Adam Levine is sexiest man alive? Snooze. Here are some better options

There's some serious backlash against People Magazine's choice of Adam Levine as Sexiest Man Alive. Since we know the 'award' is bestowed upon the most commercially mainstream, uncontroversial celebrity – here's a list of our alternatives. 

THE VICTOR: Adam Levine is best known for the following things: being the frontman of Maroon 5, tattooing his body and hosting the hugely popular show The Voice on NBC. Surely sexy can do better than that. (Photograph: Buzz Foto)

WHAT ABOUT ... ANOTHER MUSICIAN? If People wants to use mainstream success as a metric for awards, why don't the editors take a look at a Billboard 100 chart? Drake, Eminem, Justin Timberlake and Jay-Z are all mainstays with huge fan bases, lucrative endorsements and commercial success. (Photograph: Vallery Jean /WireImage)

WHAT ABOUT ... A PERSON OF COLOR? The last person of color to win this award was Denzel Washington in 1996. While men of all races tend to nab the supporting awards – big ups to Neil De Grasse Tyson: Sexiest Astrophysicist in 2000 – the fact that there is no diversity represented on the cover is a big reason this award is a snooze. Blair Underwood is a sexy actor who is also an Aids activist. Idris Elba is a sexy actor whose star rose far enough for him to deserve the award this year. Drake, Andre 3000 and Pharrell are all hugely influential musicians who all also happen to be black and sexy. What's the deal? (Photograph: NBCU)

WHAT ABOUT ... SOMEONE THE INTERNET LIKES? I mean, Ryan Gosling should really be a no-brainer. He's commercially successful, he is willing to act in movie adaptations of sappy romance novels and, most crucially, the internet is obsessed with him. He earned his own 'Hey Girl' meme, and also riled up the blogosphere with a series of do-gooder activities, which included breaking up a street fight and saving a lady from getting hit by a car. He's also an animal activist. Internet cats everywhere raise their paws in salute. #Swoon. (Photograph: Everett Collection)

WHAT ABOUT ... A BRIT? Thanks to the magic of the internet and streaming video, British movie and film actors are becoming part of mainstream pop culture in America. The person who came closest was Sean Connery ... in 1989. Benedict Cumberbatch in 2014? (Photograph: Jason Merritt/Getty Images)

WHAT ABOUT ...SOMEONE WHO MAKES THE WORLD A BETTER PLACE? In this category, it could be time to bring back some of the sexiest picks from the 1990's – George Clooney was recently arrested at a protest against Sudanese genocide, Brad Pitt is an eco-activist and Richard Gere has been lauded for his work in Aids education. But there's also a deserving crop of younger celebrities, notable among them Wyclef Jean for his work in Haiti and Orlando Bloom for raising awareness around global warming. (Photograph: Allstar)

WHAT ABOUT ... A PARODY? Last year, The Onion riffed off of People's award by picking North Korean leader Kim Jong-un. The act later made headlines when Chinese media outlets reported it as fact. The Onion has yet to release this year's pick. (Photograph: AP)

WHAT ABOUT ... SIBLINGS? Except for that odd Richard Gere-Cindy Crawford cover, two people haven't ever won the sexiest man title. The Hemsworth Brothers would've been an innovative choice. With Chris (left) carrying the Thor franchise and Liam carrying Miley Cyrus out of clubs –Kidding! They broke up and now he's starring in The Hunger Games – the two would've won the hearts and minds of America's teenagers and their moms alike. Win-win. (Photographs: Corbis and Rex Features)

WHAT ABOUT ... A BEAUTIFUL ASIAN MAN? As a category, Asian men have been overlooked for any type of sexy-related rewards from People. May we suggest Harry Shum Jr of Glee fame? Buzzfeed, of course,