Putin in top vote for 'Person of the Year'

Russian President Vladimir Putin is one of eight people competing for the title of "Person of the Year", a prestigious award voted by the US magazine Time.

Russian President Putin. Photo: Reuters

Time editor-in-chief Nancy Gibbs will announce the Person of the Year on NBC's Today Show today. Time will also share the news on its Twitter and Facebook accounts.

The title "Person of the Year" has been awarded annually by the American magazine since 1927. The eight most representative figures voted by editors are those who have had the greatest influence on journalism in the past year, whether positively or negatively.

According to Time, in addition to President Putin, this list also includes many other prominent faces such as Apple CEO Tim Cook, pop star Taylor Swift. Protesters against racial discrimination in the US city of Ferguson and doctors caring for Ebola patients are also nominated.

US President Barack Obama and Pope Francis have won the title of "Person of the Year" in the last two years, respectively.

Time readers can also vote for their own Person of the Year. This year, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who recently took office, won the category thanks to his large base of supporters at home.

Mr Modi garnered more than 16% of the nearly 5 million votes cast by readers. Protesters in Ferguson came in second, while student leader of the Hong Kong protests Joshua Wong came in third.

According to VnExpress