Jimmy Neutch

In an industry that loves to box women in, Teyana Taylor refuses to be defined by one thing. “Never cage a creative,” she says. After more than 20 years of betting on herself, the Harlem-born artist is stepping into a moment she long envisioned: Grammy nominee, Golden Globe winner, Oscar frontrunner, and now, TIME’s Women of the Year cover star. Taylor has never picked a lane. Actor. Director. Musician. Choreographer. Entrepreneur. Mother. Even culinary-school student. On any given day, she’s chasing the next challenge. “I love when it’s hard—that means it’s of purpose,” she says. That dedication—the work, the tears, the prayers—is what makes this moment feel earned. She fronts this year’s Women of the Year list alongside 15 other leaders building a more equitable future across culture, science, sports, advocacy, and the arts, including Mel Robbins, Chloé Zhao, Ulta Beauty CEO Kecia Steelman, Amy Sherald, Brandi Carlile, Sister Norma Pimentel, and Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone. Read her story and meet the full list at the link in bio. Photograph by @xavierscottmarshall for TIME

@teyanataylor ❤️‍🔥 Two decades of hard work in and out of the spotlight prepared the actor, musician, choreographer, and director for her electric role in Paul Thomas Anderson’s newest film, ‘One Battle After Another.’ Playing Perfidia Beverly Hills was an exercise in resilience and vulnerability—and the result is a Golden Globe and a lot of Oscar buzz. At our link in bio, Vanity Fair’s @thunderwooddd speaks with our Winter Issue cover star about her breakthrough year. Photographer @ethanjamesgreen F​ashion Editor @dara._ Hair @nikkinelms Makeup @kabukinyc M​anicure @jinsoonchoi Set Design @tuna.bird Production @specialproduction.agency Location @agger_marc

And I’ll say it again.. Our softness is not a liability. Our depth is not too much. And our light does not need permission to shine. We belong in every room we walk into. Our voices matter. Our dreams deserve space. 🥹✨ If this moment represents anything, I hope it reminds us that the wait is not punishment, it is preparation for what’s already written. 🙌🏾 What we endure does not diminish us… it refines us. ✨🏆🌹 Thank you @goldenglobes for seeing me 🥹 not just in this performance, but in the journey. I’ve been at this for 20 years, so this award doesn’t only represent this role… it represents every season, every sacrifice, every yes, every no, and all the love and life I’ve poured into my work and into others along the way. Purpose doesn’t rush. It arrives right on time. Thank you @schiaparelli / @danielroseberry for making me feel and look like my own statue. 🏆 Thank you @tiffanyandco for my twinkle ✨💎✨ Thank you to my glam squad @charlottetilbury @thebeautysandwich @bellamayven @nikkinelms for once again, understanding the assignment 💕 Forever grateful, in Jesus’ name. 🙏🏾✨

On set with @teyanataylor and Super Lustrous Lipstick— a masterclass in unforgettable beauty 💄 Shop now @target ! #Revlon #BeUnforgettable

Still not over this night and still not over this guest list 🥀✨ Thank you to all my friends, family, and everyone who came out to experience the third annual “The Dirty Rose” with me. The laughter. The energy. The glamour. The chaos. The love in the room. Every hug, every scream, every dance & every clap… I felt it all. Truly one hell of a night full of memories I’ll carry with me forever! 🌹🌹🌹 📸: @janayejohnson @kvnhrtlss @tyrellhampton @voguemagazine @vanityfair

@teyanataylor is headed to VEGAS to perform at the #AMAs 🎶 Tune in LIVE — Monday, May 25 (Memorial Day) at 8pm ET | 5pm PT on @cbstv + @paramountplus ! This is your sign to get tickets rn → link in bio.

To the woman who gave me life… and then spent every day after that teaching me how to live it with strength, grace, softness, faith, and love. 🌹 Mommy, there are no words big enough for what you mean to me. You have carried me through every version of myself… the little girl with big dreams, the woman still learning, the mother trying to love as deeply as you do. You made sacrifices I didn’t even understand until I became a mommy myself. You protected me in ways I’ll probably spend the rest of my life discovering. Some of my greatest memories aren’t even the “big” moments… it’s your voice, your hugs, your prayers over me, the way you loved me even when I didn’t know how to love myself properly yet. The way you somehow made hard times feel survivable just because you were there. And now when I look at my girls, I finally understand the depth of a mother’s love. It is endless. Selfless. Holy. A kind of love that lives beyond exhaustion, beyond pain, beyond words. Thank you for being my safe place in every storm. Thank you for being the heart of our family. Thank you for loving me loudly, fiercely, and unconditionally through every season of my life 🥹🤍 Happy Mother’s Day my love. I love you beyond this lifetime. @nikkitaylor1234 🌹

#TeyanaTaylor does it all, but the role the artist and actress does best is being a mom. ♥️ Happy #MothersDay

A dump of day dreaming in @maisonvalentino 🌹🖤🌹 Bed Of Roses ft @wale OUT NEOWWWWWW 🌹🌹🌹

Y’all asked… so it’s only right we delivered 🌹🥀🌹 BED OF ROSES FT. @wale OUT NOWWWWWW 🫶🏾🫶🏾

Still not over this little Met Gala beat by @revlon ✨ It was even muggy for the after party tooooo 😩😍 and of course I don’t go anywhere without my superlustrous glass shine. 💋

The best smelling GRWM with @teyanataylor 💕 #GladePartner #WeMakeScents