Time 100 Most Influential People 2016: Lin-Manuel Miranda Lands Cover; 8 Latinos Who Made List

Once again, Time magazine has released their list of the 100 Most Influential People of 2016. As usual, the list was divided into 5 categories: Pioneers, Titans Artists, Leaders and Icons, and each gets its own cover. This year, Priyanka Chopra is the cover of the Artists category; Leonardo DiCaprio landed a cover representing this year’s Icons; Mark Zuckerberg and wife Priscilla Chan are on the cover for the Titans category; Christine Lagarde is this year’s top (and cover) Leader; Nicki Minaj also landed a cover and recent Pulitzer Prize winner Lin-Manuel Miranda is gracing the cover of this year’s top Pioneers.

It was no surprise Miranda made the top of the list after everything that’s been happening around his groundbreaking Broadway hit, “Hamilton.” “Like Alexander Hamilton, Miranda is a powerful reminder that greatness comes from unlikely places,” “Star Wars” director J.J. Abrams wrote about Miranda.

Amongst the Latinos who made the prestigious list are Argentina President Mauricio Macri, actor Gael García Bernal, actress Gina Rodriguez, Pope Francis, director Alejandro González Iñárritu, aspiring presidential candidate Ted Cruz, actor Oscar Isaac and judge Sergio Moro.

Rita Moreno on Gina Rodriguez: “Whenever she talks about herself or about being Hispanic, she’s sending the message ‘I deserve this, I work very hard, and I’m a good person.’”

Joe Biden on Pope Francis: “He’s electrified the world because he embodies the basic tenets of Catholic social doctrine that also cut across all great faiths—everyone is entitled to be treated with dignity; we have an obligation to help the poor; we have responsibilities to one another and to our planet.

Paul Haggis on Oscar Isaac: “While his instincts were great, he was also brave enough to take real risks.”

Alfonso Cuarón on Gael García Bernal: “…Gael’s commitment to his characters and to his causes. They get under his skin, and you need a scalpel to remove them.”

Bryan Walsh on Sergio Moro: “Sergio Moro is just a judge, albeit one prosecuting a corruption scandal so huge it could bring down a President—and perhaps change a culture.”

Scott Walker on Ted Cruz: “Many wish he’d just quietly go away. Instead, Ted has shown that he will not back down from any obstacle that stands in the way of more jobs, greater freedom and true security for the American people.”

Paul Singer on Mauricio Macri: “He has pledged to reintegrate Argentina into the global economy, seeking private investment from abroad.”

Guillermo del Toro on Alejandro González Iñárritu: “Alejandro is the real revenant. I have seen him down and bleeding, and I have seen him strong and in control, but there is always a core within him that doesn’t surrender to adversity or despair.”