People's Sexiest Man Alive honorees through the years in photos

People magazine has been naming its Sexiest Man Alive since 1985, with its inaugural recipient, Mel Gibson. The coveted title has since gone to musicians, actors and athletes over the decades.

In 2025, "Wicked" star and "Bridgerton" heartthrob Jonathan Bailey made the magazine's cover.

Bailey told Jimmy Fallon, who had the honor of making the reveal on "The Tonight Show," that the recognition is "the honor of a lifetime."

"I want to say, Jimmy, thank you so much for turning it down so that I could be here," he joked.

Scroll through to see the other dreamboats who've snagged the title of Sexiest Man Alive.

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2024 was John Krasinski's year. The actor, writer and director, known for starring in "The Office" and "A Quiet Place," talked to People magazine about how the new title would affect his life at home with wife Emily Blunt and their daughters, Hazel and Violet.

"I think it's going to make me do more household chores," he joked. "After this comes out, she’ll be like, 'All right, that means you’re going to really earn it here at home.'"

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In 2023, Dr. McDreamy, aka Patrick Dempsey, was bestowed the title.

"I'm glad it's happening at this point in my life," the 58-year-old actor told People at the time. "It's nice to have the recognition, and certainly my ego takes a little bump, but it gives me the platform to use it for something positive."

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Chris Evans earned the title of Sexiest Man Alive in 2022.

"My mom will be so happy," Evans told People in his cover storyat the time. "She's proud of everything I do, but this is something she can really brag about."

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In 2021, People chose "Ant-Man" star Paul Rudd as the Sexiest Man Alive.

"I mean, I'm going to lean into it hard," Rudd told People in his cover story. "I'm going to own this. I'm not going to try to be like 'Oh, I'm so modest.' I'm getting business cards made. But all of my friends will destroy me, and I expect them to. And that's why they're my friends."

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Michael B. Jordan, 2020's recipient, told People that his family members were "definitely" proud of this honor.

“When my grandmother was alive, it was something that she collected, and then my mom naturally reads it a lot and my aunts as well,” Jordan said. “This is one that they’re definitely going to have a special place for.”

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John Legend was selected as the magazine's Sexiest Man Alive in 2019. Legend's fellow "The Voice" coach Blake Shelton broke the news on the show at the time.

"You already came into this show with an EGOT. And then you won 'The Voice,' so it became a VEGOT. Now you have a VEGOTSMA," Shelton said at the time.

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