Most noteworthy magazine covers of 2016

After reviewing the most controversial magazine covers of 2016, it’s time to look at the most significant and noteworthy magazine covers of the year (excluding final issues and those with naked cover models).

Playboy, March 2016

The first nude-free issue of Playboy magazine featured Instagram-famous model Sarah McDaniel on the cover.
(See articles by the Daily Mail, the New York Times and AdAge.)

Variety, Jan. 26, 2016

Entertainment trade journal Variety covered the #OscarsSoWhite controversy with a whitewashed cover titled “Shame on us.”
(See articles by the Huffington Post, CNN and AFP.)

The New Yorker, May 2, 2016

The New Yorker magazine paid tribute to the passing of musician Prince with a cover that evoked his hit song “Purple Rain.”

Vogue, June 2016

Vogue scored a coup by getting Kate Middleton, the Duchess of Cambridge, for her first magazine shoot, which landed her on the cover.
(See article by the Daily Mail.)

Attitude, July 2016

Kate’s husband, Prince William, was the first royal to appear on the cover of a gay magazine when he graced the July 2016 issue of U.K. gay lifestyle magazine Attitude.
(See articles by the Daily Mail, People and the Telegraph.)

Vanity Fair, Summer 2016

Continuing the royal theme, Queen Elizabeth II posed for photographer Annie Leibovitz for the cover of Vanity Fair.
(See article by the Daily Mail.)

Women’s Running, July 2016

Marathon runner and transgender woman Amelia Gapin broke barriers by appearing on the cover of Women’s Running.
(See articles by New York magazine and the Daily Mail.)

Harper’s Bazaar, India, October 2016

Tracey “Africa” Norman and Geena Rocero became the first transgender women ever to appear on the cover of Harper's Bazaar.
(See article by the Daily Mail.)

Sports Illustrated, July 4-11, 2016

Continuing the transgender theme, Caitlyn Jenner posed for the cover of Sports Illustrated 40 years after she won the gold medal for decathlon at the 1976 Summer Olympics as a man, Bruce Jenner.
(See article by the Daily Mail.)

Glamour, August 2016

Actress Mila Kunis started a craze when she posed (nearly) makeup-free for the cover of Glamour magazine.
(See articles by E! Online and the Huffington Post.)

V magazine, November 2016

Singer Alicia Keys followed Kunis by going makeup-free for V magazine’s cover.
(See articles by MSN and V magazine.)

Time, July 11-18, 2016

Time magazine covered Britain’s exit from the Europe Union, aka Brexit, as potentially the first domino to fall in the EU.

People, Oct. 10, 2016

People magazine had to scramble to cover the divorce of Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie, one of the biggest entertainment news stories of the year.
(See articles by CNN and the New York Post.)

Sports Illustrated, Nov. 14, 2016

Sports Illustrated featured the World Series champion Chicago Cubs on a winning cover.
(See article by Sports Illustrated.)

People, Nov. 28, 2016

People named Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson as its “Sexiest Man Alive!”
(See articles by the Daily Mail and People.)

Sports Illustrated, Dec. 19, 2016

Sports Illustrated named NBA star LeBron James as its “Sportsperson of the Year.”
(See article by the Daily Mail.)

Sports Illustrated, Dec. 26, 2016

Sports Illustrated spotlighted Olympic swimming great Michael Phelps on the cover of its year-in-review issue.