| ABBEYLEIX | Recently named Ireland's Tidiest Small Town for 2021. (9) |
| CLONEGAL | Named Ireland's Tidiest Village two years running. (8) |
| IHOPE | Small town, for short |
| BORO | Small town, for short |
| POSTTRUTH | Which adjective was recently named "word of the year" by Oxford Dictionaries? (4,5) |
| GATLAND | Recently named Lions coach for next year's tour of New Zealand. (7) |
| GRIMES | One-named singer who recently named her son X AE A-Xii |
| PARISJACKSON | The King of Pop's daughter who was recently named an ambassador for the Elizabeth Taylor AIDS Foundation: 2 wds. |
| CONANOBRIEN | Gallup recently named Finland the world's happiest country for the fourth year in a row; this American comic traveled there in 2006 to meet with its president, since he bears a striking resemblance to |
| WADHURST | Hastings line station serving town recently named in the Sunday Times as the best place to live in the UK (8) |
| TAYLORSWIFT | Singer recently named Time's Person of the Year for 2023; five of her No. 1 hits are this puzzle's theme entries |
| WILLIAMS | American rapper and singer-songwriter recently named as UN ESCO Goodwill Ambassador for Arts, Education and entrepreneurship (8,8) |
| PHARRELL | American rapper and singer-songwriter recently named as UN ESCO Goodwill Ambassador for Arts, Education and entrepreneurship (8,8) |
| PHILLIP | ___ Schofield, host of Dancing On Ice, back with 16A, Jayne, Chris and the rest for a new series for 2021 (7) |
| ANSCOMBE | Gareth - - - , the URC's Gilbert Golden Boot winner for 2021-22 with a 93.5% success rate for Ospreys (8) |
| COOPERKUPP | Current Rams wide receiver named the AP NFL Offensive Player of the Year for 2021: 2 wds. |
| AXISOFEVIL | Recently named grouping of rogue states |
| TRAIN | GWR 802109 - recently named after a Canadian pop star (6, 5) |
| SHANIA | GWR 802109 - recently named after a Canadian pop star (6, 5) |
| TOKYO | Host of the Olympics scheduled for 2021 |
