Changemakers 2023: 25 Women Who Made a Difference This Year

It’s been yet another tumultuous year in media. In May, the Writers Guild of America went on strike, which shut down most TV productions, postponed awards shows and put lots of films on hold. Then, in July, the actors union followed suit, striking (much like their WGA counterparts) for better pay and protections against being replaced by A.I. The dual strikes left Hollywood in limbo until finally, just last month, both unions had reached agreements with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers.

For our fourth annual Changemakers list (in conjunction with the Power Women Summit, now in its sixth year), we salute 25 women from all corners of culture who stood out in 2023 for their creativity, courage and leadership. In addition to a special digital cover featuring the star of the new big-screen “The Color Purple” musical, you will find the fiery president of SAG-AFTRA, whose steadfast stewardship helped actors reach a historic billion-dollar deal; the visionary filmmaker whose latest movie grapples with American racism through the prism of Nazism and India’s caste system; the dynamic duo behind the year’s biggest box office hit; the dazzling breakout star of Martin Scorsese’s blistering drama about the murder of Osage people in the 1920s; the irrepressible marathon swimmer who achieved the impossible at 64 — and the Oscar-nominated legend who plays her in a new biopic. We also look beyond the entertainment industry to applaud a White House whistleblower and two fearless peace activists who were kidnapped in one case and murdered in the other by Hamas in October.

We raise our glass to all of them.

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