List Rules Vote up the individuals who have made the biggest impacts this year so far.
From Oscar winners and musicians to political figures and activists, this list compiles the most influential people of the year. The year 2018 has marked many major changes in the realms of entertainment and politics. We've watched groundbreaking films like Black Panther and Get Out change movie trends in America, listened to passionate teenage activists challenge organizations like the NRA, and have seen world leaders navigate unprecedented conflicts and natural disasters. Who was the most important person of this year? Help decide below!
In 2018, Kendrick Lamar became the first rapper in history to win a Pulitzer Prize and Jordan Peele and Ryan Coogler broke boundaries for African American representation in cinema. However, it's not just entertainers who have proven to be important public figures this year. Donald Trump continues to play a major role worldwide as the president of the United States and Kim Jong-un has a massive impact on world events and politics as leader of North Korea. Given these tumultuous times, celebrities are sharing their perspectives more than ever, with figures like Kanye West speaking frankly about their opinions on current events.
Who had the most influence this year overall? Vote up the 2018 influential people you feel truly made a difference.
In May 2018, Glover dropped a new Childish Gambino track titled "This is America." It's a symbolic piece about public perception of black culture and the epidemic of systemic violence against African American communities in the United States. Glover's TV series, Atlanta, is also known for challenging stereotypes around black culture, meaning he has been hugely influential in starting dialogue and debate regarding race in 2018.
Kendrick Lamar is an American rapper, songwriter, and poet. In 2018, he earned four Grammys, a Pulitzer Prize (the first rapper ever to do so), and a Billboard Music Award for his latest album DAMN.
Beyoncé, long considered a strong voice for black women, performed at Coachella in 2018. Her act was an homage to women, heritage, culture, strength, and humanity as a whole, proving she remains a relevant public figure.
Known for portraying the antagonist of Black Panther, Michael B. Jordan's sympathetic portrayal of Killmonger was met with praise for its nuanced take on race relations.
Former actress Meghan Markle became the Duchess of Sussex in 2018 when she wed Prince Harry in a ceremony that was broadcast across the globe. As part of her new role, Markle will represent the royal family and the United Kingdom worldwide.
Pope Francis is the 266th pope and has been influential for questioning traditional Catholic views, especially on topics like homosexuality and atheism, and has had a big influence on Catholic doctrine worldwide.
Chadwick Boseman is an actor, director, and producer who starred in Ryan Coogler's Black Panther. The filmmarked a huge shift in Hollywood in 2018 as studios tried to make the industry more diverse as a whole.
Her powerful speech at the 2018 Golden Globes made many want to see the TV mogul go for a presidential run in 2020. While she declined the chance, Winfrey continues to have an influence on culture and politics, recently promoting a book written by a wrongly convicted former death row inmate.
Formally most well known for the comedy program Key and Peele, Jordan Peele has shifted the way cinema approaches race with his 2018 Oscar-winning film Get Out.
Emma Gonzalez is a survivor of the Marjory Stoneman Douglass High School shooting in February 2018. Since then, she's grown into the voice of her peers as an activist and gun control advocate.
Post Malone's album is the first to have every song to enter the Billboard 100 chart. He has continually broken records in the music industry and continues to be a very influential figure in the music world.
The former FBI director is head of the Special Counsel investigation looking into possible Russian interference in the 2016 elections. Regardless of whether you believe collusion occurred, the scandal has had an incredible impact on United States politics and Mueller has played a major part in that.
As the first female Chancellor of Germany, Angela Merkel has played a significant role in America's communication with Germany during Trump's presidency.
Our 45th POTUS is an American entrepreneur turned politician. Regardless of your personal opinions on the Trump presidency so far, no one can argue the Commander in Chief's policies and public statements have not been hugely influential in 2018.
In 2018, various scandals about the misuse of Facebook data emerged, resulting in CEO Mark Zuckerberg appearing before Congress. Regardless of one's thoughts on Facebook and social media in general, such sites continue to have a big impact on our daily lives. Given Zuckerberg is the mastermind behind one of the biggest social media platforms out there, he's undoubtedly had influence this year.
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David Hogg
A survivor of the Marjory Stoneman Douglass High School shooting, David Hogg has become an outspoken activist who pushes for stricter regulations on gun control in the United States.
He won Best Director, Best Original Screenplay, and Best Picture at the 2018 Oscars for The Shape of Water. Guillermo del Toro is a Mexican writer, producer and director famous for many films that include fantastical and paranormal creatures.
Ryan Coogler is the co-writer and director of the year's must-see movie, Black Panther. His first feature film, Fruitvale Station, documented the last day of Oscar Grant's life, a victim of a police shooting in Oakland, CA.
She's a singer, songwriter, and performer who continues to be highly popular in 2018. Swift has also recently become more vocal about her feminist views.
PewDiePie with a loyal fanbase of 63 million subscribers can change the internet in an instant. He has been described as the "meme killer" by redditors who blame the death of memes on his popular series "Meme Review". He has also given fame, whether good or bad to many people by making videos on them including Alinity, Lil Tay and Gloria Borger. He is constantly attacked by the media but this just shows how powerful his voice and opnion can be.
Xi Jinping is the 7th President of the People's Reublic of China. As the Trump administration navigates tariffs and foreign policy, Xi Jinping has been a huge player in American economy.
James Comey is the former FBI director whose 2017 dismissal was met with controversy. In 2018, Comey released a book titled A Higher Loyalty where he offers an inside look into the American political system.
At the 2018 Oscars, Greta Gerwig was a nominee for Best Director and Best Original Screenplay for her directorial debut, Lady Bird. The film marked a trend towards diversity in Hollywood as it was one of many acclaimed films of the year that focused on female characters.
Kanye West continues to be a highly influential public figure in 2018. In addition to releasing the new album Ye, West has been outspoken in his support of the Trump administration throughout 2018.
While Tarana Burke has long been an activist, she rose to prominence in 2018 as she coined the term "Me Too" to unite victims of sexual violence back in 2006. Since then, she has played an active part in the modern feminist movement.
While still alive, XXXTENTACION pushed for positivity and happiness. He started the helping hand challenge which aimed to donate the most to charities. Even after his tragic death his songs continue to top the charts and influence others.
Currently the President of Russia, Vladimir Putin has been a Russian politician since the early '90s. Given the ongoing investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election, Putin remains an influential (and controversial) figure in 2018.
Canadian born and NYC bred, Samantha Bee is a comedian, writer, actress, and political commentator. She's known for being bold and controversial, especially covering polarizing topics in 2018.
Known most recently for her performance at the White House Correspondent's Dinner, Michelle Wolf is a comedian and comedy writer from Pennsylvania. Her jokes tackle hot button topics like sexual misconduct, Russian scandal, and gender inequality, making her brand of comedy highly relevant in 2018.
With his diss track "The Story Of Adidon", Pusha T changed the public's view of Drake forever buy exposing him for having an alleged son with a pornstar and doing blackface. He changed the view on Drake so much that Drake has even said he is going to take a paternity test to see if he actually has a song. Additionally Pusha T's album DAYTONA has done very well.
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1525053266880 added Anthony Fantano
Anthony Fantano is the biggest force in the music industry. If he gives an album a bad review, his opinion can spread to his viewers. This is the case with Culture II by Migos. Before Fantano reviewed it, people viewed the album as good but the minute his review saying the album is long and repetitve comes out people hate it.
Whether you like him or not Lil Pump has influenced the music industry and spawned many rip offs of his music and personality. He has built of the success of "Gucci Gang" and spawned chart topping hits such as "Esskeetit" and even got on the Deadpool 2 soundtrack with the song "Welcome To The Party".
Kim Jong-un is the leader of the Democratic People's Repulic of Korea. Given the high tensions between North Korea and the United States, Kim Jong-un's policies, public statements, and diplomatic decisions have been hugely influential in 2018.
Lil Tay may be hated but her impact on the internet has spawned many duplicates and copy cats of her. Her influence has spread to the mainstream media and even got her on ABC news.
The former mayor of New York City and the current lawyer for Donald Trump, Giuliani's allegiance to the president and major role in the Executive Branch have kept him in the headlines throughout 2018.
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Lara Bonnert added Peer van Mladen
More than 8 million dollars in annual revenue and one of the most influential music producers
The current head of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Pruitt's decisions and opinions throughout 2018 on topics like climate change and pollution have been met with both outrage and praise. During 2018, he was the subject of 12 separate investigations regarding things like his spending habits and management techniques.
