1. Ajey Nagar, India: Also known as CarryMinati, this 19-year-old Indian Youtuber who has been named in the TIME's 10 Next Generation Leaders 2019. Nagar started posting videos at the age of 10 years. In 2016, Nagar told TIME that he found his niche in producing diss tracks taking on what he calls, “cringe-worthy” user-generated videos on platforms like Facebook and TikTok. (Image: Twitter)
2. Rosalia Vila Tobella, Spain: Rosalia, a Latin pop sensation, got herself acquainted with Flamenco when she was just 13-years-old and after a decade of studying the art form, she created her album El Mal Queer, which blends the hand-clapping flamenco rhythms with pop and R&B. "Music is about experimentation," Rosalia said.
3. David Miranda, a gay black Brazilian is holding his ground in Brazil’s Far-Right government. A member of the Socialism and Liberty Party (PSOL), Miranda is looking to end the corruption trial, curb police violence and protect the working class people. He also wants to prepare a bill to create compulsory education on LGBTQ issues for teachers and politicians.
4. Dina El Wedidi, Egypt: She is drawing inspiration from history to change the future. Wedidi learned to sing Egyptian folk songs and then went on to meld the heritage sounds with jazz, underground rock and electronic music. A modern operetta that she took part in called Khalina Nehlam (Let us Dream) captured the mood of Arab Springs.
5. Kim "Geguri" Se-Yeon, South Korea: Nicknamed "Geguri”, Se-Yeon started playing games with her mom when she was 5-years-old. In a world dominated by men, Kim is part of a professional esports league produced by Overwatch and plays for the Shanghai Dragons.
6. Ethan Lindenberger, United States: Despite his mother’s wishes, this American teen got himself vaccinated for measles when the outbreak of the disease saw an increase at the beginning of the year. Not only he did have all his vaccinations done, but has been reassuring and encouraging other children who are caught in a similar situation. In Congressional testimony, Ethan emphasised the dangers of online disinformation.
7. Greta Thunberg, Sweden: The 16-year-old is a staunch climate change advocate and she got the whole world to listen to her. About 1.6 million people in 133 countries participated in a climate strike inspired by Thunberg’s solo action. In January, she criticised the world leaders at the World Economic Forum at Davos, Switzerland.
8. Ramla Ali, UK, and Somalia: Ali is the first Muslim woman to win an English boxing title and now she eyes a medal in the Olympics. Ali’s family fled Mogadishu in the 1990s during the Somalian civil war to London, and now she wants to be the first Olympic boxer of the country and has her eyes set on the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo.
9. Tunde Wey, Nigeria: Wey’s effort to tackle the racial injustice relates to food. His restaurant SAARTJ, opened in 2018, a pop-up food stall in New Orleans charges black people $12 and $30 to white people. Wey says the price difference reflects the racial wealth gap in New Orleans.
10. Tessa Thompson, United States: Tessa Thompson, who portrays Valkyrie in Thor: Ragnarok and Avengers: Endgame, in 2018 tweeted that her character is bisexual, according to the comic books which were deemed very controversial. Thompson identifies as a queer and is keeping on the fight for representation in Hollywood.