‘People’ Magazine’s Beautiful Issue Cover Star Is Here & She’s A Powerful Choice

Every year, People chooses a different woman in Hollywood to honor for her accomplishments and who she is as a person, and now, we know their latest pick — although they're doing things a little differently this time. On Wednesday, People announced Pink is 2018's Beautiful Issue cover star. Her feature focuses on her motherhood and she's joined by her two children with husband Carey Hart — 6-year-old Willow and 1-year-old Jameson — on the cover. Because Pink is striving to raise her kids to be as strong and beautiful as she is.

Last year, when the issue was still called "World's Most Beautiful," Julia Roberts took the crown for the fifth time in the magazine's history — more than any other woman — with People featuring her for their cover, including an interview, as per tradition. This time around, they've decided to change things up. Not only is Pink on the cover with her two children, but as the magazine announced on Tuesday, they're also taking a different approach to prove that this isn't a contest. In an editor's note, Editor-in-Chief Jess Cagle wrote:

This year we're renaming it "The Beautiful Issue" — to make clear that the issue is not a beauty contest. Nothing else has changed. As always it will feature beautiful women (and a few men) of all shapes, sizes, and colors, and it will celebrate the most beautiful qualities of all: strength, humanity, and artistry.

Even though they featured several different men and women, People definitely had their work cut out for them this year when it came to choosing a cover star, because there are so many amazing women who have been killing it, especially in the light of the #MeToo movement currently happening in Hollywood. But Pink was an excellent choice, because the singer has always been true to herself. She also made headlines when she accepted the Michael Jackson Video Vanguard Award at the 2017 MTV Video Music Awards. In her speech, Pink told a story about how Willow said she was ugly and how Pink helped her daughter realize she doesn't need to change herself to be beautiful.

Before the cover was announced, Pink was described in the editor's letter as "a performer, mother, and role model whose honesty, humor, confidence, and sheer star power make her one of the most beloved and fascinating entertainers on the planet." And now that her identity has been revealed, it seems so obvious that Cagle was talking about Pink.

Choosing the year's most beautiful person in the world sounds like a daunting task — after all, there are so many different ways to be beautiful, and there are a lot of women in Hollywood who would definitely fit what People is looking for. Although they haven't revealed their process behind finding the right person for the cover each year (or the list that accompanies it), they have spoken about how they choose the Sexiest Man Alive. In 2010, managing editor Larry Hackett said that they looked for someone who is a mix of "hot and well-known," and possibly even someone who didn't immediately come to mind.

Last year, Cagle explained why they chose Roberts, writing.

When it came time to choose a cover for the 2017 World's Most Beautiful Issue, it seemed that the time was right for Julia Roberts. At 49, Julia has never looked better. But her beauty also lies in her self-assurance and smarts and good humor.

Obviously, the People editors aren't just looking for someone who's gorgeous on the outside; they're also looking for that inner beauty and confidence, like what Roberts possesses. It has to be a pretty difficult choice, so it does make sense that this year, they'd choose Pink as the next woman in line to take over the cover.