This year, Gen Z has garnered more attention than ever for their viral creativity, political vocality, and deeply personal responses to a world that is feeling less and less human by the day. That’s no easy feat for a group of people—some who are about to enter their 30s and some who are just now legally allowed to enter the club—facing off against AI and unrelenting timelines while also being expected to lead those who come next. Yet so many are meeting the moment with persistence and optimism, and finding unexpected ways to shape our lives for the better.
To create Cosmopolitan’s 2026 Z-Stars list—an annual celebration of Gen Z luminaries driving our culture forward—we cast a wide net across industries like entertainment, sports, art, politics, science, and beyond. We searched for people influencing the way we think, act, love, and laugh both online and in person. Our final 25 honorees (meet them all below, listed in no particular order) work across astrobiology, comedy, health, music, tech, filmmaking, and more and showcase Gen Z’s collective desire to build something unique.
At the height of the attention economy, they’ve successfully broken out and managed to capture all of ours. We’re becoming increasingly hungry for things that feel human; genuine connection is something that you can’t manufacture. Authenticity has almost become its own form of rebellion, and the concept of originality is less about creating something no one has ever seen before and more about making something only you could have made.
I hope that whenever I put something into the world through music, dance, or simply a more human side of myself, I’ve added something honest and real. If anything I created this year made someone feel understood, inspired them to create, or simply made their day a little brighter, that’s the kind of impact I’d be proud to have. This incredible ability to find community anywhere.
You can be from completely different parts of the world and connect over the same sport, music, person, or moment almost instantly. Filipino tennis fans may have taken over my internet this year—in the best possible way. Seeing all the edits, posts, reactions, and Filipino flags on my feed after a match always makes me smile.
I love that tennis has become something we can all celebrate together. The ability to connect with people all over the world. I got a message from someone in India the other day about Obsession, and it blows my mind that my work has been seen in places I haven’t even been able to visit.
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