For our second annual roundup of the most influential people on the Internet, TIME sized up contenders by looking at their global impact on social media and their overall ability to drive news. Here's who made this year's unranked list:

Dimitrios Kambouris—Getty Images Kanye West The artist and entrepreneur has perfected the art of the Twitter spree , sharing candid thoughts that are often just as provocative—if not more so—than his music. His tweets can be controversial (see: his comments on Amber Rose and Bill Cosby ) and confusing (like his revelation that he's $53 million in debt ), but many do offer constructive criticism of the fashion and music industries. West also used the Internet to shake up the idea of an album as we know it, treating his latest LP, The Life of Pablo , like a work in progress by refusing to sell it (it’s only available on the streaming service Tidal) and promising alterations to its “final” version. —Nolan Feeney

Casey Brodley Joy Cho The crown jewel of this graphic designer ’s online empire, which also includes her popular lifestyle blog , is Pinterest, where Cho has 12.8 million followers . As the most-followed person on the platform, she’s now able to garner big partnerships, including a photo-documented road trip sponsored by Toyota and new lines of baby clothes and nursery and home décor for Target . More recently, she was tapped to design the souvenir eggs for the 2016 White House Easter Egg Roll . —Sarah Begley

Jason Merritt—Getty Images James Corden Even if you’ve never watched CBS’s Late Late Show , chances are you’ve seen its host singing in a car with Adele . Or playing “ tattoo roulette ” with One Direction. Or hijacking a tour bus with Jason Derulo. This is a testament to how well the 37-year-old British comedian understands how to be a late-night host in 2016, pushing celebrities beyond their comfort zone to create the kinds of funny, feel-good clips that thrive in the age of YouTube. Chief among them is “Carpool Karaoke,” a semiregular series (now set for a prime-time special ) in which Corden chauffeurs famous artists as they bop along to their own hits. The casual setup is more intimate than a studio set, which encourages to guests let loose—and people to watch and share. So far, more than 85 million have watched his outing with Adele, in which the soulful singer wound up rapping along to a Nicki Minaj verse. —Daniel D'Addario

Mike Windle—Getty Images Laci Green In an effort to provide a more approachable version of sex education, the YouTube star offers sisterly advice on everything from hookup culture to body positivity to BDSM. In sum, her videos have amassed 122 million views, turning the 26-year-old, who was raised Mormon, into a millennial Dr. Ruth. She’s now a go-to host (of MTV’s digital series Braless ) and ambassador (for Trojan’s “Consent. Ask For It.” campaign)—with a rapidly growing fanbase. —Nolan Feeney

Michael Stewart—Getty Images Josh Holz and Daniel Lara The beauty of the Internet age—or danger, depending on who you ask—is that anyone can start a global phenomenon. Case in point: A high school boy films his friend’s outfit and face each day while repeating “Damn, Daniel!” in an alluringly weird accent, and suddenly the video is everywhere. Josh Holz’s strange cinematic creation, originally uploaded to Snapchat and stitched together into a longer clip, is the rare meme to truly penetrate mainstream pop culture: Holz and Lara appeared on Ellen (Vans gave Lara a lifetime supply of his signature sneakers that he later donated to a children’s hospital ) and in Weezer's beachy music video for “California Kids.” And while hackers eventually took over Holz’s Twitter account and deleted the original video, it hasn’t stopped fans from being back at it again with Daniel-inspired remixes , tattoos and shoes . —Sarah Begley

Jason LaVeris, Miikka Skaffari—Getty Images Johnetta Elzie and DeRay Mckesson Although there are no official leaders of the #BlackLivesMatter movement, Elzie and McKesson have both helped meaningfully shape it through the Internet. After gaining national attention for live-tweeting the 2014 events in Ferguson, Mo., they founded WeTheProtesters.org , an online hub and resource center for all #BLM activists. Together, they command an audience of more than 400,000 people on Twitter, and McKesson is running for mayor of his native Baltimore. —Eliza Berman

Danny E. Martindale—Getty Images J.K. Rowling More than any other author, J.K. Rowling has cast a spell over the Internet, using Twitter and her website Pottermore to expand the Harry Potter universe. Over the past year, she has revealed everything from why Hagrid can't produce a Patronus to the fact that Hogwarts tuition is free to the history of North American magic in general (though some criticized her for using details from existing Native American legends). Rowling has also made headlines for fighting with a member of Scottish Parliament , comparing Donald Trump to Voldemort and offering support to fans with depression . —Ashley Ross

Karwai Tang—Getty Images Felix Arvid Ulf Kjellberg (a.k.a. PewDiePie) The Swedish gamer (born Felix Kjellberg) touts a record 42.7 million subscribers on YouTube , giving him a reach bigger than most TV networks. Perhaps that's why he's starting his own: the 26-year-old recently struck a deal with Disney's Maker Studios to produce original content for RevelMode, a new virtual network. —Olivia B. Waxman

Andrew Harrer—Getty Images Donald Trump Donald Trump is redefining how political candidates use social media, for better and for worse. Although supporters value his candor, the GOP frontrunner has caught flack for tweeting insults at or about his rivals—alleging that Megyn Kelly is a " bimbo ," for example, and dismissing Marco Rubio as " Little Marco ." All of which bolsters Trump's virtual presence: the mogul touts almost 7 million followers on Twitter , more than any other presidential candidate, including Hillary Clinton . —Daniel D'Addario

Theo Wargo—Getty Images Lele Pons At 19, Pons isn't just the most-watched person on Vine (where her six-second videos have been played 7.9 billion times ); she's one of the most-watched people on all of social media. Fans flock to the native Venezuelan, who is credited with coining the phrase “ doing it for the Vine ,” for her practical jokes, which she plays on friends, family and even strangers. But her profile is rising: In October, Michelle Obama invited Pons to the White House to create a Vine advocating for children's education. And her popularity across multiple social media platforms—including Instagram , Twitter and YouTube —has helped her make ad deals with big-name brands, such as HP, DirecTV, Coca-Cola, Starbucks and Guitar Hero. —Megan McCluskey

John Shearer—Getty Images Caitlyn Jenner When she came out as a woman last year, the former Olympic athlete instantly became the most famous transgender person in the world—and on social media. Four hours after joining Twitter (in sync with her Vanity Fair cover reveal ), Jenner had gained 1 million Twitter followers, beating President Obama’s record. More recently, she’s sparked debate online after making comments that offended some in their implications about what it means to be a woman, even while exposing these complicated issues to a wider audience. —Sarah Begley

Sonu Mehta—Getty Images Narendra Modi The leader of the world's largest democracy is also an Internet star, boasting more than 18 million Twitter followers and over 32 million Facebook likes . And unlike some of his contemporaries, he often uses social media to break news and conduct diplomacy. On Christmas Day, for example, Modi tweete d that he would visit the Pakistani city of Lahore to wish Nawaz Sharif, the leader of India’s chief regional rival, a happy 66th birthday. On Feb. 12, he also wished a happy birthday to Afghanistan’s Ashraf Ghani. That tweet made headlines for the wrong reasons, though: the Afghan President replied with his thanks, and a polite note that he was actually born on May. 19. —Nikhil Kumar

Rob Kim—Getty Images Elise Andrew If you’ve come across a Facebook post declaring the dawn of “a mini–Ice Age” or the discovery of a new species of fish-eating spider , chances are it came by way of Elise Andrew. The 26-year-old former biology major is the brains behind I F-cking Love Science, a Facebook page (and now a fully staffed blog) that has built an audience of 24 million, eclipsing more established outlets like Popular Science (3.2 million) and the New York Times (10.9 million). Its goal: to highlight “the lighter side of science” in an effort to spark people’s interest. At times, Andrew has been accused of oversimplifying complex issues and promoting stories (like the mini–Ice Age item) that wind up getting debunked. But those critics, she argues, are ignoring the importance of a “staunchly pro-science” news outlet at a time when some presidential candidates deny that climate change exists. “I’m not trying to teach people about science,” she tells TIME via email. “I’m trying to give people that moment where they say, O.K., this is interesting, and I WANT to learn more.” —Olivia B. Waxman

Ken M There are trolls haunting every comments section on the Internet, but none are as beloved—or perhaps, as prolific—as Kenneth McCarthy. Online, the 35-year-old comedian, until recently known only by the moniker "Ken M," plays a good-natured dolt, posting hilariously inept remarks to outrage people who don’t realize the joke is on them. (Underneath an article on the perils of climate change, for example, Ken M demanded that someone "tell obama to plant more tree seeds cause trees convert sunlight into cool air.") Now he's something of a folk hero, touting thousands of followers on Facebook and Twitter and his own subreddit . His aim, he has said , is to turn "toxic" spaces—as so many comments sections tend to be—into "a source of belly laughter, so it’s not gross anymore.” —Samantha Grossman

Gabriel Olsen—Getty Images Lilly Singh (a.k.a. Superwoman) She may not have as many subscribers as PewDiePie, but the Indo-Canadian vlogger is rapidly becoming one of the biggest stars on YouTube , both on and off-screen. As alter ego Superwoman, she is equal parts funny and motivational, which has helped her amass more than 8 million subscribers and over 1.1 billion total views. She recently landed a national YouTube ad campaign and released her first feature film , a documentary chronicling her 27-city world tour, on YouTube's new paid subscription service; it's called " A Trip to Unicorn Island ," a nod to her fans, known as Unicorns . —Megan McCluskey

Jamie McCarthy—Getty Images Matt Drudge If we are indeed witnessing the biggest political media circus in history, then Drudge is its virtual ringmaster. More than 15 years after its launch, his news-aggregation site, The Drudge Report , remains a traffic behemoth, logging some 8.7 billion page views in the past year. That gives Drudge, whose own views skew conservative, an outsize influence on the political news cycle—a fact doesn't sit well with his critics. But there's no denying his ability to turn niche stories into national headlines, especially if they allege that Hillary Clinton wears a wig . —Olivia B. Waxman

Courtesy Angie Nwandu Angie Nwandu As more and more of our own daily interactions happen online, so, too, does celebrity drama. And Nwandu, 25, has made it her business to capture it. Two years ago, she started The Shade Room , an Instagram account and blog that aims to be like Page Six for celebrities on social media: a chronicle of who likes whose posts, who comments on whose photos, and who starts following (or better yet, unfollowing) each other. Since then, TSR has become a burgeoning media empire, replete with its own tipsters, staff (there are now four full-time employees), and advertisers—all of whom serve an audience of 3.9 million. And counting. —Nolan Feeney

Barry King—Getty Images Andrew Bachelor (a.k.a. King Bach) On Vine, the social network for six-second videos, 27-year-old Bachelor commands 1 5 million followers , more than any other user. His edge: a knack for relatable comedy. Many of his quick videos portray everyday ­scenarios—like trying to get a woman’s ­number—gone awry. Casting directors have taken note: he landed his first major TV acting gig (on Showtime’s House of Lies ) within months of his inaugural Vine in 2013. This year he’ll add four feature films to his résumé. —Eliza Berman

Jeff Pachoud—AFP/Getty Images Peter Bouckaert For proof that a single tweet can change the world, look no further than Sept. 2, when Bouckaert, the Emergencies Director for Human Rights Watch, shared a photo of Alan Kurdi, a 3-year-old Syrian-Kurdish refugee, lying dead on a Turkish beach. Within hours, the image (taken by Turkish photographer Nilüfer Demir from the Dogan News Agency) had gone viral, drawing attention to the human toll of Europe's migrant crisis—and perhaps even hastening a response. Two days after Bouckaert's tweet, the U.K. agreed to accept thousands more refugees. —Olivia B. Waxman

Marc Piasecki—Getty Images Kim Kardashian West Kim Kardashian West is one of the most-watched people on the planet, with more than 120 million followers across Twitter , Facebook , Instagram and Snapchat. Most recently, she made headlines for posting, and then ardently defending , a series of nude selfies. "I am empowered by showing the world my flaws and not being afraid of what anyone is going to say about me," she wrote. "And I hope that through this platform I have been given, I can encourage the same empowerment for girls and women all over the world." The reality star also launched two new mobile apps in the past year, including Kimoji , which features icons of her famous derriere and "ugly cry" face.

Gabe Ginsberg—Getty Images Josh Ostrovsky (a.k.a. The Fat Jew) Josh Ostrovsky's outrageous alter ego rose to fame over the past few years by sharing funny photos and memes with his millions of Twitter and Instagram followers, often without attribution. (He also wrote a book, Money Pizza Respect, and started a wine label, White Girl Rose .) But his fame reached a tipping point in August. Shortly after news broke that Ostrovsky had signed with talent agency CAA, several prominent comedians—including Patton Oswalt and Chelsea Peretti— mocked him for building a career off of stolen material, kicking off a debate about the ethics of aggregating online content. Eventually, Ostrovsky apologized and vowed to credit all his posts in the future.— Samantha Grossman

Ron Turenne—Getty Images Drake More than perhaps any other artist, Drake understands the power of a meme. Last year, he released a strikingly simple video for "Hotline Bling"—most shots were of him doing goofy dance moves amid a neon backdrop—that all but begged to be parodied. And the Internet obliged , churning out countless GIFs, Vines and spoofs that helped make the song his biggest hit to date. More recently, Drake tapped meme culture to settle a score, using fan-made images to taunt rival Meek Mill during a performance. —Nolan Feeney

Jason LaVeris—Getty Images Tess Holliday The average American woman is a size 14 —which is why many people on the Internet find it so maddening when the fashion industry applies the label “plus-size” to models who appear to weigh less than a normal woman. Among them: Tess Holliday, who created the hashtag #EffYourBeautyStandards for social media users to express dissatisfaction with societal norms and pride in their bodies. The model, who has 1.1 million Instagram follower s, is now the living embodiment of her mantra: she's the first size 22 model to be signed with a major agency, she covered People magazine in May 2015 , and recently, she shared a photo of herself in a bikini at “6 months preggo…& still slayin." —Sarah Begley