TIME Announces Shortlist for 2015 Person of the Year

A shortlist of candidates chosen by TIME magazine’s editors for the 2015 Person of the Year was revealed on NBC’s TODAY show Monday morning. The eight contenders are, in alphabetical order:

Abu Bakr Al-Baghdadi, who as leader of ISIS has inspired followers to both fight in his self-declared caliphate of Iraq and Syria, and also stage attacks in countries like Tunisia and France.

Black Lives Matter activists, who have protested inequality towards African Americans, especially in their treatment by law enforcement.

Caitlyn Jenner, whose coming out as a transgender woman prompted widespread conversations about gender identity and issues of equality for the LGBT community.

Travis Kalanick, who as CEO of Uber drove his car-hailing company to a nearly $70 billion valuation, but also drew criticism about the downside of the sharing economy.

Angela Merkel, who as German chancellor has been at the center of major news events this year, from economic strife in the Eurozone to Europe’s ongoing migrant crisis.

Vladimir Putin, who as president of Russia has defied Western sanctions over his country’s military activity in Ukraine to play a critical but precarious role in the war on ISIS.

Hassan Rouhani, who as president of Iran is seeking to bring his country out of pariah status and repair its sanctions-crippled economy by pursuing a nuclear deal with the West.

Donald Trump, whose populist rhetoric has made him frontrunner in the race for the Republican presidential candidacy and stirred debate about the party’s future.

The 2015 Person of the Year will be unveiled on TODAY Wednesday morning, when the news will also be shared on Time.com. NBC is also asking readers to vote on which of the eight finalists should be named Person of the Year.

In addition, TIME is teaming up with Bitmoji to bring you the opportunity to create your own #BitmojioftheYear. Download the app and check out what your Bitmoji would look like as Person of the Year. See TIME editor Nancy Gibbs’ Bitmoji here: