Time magazine named US pop icon Taylor Swift as its person of the year on Wednesday, calling the musical force of nature the "hero of her own story."
"Taylor Swift found a way to transcend borders and be a source of light... Swift is the rare person who is both the writer and hero of her own story," Time editor-in-chief Sam Jacobs wrote in a statement.
The star, whose Eras tour broke box office records and provoked an inquiry into Ticketmaster's sales practices, follows the likes of Barack Obama, Greta Thunberg and Volodymyr Zelensky.
She told the magazine that she is "the proudest and happiest I've ever felt".
As well as her tour, Swift has also released the fastest-selling record of 2023 - a re-recording of her decade-old album 1989.
She also recently became the first songwriter to score seven Grammy nominations for song of the year, overtaking Sir Paul McCartney and Lionel Richie.
Last month, the star was declared a billionaire by business publication Bloomberg, which estimated her net worth to be $1.1bn.
Only three other musicians have achieved billionaire status - Rihanna, Beyoncé and Jay-Z.
However, Swift is the first to reach the milestone based on music alone, as her rivals' fortunes incorporate business ventures in fashion, beauty products and hi-fi equipment.
(BBC and AFP)
