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Bostonians of the Year 2023
MBTA riders are tired, fed up — and essential. They’re our Bostonians of the Year.
They’ve suffered through station shutdowns, slow zones, train breakdowns, and more. And yet still they ride, keeping our mass transit system alive.

An AI expert, a beloved Bruins captain, and others who shaped Boston in 2023
They led, inspired, and changed us for the better over the past year.

Tributes to Mel King, Tim Wakefield, and other giants we lost in 2023
Remembering six luminaries who left Boston a better place.

See past Bostonians of the Year headlines

Bostonian of the Year 2022

Feeling the brunt of staggering racism, Bill Russell always stood tall

Patriot Devin McCourty’s on-field performance is matched only by his generosity

‘To me, he was always just Daddy’: Karen Kenyatta Russell on her father’s lessons

She was accused of witchcraft 329 years ago. These middle schoolers finally cleared her name.

Sam Hyun is tireless in amplifying long silenced AAPI voices

More from Bostonians of the Year

The COVID Sleuth and The Unsung Heroes

414 days at work, zero days off: Dan Barouch and the race to develop the Johnson & Johnson vaccine

After the vaccine received emergency use authorization this year, he turned to the Provincetown outbreak and Omicron. Plus, recognizing the unsung heroes of vaccine production.

The People's Scientist

Immunologist Kizzmekia Corbett’s work represents the best of what science offered us in 2021

Years’ worth of dedicated research, including hers, is paying off in lifesaving shots in arms and conversations with people who have questions. For Corbett, science and community cannot be separated.

The New Guard

These 4 newly elected officials are reshaping politics in Boston and Worcester

Tania Fernandes Anderson, Etel Haxhiaj, Ruthzee Louijeune, and Thu Nguyen all broke barriers this year.

The Changemaker | 2021 Bostonians of the Year

School pick up, family dinners, bean bags at City Hall. Michelle Wu doesn’t want people to forget her other title: ‘Mama’

With her sweeping election victory, Boston Mayor Michelle Wu ushered in a new era of local politics.

The Global Connectors

These tech entrepreneurs raised millions for COVID-ravaged India in a single weekend

One of the biggest takeaways for Naresh Ramarajan and Gitika Srivastava? When you’re asked to do something good, just say yes.

The Good Neighbors

‘We were built for this moment’: How community health centers have come to the rescue during the pandemic

Michael Curry, CEO of the Massachusetts League of Community Health Centers, on how 52 centers reached communities that needed access to care.

Globe Magazine

Meet the 2021 Bostonians of the Year

Meet the pioneering scientist, the trailblazing mayor, and other standouts whose drive, ingenuity, and compassion are getting vaccines in arms and giving us a shot at a just future for all.

Globe Magazine

2020 Bostonians of the Year: The Front Line

They stood up to fight the twin pandemics of COVID-19 and racial injustice. Meet the people leading us through a harrowing year.