The shortlist of candidates for TIME’s 2018 Person of the Year was unveiled Monday on NBC’s Today show. Since 1927, TIME has identified the Person of the Year, recognizing the person or group of people who most influenced the news and the world — for better or for worse — during the past year.
In recent years, the shortlist for Person of the Year has included the Silence Breakers of the #MeToo movement, Hillary Clinton, Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos, Chinese President Xi Jinping, Black Lives Matter activists, CRISPR scientists and Beyoncé.
Here are the 10 finalists selected by TIME editors this year:
Donald Trump
The 45th president of the U.S., and TIME’s 2016 Person of the Year, marked his second year in office through navigating crises involving both himself and his staff, attacking an encircling investigation implicating people close to him, and enacting several controversial policies, ranging from separations at the border to an international trade war with China.
Separated Families
More than 2,000 families were separated at the U.S. border this year under a Trump Administration policy aimed at deterring illegal immigration. Prompting backlash, the “zero tolerance” policy was announced in April and formally ended in June, and resulted in thousands of children being held in federal government facilities while their parents were sent to jail.
Vladimir Putin
Russia’s President Vladimir Putin secured a landslide victory in the country’s March elections, extending his term for another six years against the backdrop of scrutiny over Russia’s involvement in the 2016 U.S. presidential elections, the poisoning of ex-Russian spy Sergei Skripal in the U.K., and increasing tension with Ukraine.
Robert Mueller
Featured as a runner up for TIME’s 2017 Person of the Year, Special Counsel Robert Mueller has continued to investigate Russian meddling in the 2016 presidential election as well as key figures involved in the 2016 Trump campaign and administration. The investigation headed by the former FBI Director has already resulted in more than 191 criminal charges against 32 people and three companies.
Ryan Coogler
Director Ryan Coogler, 32, created this year’s phenomenally successful Marvel film Black Panther. The superhero movie, set in the fictional African country of Wakanda, featured a largely black cast and had the third-highest grossing U.S. release of all time.
Christine Blasey Ford
California psychology professor Christine Blasey Ford, 52, became a symbol for survivors of sexual assault as she testified against in front of senators in September about her allegations against then-Supreme Court nominee and now Judge Brett Kavanaugh.
Jamal Khashoggi
A prolific commentator and critic of Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, journalist Jamal Khashoggi was last seen entering the country’s consulate in Istanbul on Oct. 2. Believed to have been murdered on the orders of the Crown Prince, his death prompted international outcry and scrutiny of the Saudi regime.
March For Our Lives Activists
After 17 people were killed on Valentine’s Day in a mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Fla., students from the school organized the #NeverAgain movement and the March for Our Lives demonstrations across America, campaigning for gun-control reforms to prevent similar tragedies.
Moon Jae-in
Since hosting Kim Jong Un’s sister at the Pyeongchang Winter Olympics in February, South Korean President Moon Jae-in has met his counterpart from the North in three historic summits on the future of the Korean Peninsula this year, as well as brokering the landmark meeting between Kim and U.S. President Donald Trump.
Meghan Markle
Former Hollywood actor and activist Meghan Markle traded in her roles on screen for a royal title in May, when she married Britain’s Prince Harry to the delight of captivated crowds across the U.K. and millions more worldwide.
The 2018 Person of the Year will be unveiled on Today in the 7 a.m. hour on Tuesday morning, when the news will also be shared on Time.com.
More Must-Reads from TIME
- Why Trump’s Message Worked on Latino Men
- What Trump’s Win Could Mean for Housing
- The 100 Must-Read Books of 2024
- Sleep Doctors Share the 1 Tip That’s Changed Their Lives
- Column: Let’s Bring Back Romance
- What It’s Like to Have Long COVID As a Kid
- FX’s Say Nothing Is the Must-Watch Political Thriller of 2024
- Merle Bombardieri Is Helping People Make the Baby Decision
Contact us at letters@time.com