'People' magazine reveals its 2020 people of the year

Dr Anthony Fauci, Regina King, George Clooney and Selena Gomez are this year's recipients

This combination photo shows Dr. Anthony Fauci, actress-singer Selena Gomez, actress-director Regina King and actor-activist George Clooney, who were named “2020 People of the Year" by People Magazine. The four will be celebrated for their positive impact in the world during a challenging 2020. Clooney, Fauci, Gomez and King will be separately featured on the magazine covers of the issue, which is out Friday. (AP Photo)

This combination photo shows Dr. Anthony Fauci, Selena Gomez, Regina King and George Clooney, who were named “2020 People of the Year" by People Magazine. AP Photo

Hayley Skirka
Dec 3, 2020

People magazine has named Dr Anthony Fauci among its 2020 People of the Year.

As one of the top infectious disease experts in the United States, Fauci has been a leading source of information in the battle against Covid-19.

Actor and activist George Clooney, musician and actor Selena Gomez and actor-director Regina King round out the magazine's 2020 People of the Year.

Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, speaks during a Coronavirus Task Force news conference at the White House in Washington, D.C., U.S., on Friday, April 10, 2020. President Donald Trump said he has asked his agriculture secretary to “use all of the funds and authorities at his disposal,” to aid U.S. farmers, whose financial peril has worsened in the coronavirus pandemic. Photographer: Kevin Dietsch/UPI/Bloomberg

Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases. Kevin Dietsch/UPI/Bloomberg

Each of the four personalities are being lauded in the magazine's next issue for their positive impact in the world over the last 12 months. Copies of the year-end double issue will be out on Friday, December 4 and will be printed with four covers.

In an exclusive interview with People, Fauci, the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, talks about the global pandemic, calling it the most challenging outbreak the planet has seen in the last 102 years. He also shares details on how the divisive political climate of the United States in 2020 made his job ever-more challenging.

Selena Gomez is heralded for sharing her own struggles to help a younger generation of girls. The singer, actor and activist supports mental-health services, Black Lives Matter and immigration rights in America. Gomez has also launched her own range of inclusive make-up. The musician has had a busy year and was also listed in Time's 100 most influential people of 2020 and Forbes' 30 under 30 All-Star Alumni list this year.

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George Clooney is pipped for a possible Oscar for his upcoming film The Midnight Sky. The actor is also lauded for his advocacy work, which includes donating to Covid-19 relief efforts and to the Equal Justice Initiative after George Floyd's death in the United States.

Oscar-winning actor Regina King is making all the right moves in Hollywood and simultenously using her public platform to inspire political activism. She wore a shirt in tribute to Breonna Taylor at this year's Emmy Awards to try to bring attention to the 26-year-old's fatal shooting by police in Kentucky. She has also spoken openly about the difficulties of parenting during a pandemic.

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