Travis Kelce followed up his Super Bowl victory by winning Athlete of the Year at the 2024 People’s Choice Awards on Sunday, February 18.
Kelce, 34, was not in attendance during the awards show at the Barker Hangar in Santa Monica, California. He was nominated for Athlete of the Year along with Coco Gauff, Giannis Antetokounmpo, LeBron James, Lionel Messi, Sabrina Ionescu, Simone Biles and Stephen Curry. (Kelce’s girlfriend, Taylor Swift, took home four of her five nominations on Sunday but was unable to attend the ceremony due to her Eras Tour performances in Australia.)
Kelce previously reacted to his nomination in January, calling it “f–king nonsense” during an episode of his “New Heights” podcast. “What did I do to get Athlete of the Year? I did SNL,” he teased at the time. “How am I on this [list]?”
Along with his talent as a tight end, Kelce has been thrust into the spotlight thanks to his relationship with Swift, 34, which began last summer. The pop star was on hand in Las Vegas when Kelce and the Kansas City Chiefs won their second consecutive Super Bowl on February 11.
The Chiefs beat the San Francisco 49ers 25-22 in overtime. Swift and Travis’ mom, Donna Kelce, went down to the field to celebrate with the team after their big win. Travis accepted the Lombardi Trophy on stage and sang “Viva Las Vegas” before finding Swift and sharing a passionate kiss.
“It was unbelievable,” Swift told Travis in footage taken on the field. “One of the craziest things I’ve ever experienced.”
Following their sweet moment, Travis told reporters that he was “on top of the world right now,” adding, “It’s a good feeling.”
Travis’ season was a big success even before the Super Bowl, and he continues to be one of the top players in the league. Throughout 2023, Travis had 93 catches for 984 yards and scored five touchdowns in 15 games.
In November 2023, the Chiefs announced via Instagram that Travis was the “fastest tight end to 11,000 receiving yards and the only player in franchise history to do it.”
Last month, Travis discussed the future of his NFL career and insisted he wouldn’t be leaving the field anytime soon.
“I have no reason to stop playing football,” he told reporters at a press conference at the time. “I’ve been fortunate to do a few things outside of the sports world that I’ve been enjoying doing, like getting on camera. The SNL stuff kind of opened up a new happiness and a new career path for me, but it’s funny for me to even say that at this point in my career because I think it’s so much further down the road than it is right now.”
