Euronews wants your say on who should be one of several personalities of the year—in fields including space, innovation, culture, business and sport.
ADVERTISEMENTEuronews wants your say on who should be our personalities of the year. Check out the Culture Personality of the Year nominees below—and vote.
Adele—Award-winning singer backing charitable causes
Adele, one of Europe’s best-selling singers, has performed in numerous charity concerts throughout her career. Last year she dedicated her show in Antwerp, Belgium, to the victims of the mass shooting at a gay nightclub in Orlando, Florida. This year she has tirelessly campaigned to help the victims of the Grenfell Tower fire in West London that resulted in the deaths of 71 people.
Kazuo Ishiguro—Nobel Literature Prize laureate
This year the Nobel prize in literature went to British novelist, screenwriter, and short story writer Kazuo Ishiguro. Much of the Nagasaki-born writer’s work centers around how countries—and people—remember their past. Kazuo Ishiguro is considered one of the most celebrated contemporary fiction authors in the English-speaking world.
Dorota Kobiela and Hugh Welchman—The Van Gogh buffs who created their own masterpiece
The Polish and British duo are film directors of "Loving Vincent", a groundbreaking animation about the life and the death of the famous Dutch painter. The married couple created a team of over 100 painters representing 20 different countries to hand paint each of the film's 65,000 frames using the same oil-on-canvas painting technique as Van Gogh. The movie received the Best European Animation Film award at the European Film Awards and is nominated for a Golden Globe.
Salvador Sobral—Portugal’s first-ever Eurovision winner
The 27-year-old singer won this year’s Eurovision song contest for Portugal with his ballad "Amar pelos dois" (Loving for both of us), which was written and produced by his sister Luísa. Salvador Sobral is also a committed activist who drew attention to the European migrant crisis by attending the first semi-final winners' press conference in an “S.O.S. Refugees” shirt. He donated all his CD sales profits to the people of Pedrógão Grande and the relief efforts in the town that was severely damaged by deadly wildfires. Sobral, who suffered from a long-term heart condition, underwent a successful heart transplant in December.
Hito Steyerl—'Most influential’ figure in art world
This year Steyerl became the first female artist to top ArtReview’s "Power 100" list, which crowns the most influential person in contemporary art. The Munich-born artist, now based in Berlin, is a writer and theorist known for taking a strong political stand and being unafraid to challenge the power of the art market.