The Most Influential Asians in the World
ScrollWelcome to The Asian Awards Top 100 — our definitive ranking of the most influential Asians in the world. First published in 2013, the list has grown alongside the extraordinary rise of Asia as a continent and Asian communities across the world.
The 2026 edition reflects a decade of change: new political leadership across the region, Asian technology firms at the centre of the global economy, and Asian voices dominating culture, sport, and music in ways that would have been unimaginable when we started.
The list includes people across Asia and the global Asian diaspora — those who live in the United States, Europe, or elsewhere but whose heritage and platform give them influence across Asian communities worldwide. The result is a considered view, not a perfect science. We welcome challenge.
That is the question the algorithm asks first. A head of state can shift markets with a signature. A billionaire can move capital, but not law. A film star commands attention — not policy. The ranking reflects that hierarchy.
Five weighted factors. Politics carries the heaviest weight because it answers the simplest question about influence. Bars below show relative weight.
A breakdown of the 2026 list by category and country of origin. Politics and business dominate, but cinema, music, and sport together account for more than a third of the list — a testament to the global cultural reach of Asian talent.
One hundred people, one ranking. Filter by category or search by name. Each entry is annotated with the reasoning behind their inclusion.