Taylor Swift is at the top of DoSomething.org’s yearly Celebs Gone Good list for the third year in a row. Swift’s first ranking is accredited to her donations of her proceeds from her single “Welcome to New York” to public schools in New York City and for her ‘feminist awakening.’ The Celebs Gone Good award is given to celebrities who use their platform for social good. Every year DoSomething.org publishes a list of nominees who they feel are deserving of the award, and then open voting for the public. This year’s winner will be announced on December 24, but judging from the past, it is safe to assume that Swift will win again.

Now, I am in no way insinuating that Swift is not charitable, but it is worth thinking about why she wins these awards and not other celebrities. Sure, she may have donated some money, but Swift is notorious for removing her music from free listening avenues and suing fans who do not follow her strict copyrights. This may not be the same thing as traditional charity, but someone who is one of the richest women in America and still refuses to let fans simply enjoy their music does not seem to embody the spirit of charity.  Then you have someone like Akon, who launched Akon Lighting Africa, which has provided electricity for millions of Africans in fourteen countries, and still offers his music free, but wins no awards.

It is never comfortable to think about, but Swift is a conventionally attractive white person. If this does not seem like a plausible explanation, think back to the VMA’s when Swift won Best Female Video  for “Blank Space” at the VMA’s, over Nicki Minaj’s “Anaconda,” even though most people would agree that ‘Anaconda’ was a more iconic music video. Supposedly Swift won this particular award because she is a great role model for young girls, modest and feminst at the same time.  However, Nicki Minaj has consistently proven to be a much stronger advocate of feminism and independence in comparison to Swift’s less than intersectional approach. Both women are performers and sometimes wear revealing outfits, but Minaj is the one who is criticized. Again, you see the white nominee win out over the person of color for reasons that are only loosely substantiated.

Taylor Swift is not the only celebrity to win awards this year that may not have been justified. Glamour’s naming of Caitlyn Jenner as a woman of the year was highly controversial. Glamour’s Women of the Year awards are awarded to women who are leaders and trailblazers across different areas. Jenner was given the award for her apparent status as a transgender advocate. It is wonderful to include trailblazers in the LGBT community, but as of late, Jenner has not been the strongest ally to the community. Her position of privilege has disconnected her from the struggles of the transgender community, including poverty and racism. Jenner is not representative of their best interests, especially when she remains politically conservative. There are many better options for honoring women who are active in the transgender community, like actress Laverne Cox or martial artist Fallon Fox. Jenner is not a champion of any community. Malala Yousafzai, an activist who has fought for female education definitely is, but she is absent from the list. It is interesting how a problematic white celebrity wins out over a woman of color whose merit no one denies.

White celebrities are not undeserving of awards, but it is worth thinking about who has been overlooked and why that may be the case.