For 40 years now, People Magazine’s Sexiest Man Alive issue has tried to capture who embodies the peak of masculine appeal year-by-year.
With 37-year-old English actor Jonathan Bailey now holding the 2025 title, it’s the perfect time to look back at the last 25 winners and ask what everyone was really thinking when they were crowned.
From Brad Pitt’s Fight Club physique to John Legend’s divisive spot on the list, and Michael B. Jordan’s universally praised reign, here’s every winner since 2000, with readers answering who deserved it, who didn’t, and who stands at the top.
#1 2018 – Idris Elba
Elba was seen as one of the most textbook picks, with fans praising his classy, charismatic, and globally recognizable persona.
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#2 2001 – Pierce Brosnan
Brosnan was about to start work on his fourth James Bond film when he received the title.
Being 47-year-old at the time, he was seen as a classy and elegant pick for a more mature audience compared to his predecessor.
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#3 2000 – Brad Pitt
Pitt became the first man to win People Magazine’s “Sexiest Man Alive” title twice, picking it up in 1995 and again in 2000.
Readers at the time widely regarded him as an obvious pick, with his Fight Club era six-pack and high-profile marriage with Jennifer Aniston making the choice feel natural.
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#4 2025 – Jonathan Bailey
Jonathan Bailey’s 2025 win marked a first in the title’s history, as he became the first openly gay man ever to be named Sexiest Man Alive.
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#5 2014 – Chris Hemsworth
His casting as the superhero Thor and blockbuster presence made him a globally recognized appealing figure by 2014.
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#6 2008 – Hugh Jackman
Already famed for his role as Wolverine, his cover came amid global recognition of his physique, charm, and on-screen versatility. He was married to Deborra-Lee Furness at the time.
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#7 2003 – Johnny Depp
Depp’s recognition coincided with the huge success of the first Pirates of the Caribbean, which turned him into a pop culture sensation.
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#8 2022 – Chris Evans
Evans, who had already become a pop culture sensation after his run as Captain America ended in 2019, said the honor felt like “a weird form of humble bragging.”
To this day he remains one of the most praised figures in the award’s history.
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#9 2020 – Michael B. Jordan
When Michael B. Jordan won, he told People that his friends used to tease him about being “always next in line,” doomed to end up as a runner-up every year.
Online, Jordan is among the most praised picks, with many naming him among their personal top 5.
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#10 2023 – Patrick Dempsey
Patrick Dempsey’s win came in 2023, nearly two decades after his Grey’s Anatomy days turned him into “McDreamy.”
It was officially revealed during a live segment on Jimmy Kimmel Live!, where Dempsey laughed that he’d finally made it.
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#11 2021 – Paul Rudd
After his win, he told People he was well aware of the reaction readers would have to his victory. “There are so many people that should get this before me,” he said.
Rudd joked that, now that he was officially a winner, he would be “finally be invited to some of those sexy dinners with Clooney and Pitt and B Jordan.”
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#12 2010 – Ryan Reynolds
Famous for his comedic charm, Reynolds aligned with the magazine’s pivot to a younger market, and marked a contrast with the more mysterious and mature choices of years past.
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#13 2011 – Bradley Cooper
Cooper’s breakout as a lead man in Hollywood, with films like Limitless and The Hangover: Part II, coincided with his win.
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#14 2012 – Channing Tatum
Tatum’s title came months after Magic Mike became a box-office and cultural phenomenon. With 21 Jump Street also out that year, his reign as Hollywood’s new “it” guy was undeniable.
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#15 2009 — Johnny Depp
Depp secured his second title in 2009, right after starring in crime drama Public Enemies, putting him in the rare “twice-winner” club.
This win wasn’t as well received as the first, with some feeling the choice was redundant.
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#16 2024 – John Krasinski
John Krasinski’s 2024 win was revealed through a tongue-in-cheek sketch on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, poking fun at the whole idea of being “sexy.”
As Bored Panda reported, there were rumors at the time that the award was supposed to be given to Glen Powell, but that he ultimately turned down the offer.
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#17 2016 – Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson
Johnson’s win came right after starring in Disney’s Moana and while he was busy filming Baywatch and Jumanji.
While many applauded his charisma, others found his hulking frame to be “too much.”
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#18 2006 – George Clooney
Clooney joined Pitt in being one of the very few to win the title twice (first in 1997, then in 2006).
His win was received with almost unanimous acclaim. Much like Brosnan, his appeal as a mature Hollywood lead made it a no-brainer.
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#19 2002 – Ben Affleck
At the time of his win, the 30-year-old was still riding strong on his win for Good Will Hunting and had just been married to Jennifer Lopez.
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#20 2015 – David Beckham
Beckham is one of only a few athletes to win the title, something that wasn’t that well received by readers who felt the award should be limited to the showbusiness industry.
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#21 2005 – Matthew Mcconaughey
On the cover story he joked about taking on roles where “my gut is hanging over… a whole new kind of sexy.”
To this day, McConaughey is seen as a laid-back, rugged, and down to earth man, which makes him irresistible to many fans.
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#22 2004 – Jude Law
Fun fact, at the time, his I Heart Huckabees costar Naomi Watts called him “the most beautiful man who ever walked the earth.”
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#23 2007 – Matt Damon
The, at the time, 37-year-old landed the title for his every-man charisma and blockbuster track record.
Still, not everyone was on board, as some saw him more as “cute” rather than “sexy.”
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#24 2017 – Blake Shelton
To say the country-music star Shelton’s win was divisive would be an understatement.
To this day, online threads discussing the winners are full of comments questioning the choice.
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#25 2013 – Adam Levine
Levine became the first band frontman, and one of the few non-actors, to ever be named Sexiest Man Alive.
His win came at the height of Maroon 5’s fame and The Voice’s popularity.
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#26 2019 – John Legend
John Legend’s win came in 2019, right after he became the first Black man to win an Emmy, a Grammy, an Oscar, and a Tony award, also known as achieving EGOT status.
Netizens, however, did not believe those accolades warranted him a spot on the list and, to this day, he remains potentially the most criticized pick in People Magazine’s history.
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