The US magazine Time came up with the idea of a Person of the Year in 1927. Most of the choices since have been politicians. But this year it chose a musician - one of The Day's own candidates.

The singer who became a phenomenon Time's choice was Taylor Swift: "She was everywhere in 2023, filling stadiums and breaking records," the magazine explained. She had three number one albums, bringing her total to 13 - a record for a female musician.

She is a clever businesswoman whose earnings from her Eras tour are expected to total £3.2bn.¹ She also has political influence. When she urged her followers in the US to register as voters, there was a 115% increase in registrations by 18-year-olds.²

The leader who championed small nations As prime minister of BarbadosAn island nation in the Caribbean. Most of its inhabitants are the descendants of slaves who were traded under British rule., Mia Mottley has been a forceful leader in the fight against climate change. She has committed her country to phasing out fossil fuels by 2030, and argued eloquently that rich nations must support more vulnerable ones.

Her BridgetownThe capital city of Barbados. Initiative is a plan to make it easier for developing countries to borrow money to deal with climate change. It has been compared to the Marshall Plan after World War Two. Some see her as a future head of either the United NationsAn international organisation focused on keeping peace. Its refugee agency, the UNHCR, aims to assist refugees around the world. or the World BankA financial institution that provides loans and grants to developing countries in an effort to reduce poverty. .

The scientist warning against AI Geoffrey Hinton is one of three men known as "the godfathers of AI". His work helped make systems like ChatGPTAn Artificial Intelligence chatbot released in November 2022. possible.

But in February he concluded that AI could soon be superior to the human brain. He worried that it might start to think for itself, and even try to take control from humans. In May he resigned from Google so that he could "freely speak out against the risks of AI".

The politician combating populism Last week Donald Tusk became prime minister of Poland, ending eight years of rule by the Law and Justice (PiS) party. His victory offered hope that the global tide of populismA type of politics that claims to represent the common people in the fight against a powerful and "elite" establishment. can be reversed.

The PiS had cracked down on gay rights and abortion rights, demonised migrants and curtailed press freedom. It had also undermined the independence of the law courts, as a result of which the EU had frozen billions of euros in funding.

Tusk, who survived a poisonous election campaign, intends to reverse all of this. He is also expected to reinforce the EU's support for Ukraine.

Choose which of these impressive people is your person of 2023. Come back tomorrow to see who has won.