentally wins the Ukrainian presidency.
Diabetes - A medical condition causing there to be too much sugar in the blood.
OCD - Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder, a mental health condition involving intrusive thoughts and/or repetitive behaviours.
Hanukkah - Also called Chanukah, an eight-day Jewish festival known as the "festival of lights" which usually takes place in December. It is a reminder of a battle against the Greeks over religious freedom more than 2,000 years ago.