Person of the Year

NOTOC

Person of the Year, Man of the Year or Woman of the Year is an award given to an individual by any type of organization. Most often, it is given by a newspaper or other news outlet to annually recognize a public figure. Such awards have typically been awarded to one person, near or after the end of a calendar year. The awardee is usually someone widely known to news media's audience. A local newspaper typically gives a Person of the Year award to a local individual. However, prominent Person of the Year awards have been given to persons well beyond the scope of a given news market, to animals (Secretariat), to two or more persons in the event of a tie, and to groups of persons whose membership is not clear. Also the award is presented annually by some organizations but may be a one-off or occasional event for others.

The award can be facetious or serious. The chosen person is usually someone who has been notably influential or prominent during the year and could also be a hero or villain. It is externally oriented, unlike most awards. It's given to someone who has no affiliation with the awarding organization.

Variations on the theme include "Business Person of the Year," "Small Business Person of the Year," or "Entrepreneur of the Year." They are commonly awarded by local chambers of commerce or other economic boosters. Junior League chapters (and other organizations) gave "Woman of the Year" awards. The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society gave "Man & Woman of the Year" awards. Also, the phrase is used in different contexts. The staff of magazines presented artists or photographers with "Cover of the Year" accolades. Various dictionaries release their "Word of the Year." Other awards are for "Album of the Year."