Teyana Taylor was named one of Teyana Taylor Time magazine’s Women of the Year on Thursday. The honor appears on the magazine’s 2026 cover. TIME called her selection a recognition of wide influence.
A year of breakthrough for Teyana Taylor
Taylor’s rise has been sudden and wide. Her performance in the Paul Thomas Anderson film One Battle After Another drew major praise. Paul Thomas Anderson directed the film. One Battle After Another features Taylor as Perfidia Beverly Hills. Critics and peers lauded her work. She won a Golden Globe and earned her first Oscar nomination.
The Time profile noted the many roles Taylor balances. She is an actor, director, musician, and stylist. The article described a packed schedule of projects and promotions. “I love when it’s hard—that means it’s of purpose,” she told Time. “I want everything that is supposed to be mine. And I’m going to work my ass off to make sure that I see that.”
Taylor also returned to music in 2025. Her album Escape Room earned a Grammy nomination for best R&B album. Escape Room That record helped shift her public image. It gave her fresh material and renewed industry attention. Vanity Fair and other outlets chronicled her transition from dancer and choreographer to multihyphenate star.
Taylor told Entertainment Weekly she connected deeply with Perfidia’s complexity. She defended the character’s choices as human and layered. “She is so misunderstood, but most importantly, human, and so raw,” Taylor said. She also said the film explores postpartum depression and how it shapes Perfidia’s choices. The interview reinforced why audiences found her performance affecting.
What the honor means
TIME framed Taylor’s selection as part of a project celebrating women reshaping culture. The feature linked her work to a broader theme. Editors said the list highlights leaders advancing equity and change. The magazine put Taylor on its cover to signal influence across arts and activism.
Taylor plans to keep working. She is set to direct and to tour music from Escape Room. She also mentioned culinary school and other creative goals. She told Time she seeks more than awards. “When you have a creative that does it all,” she said, “let them spread their wings.”