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Past Utahns of the Year — from Karl Malone to Elizabeth Smart to gay-marriage plaintiffs to Orrin Hatch

Leah Hogsten | The Salt Lake Tribune The Salt Lake Tribune's 2016 Utahn of the Year — Madi Barney, pictured Wednesday, Dec. 22, 2016, in front of an oil painting by Utahn Lee Cowan titled "Heed the Firmament to the Eighth." Through Barney's willingness to go public about Brigham Young University's handling of her rape case, she changed the discussion on campus sexual assault across the state. Barney launched a petition requesting Honor Code amnesty for BYU students who report sex crimes that resulted in the school's policy change not to punish sexual assault victims for Honor Code violations in connection with their reports.

2017 • Sen. Orrin Hatch.

2016 • Madi Barney, whose advocacy encouraged BYU to create an Honor Code amnesty policy for students who report that they were sexually assaulted.

2015 • Utah House Speaker Greg Hughes.

2014 • Same-sex-marriage plaintiffs.

2013 • Salt Lake County Attorney Sim Gill.

2012 • Mormons Building Bridges.

2011 • Salt Lake City Police Chief Chris Burbank.

2010 • Elizabeth, Lois and Mary Smart.

2009 • Elizabeth Smart.

2008 • Larry Miller.

2007 • First responders to tragedies, including the Trolley Square shooting rampage and the Crandall Canyon Mine disaster.

2006 • Latino leaders Jorge Fierro, Andrew Valdez, Ruby Chacon and Alma Armendariz.

2005 • Pamela Atkinson, advocate for the poor.

2004 • Utahns killed in Iraq and Afghanistan.

2003 • Gov. Olene Walker.

2002 • LDS Church President Gordon B. Hinckley.

2001 • Winter Olympics organizer Mitt Romney.

2000 • Salt Lake City Mayor Rocky Anderson.

1999 • The letter that sparked the Olympic bribery scandal.

1998 • Mary Ann Kingston, who suffered a brutal beating after escaping plural marriage.

1997 • NBA MVP Karl Malone.