LOS ANGELES • People magazine has named singer Selena Gomez, actor George Clooney, actress Regina King and leading American infectious disease expert Anthony Fauci as its People of the Year.

The American magazine's editor-in-chief Dan Wakeford said the four were chosen for their talent as well as for being "forces for good in the world".

Gomez launched her charttopping album Rare in January and hosted the cooking show Selena + Chef.

The 28-year-old singer is one of the most-followed celebrities on Instagram with more than 195 million followers.

She was praised for using the platform to support the Black Lives Matter movement in June after the death of black American George Floyd while in police custody in May.

Gomez also launched Rare Beauty, an inclusive make-up brand which has set the goal of raising US$100 million (S$134 million) in 10 years to help give people access to mental health services.

Her willingness to discuss her own mental health journey and commitment to helping others is inspiring, according to Mr Wakeford.

Clooney, who is already touted for possible Oscar nominations for The Midnight Sky, the science-fiction film which he directed and starred in, was noted for his civil rights advocacy.

The 59-year-old celebrity had donated US$500,000 to the Equal Justice Initiative after Mr Floyd's death, US$1 million for Covid-19 relief efforts in Italy, London and Los Angeles, and significant aid to Lebanese charities after the deadly explosion in Beirut in August.

King, 49, won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress last year for her role in romantic drama If Beale Street Could Talk (2018) and an Emmy for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Limited Series in September for her role in superhero drama Watchmen (2019).

She has been lauded for calling for support for marginalised communities during the ongoing coronavirus pandemic and an end to police violence in the United States.

Dr Fauci, 79, director of the US National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and the best-known member of the White House Coronavirus Task Force, was hailed for providing steady guidance in the country during the pandemic and for remaining out front despite him and his family facing death threats.

Last year, People named actress Jennifer Aniston, singer-actress Jennifer Lopez, former US first lady Michelle Obama and singer Taylor Swift as its People of the Year.