Although Time’s annual Person of the Year award isn’t typically awarded to people who are no longer living, Steve Jobs has nevertheless been named as the leading contender for this year’s award, reports CultofMac.
Celebrity chef Mario Batali was among the chief supporters of Jobs’ nomination of the award, stating that ““The smartphone has changed the world as much as the Bible has.”
Jesse Eisenberg, lead actor in the film “The Social Network,” also debated in support of Steve Jobs, saying it was “like the Oscars giving best director to someone who just died when they really deserved a lifetime achievement award.”
The award and its nominees were discussed and debated by a panel (pictured above) headed by NBC anchor Brian Williams and Rich Stengel, managing editor for Time Magazine. Other panelists included actor Jesse Eisenberg, comedian Seth Meyers and others.
Other top candidates for the award included:
A video of part of the debate can be found below.