John Krasinski is People's Sexiest Man Alive. Here's who it should have been.

Each year, People devotes a cover story to the Sexiest Man Alive. This year’s winner is John Krasinski, and the magazine credits his writing, starring and producing credit on the movie If as what “solidified his status as one of Hollywood’s top filmmakers.”

Historically, People chooses a household name with wide appeal — not necessarily the biggest star of the moment.

There’s been a bit of backlash to the crowning of Krasinski, who is perhaps best known for his starring role as charming prankster Jim Halpert on The Office (which ended in 2013), self-sacrificing family man Lee Abbott in The Quiet Place (2018) and the title character in the Prime Video’s Jack Reacher series that ended in 2023 and has a sequel film in development.

Here are Yahoo Entertainment's own picks for Sexiest Man Alive, drawn from the biggest stars of the moment.

Glen Powell

Glen Powell at a promotional event for "Twisters" in London. (Dave Benett/WireImage)

The Twisters and Hit Man star had a huge breakout year in 2024 and won the magazine’s reader-voted poll for Sexiest Summer Action Star. The same day People made their Sexiest Man Alive announcement, Powell shared a photo of himself on the cover of Vanity Fair’s Hollywood Issue.

Hugh Jackman

Hugh Jackman at the Deadpool & Wolverine world premiere. (Theo Wargo/Getty Images for Disney)

Some fans were elated to see Jackman return as Logan for Deadpool & Wolverine, and their enthusiasm was evident at the box office, where the film earned more than $1.3 billion. His gruff-but-lovable banter with co-star Ryan Reynolds — and a surprise shirtless scene at the end of the film — pushed him to the top of our list.

Pedro Pascal and Paul Mescal

Paul Mescal and Pedro Pascal in "Gladiator II." (Aidan Monaghan/Paramount Pictures/Courtesy Everett Collection)

It’s tough to choose between the two leading men of Gladiator II, so we’re not going to. Pascal, an Emmy nominee who led TV franchises The Mandalorian and The Last of Us, was poised for a big movie breakout moment. Mescal, the Oscar-nominated Irish heartthrob, pivoted from tearjerkers to awe-inspiring stunts. He’s so well known for appearing around town in short shorts that a look-alike competition in his honor was jam-packed with attendees wearing them.

Denzel Washington

Denzel Washington in Gladiator II. (Paramount Pictures/Courtesy Everett Collection)

OK, yes, another Gladiator II star, but as 1996’s Sexiest Man Alive winner, he deserves his own entry. He’s a scene-stealer in the new film. Even his family members are having a moment — on Nov. 22, The Piano Lesson directed by his son, Malcolm Washington, and starring his other son, John David Washington, will be streaming on Netflix.

Jeremy Allen White

After taking home two Emmy Awards in one year for The Bear, there’s no denying White has made a huge impact on pop culture. His role even inspired a renaissance for “dirtbag line cooks” everywhere. And, of course, we haven't forgotten the internet-breaking Calvin Klein ad.

Jonathan Bailey

Jonathan Bailey at the Los Angeles premiere of Wicked. (Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/FilmMagic)

From heating up our small screens as the leading man in Season 2 of Bridgerton, Bailey plays the swoon-inducing Fiyero in one of the year’s most-anticipated movies, Wicked.

Dev Patel

Dev Patel at the 2024 Time 100 gala. (Kristina Bumphrey/Variety via Getty Images)

Though Timothée Chalamet deserves a shout-out for inspiring the first of several viral look-alike competitions across the globe, Dev Patel has proved that the trend is here to stay for dreamy celebrities. He starred in the action movie Monkey Man, which was in theaters in April, and we’re still thinking about it.

Travis Kelce

Travis Kelce at a Kansas City Chiefs game. (Erick W. Rasco/Sports Illustrated via Getty Images)

No longer just a superstar athlete or the first gentleman of the “Eras Tour,” Kelce has been flexing his acting muscles this year with a major hosting gig, a sizable role in a new Ryan Murphy series and a number of film projects in the works.

Andrew Garfield

After a tear-jerking press tour for his new movie We Live in Time in which he made some profound statements about grief and love, Garfield sat down for a viral Chicken Shop Date interview with Amelia Dimoldenberg that oozed so much chemistry it made the internet believe in meet-cutes again.

Marcello Hernandez

Marcello Hernandez. (Michael Buckner/Variety via Getty Images)

Though much of the buzz this about Saturday Night Live has been about political impersonations, cast member Marcello Hernandez has appeared in multiple viral sketches and appears to be the show’s next breakout star.

Joshua Jackson

Joshua Jackson at the premiere of Doctor Odyssey. (Emma McIntyre/Getty Images)

Jackson stars in the wacky new medical drama Doctor Odyssey, which recently went viral for airing a threesome scene involving its lead actors just six episodes into its first season. Dawson’s Creek fans know the actor has been a small-screen heartthrob for years.

Manny Jacinto

Manny Jacinto in "The Acolyte." (Lucasfilm Ltd)

Though The Acolyte won’t be getting a second season, it gained an impressive fan base. Jacinto, who is unmasked as the show’s antagonist, ushered in the era of the “Thirst Trap Villain.”

Nicholas Galitzine

Nicholas Galitzine at the New York premiere of "The Idea Of You." (Cindy Ord/Getty Images)

If you’ve noticed a sudden influx of age-gap romance movies featuring older women and younger men, you’re not alone. The Idea of You, which stars Galitzine as a pop star (who definitely isn’t based on Harry Styles) and Anne Hathaway, was the first of the year, and thus the one we can’t stop thinking about. There’s a reason he keeps getting cast as a prince — he has one of those faces.

Mike Faist and Josh O’Connor

Josh O'Connor and Mike Faist at a screening of "Challengers." (Dave Benett/Getty Images for Warner Bros.)

With help from Zendaya, the stars of Challengers were a major catalyst for this year’s tenniscore trend. We deny any claims that they resemble “Rodent Men.”

WATCH: Take a look back at People magazine’s Sexiest Man Alive through the years