BTS & BLACKPINK Are Both Nominated For TIME Magazine’s “Person of the Year” 2020
Prestigious US magazine TIME has revealed its shortlist for this year’s “Person of the Year” title, and both BTS and BLACKPINK are among the nominees!
Every year for the past 93 years, TIME has awarded one person (or group of people, idea, or object) the title of “Person of the Year”. According to the American magazine, which has a readership of 26 million people, the winner is someone (or something) that has “for better or for worse… has done the most to influence the events of the year“. Now, BTS and BLACKPINK are in the running.
In many ways, this year has been BTS’s biggest ever despite the COVID-19 pandemic. The group broke the record for the world’s most-watched online concert and recently became the first South Korean group to receive a GRAMMY nomination. On top of that, they spoke at the United Nations 75th General Assembly on overcoming the struggles of the pandemic in preparation for their latest single “Life Goes On”.
Likewise, BLACKPINK has also soared to new heights with three successful comebacks this year. Their accolades have already been recognized by several outlets, including Bloomberg (which named BLACKPINK the world’s biggest pop act) and Variety (which named them “Group of the Year”).
BTS and BLACKPINK are part of an 80-nominee shortlist. Essential workers in the COVID-19 pandemic are currently one of the most popular nominees. Other favorites to win include Dr. Anthony Fauci (the infectious disease expert who led the US government’s COVID-19 response), President-elect Joe Biden, Vice President-elect Kamala Harris, Black Lives Matter activists, and former Georgia gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams.
Last year, TIME’s person of the year was teenage environmental activist Greta Thunberg, who beat out Donald Trump, Nancy Pelosi, the Hong Kong protesters, and the whistleblower in Trump’s Ukraine scandal.
You can vote for your favorite artist in TIME’s online reader poll. Right now, BTS has a vote ratio of 8% “Yes”, 92% “No”. BLACKPINK has a ratio of 5% “Yes”, 95% “No”. However, while voting is a fun way to show public favor, note that the decision on who wins “Person of the Year” is ultimately down to TIME.
Who should be TIME’s Person of the Year for 2020? Cast your vote for #TIMEPOY here: https://t.co/vDPjHorHRO pic.twitter.com/wTKwABXp2O
— TIME (@TIME) November 27, 2020
In 2018, BTS won the online vote, but the title was awarded to The Guardians—journalists who faced persecution for their reports.
