Donald Trump named Time magazine's person of the year for 2016

  • Time

Donald Trump has been named Time magazine person of the year for 2016.

The president-elect Trump edged out presidential rival Hillary Clinton, who finished in second place on the list.

Time described Trump on its front cover as the "president of the divided states of America", but he denied he was responsible for creating any division.

Speaking to NBC, the billionaire tycoon said: "It means a lot, especially me growing up reading Time magazine. I've been lucky enough to be on the cover many times this year and last year but I consider this a very, very great honour."

"I'm not president yet so I didn't do anything to divide.

"There's a lot of division and we're gonna put it back together and we're gonna have a country that's very well healed."

Former Ukip leader Nigel Farage, who successfully argued for Britain's departure from the EU, had also been shortlisted.

He enjoyed a momentous year as one of the driving forces behind the UK's vote for Brexit before becoming a prominent supporter of Trump on his journey to the White House.

Other names on the list included Russian President Vladimir Putin and singer Beyonce.

Nigel Farage was shortlisted Credit: PA

Controversial former winners have included Adolf Hitler in 1938 and Joseph Stalin the following year.

Other former person of the year holders include Winston Churchill, Queen Elizabeth II and Mark Zuckerberg - who was up again on the shortlist this year.

Hillary Clinton was placed second on the list Credit: PA

The full lists of nominees (in no particular order) were:

  • Simone Biles (US Olympian who won five medals at the Rio games)

  • Donald Trump

  • Hillary Clinton

  • Nigel Farage

  • Beyonce Knowles

  • Vladimir Putin

  • Narendra Modi (Indian prime minister)

  • Mark Zuckerberg

  • CRISPR Scientists (developed a technique to edit DNA)

  • The Flint Whistleblowers (drew attention to contamination of water supplies in a US city)