NEW YORK — People magazine has named Olympic gymnast Simone Biles, actor Sandra Oh, country icon Dolly Parton and the nation’s teachers as its “2021 People of the Year.”

“This year has been a transformative one, pushing us all to create something new and hopefully better for our lives,” the magazine said. “This issue reflects that spirt: Our People of the Year cover stars have all led the way in their fields to help make the world a little bit better.”

Parton was cited for giving away millions of books and supporting COVID-19 research and Oh was celebrated for fighting anti-Asian hate and working on “transformative stories.” People said Biles’ focus on mental health “redefined what it means to win in sports.” And the nation’s more than 3 million teachers have “gone above and beyond to ensure our nation’s kids have bright opportunities ahead.”

The new issue hits newsstands Friday.

Last year, People named George Clooney, Dr. Anthony Fauci, Selena Gomez and Regina King as the “2020 People of the Year.”