TIME has revealed its 2026 TIME100 Next list — and music takes one of the most powerful presences, with RAYE landing one of the issue's three global covers alongside comedian Druski and SNL's Ashley Padilla.
TIME unveiled the annual list of 100 emerging leaders on Wednesday, September 30, 2026, spotlighting rising stars across entertainment, sports, business, science, politics and other fields.
The 7 musicians on TIME100 Next 2026
Seven musicians made the 2026 TIME100 Next cut:
RAYE — after a hard-fought battle for creative independence, she has risen to global recognition and now fronts one of the issue's three covers.
Troye Sivan — honored among this year's 100 emerging leaders.
PinkPantheress — honored among this year's 100 emerging leaders.
Megan Moroney — honored among this year's 100 emerging leaders.
Conan Gray — honored among this year's 100 emerging leaders.
Alex Warren — honored among this year's 100 emerging leaders.
sombr — honored among this year's 100 emerging leaders and riding high on sombr's 'My Body Isn't Ready'.
Star-powered tributes
This year's list pairs its honorees with guest tributes from some of the biggest names in entertainment. For music fans, the highlights include Anya Taylor-Joy writing RAYE's tribute, Olivia Rodrigo writing Conan Gray's tribute — recalling the moment she watched him perform "Family Line" in London — Kylie Minogue penning Troye Sivan's, and Charli xcx writing a tribute for Alex Consani, who also made the list.
The event
RAYE is set to perform at the TIME100 Next event in New York on October 29 — fresh off the stage where she delivered RAYE's George Michael tribute at the 2026 VMAs. For more on this awards season, read the full 2026 MTV Video Music Awards winners list.
Watch the official video from RAYE's channel below:
Frequently asked questions
What is the TIME100 Next list?
TIME's annual list of 100 emerging leaders across entertainment, sports, business, science, politics and other fields; the 2026 edition was revealed on September 30, 2026.
Which musicians made the TIME100 Next 2026?
RAYE, Troye Sivan, PinkPantheress, Megan Moroney, Conan Gray, Alex Warren and sombr.
Who is on the TIME100 Next 2026 covers?
Singer-songwriter RAYE, comedian Druski and SNL actor Ashley Padilla.
Who wrote the tributes for the musicians?
Anya Taylor-Joy wrote RAYE's tribute, Olivia Rodrigo wrote Conan Gray's, and Kylie Minogue wrote Troye Sivan's.
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