Getty Travis Kelce of the Kansas City Chiefs and his girlfriend Taylor Swift both received good news on the same day.
Travis Kelce and Taylor Swift are both riding high when it comes to their careers. Kelce is looking at another Super Bowl run with the Kansas City Chiefs, who has a 15-2 record, and even gets to enjoy a bye week before the Chiefs take on their first playoff opponent. Swift wrapped up her historic Eras Tour in December and broke all kinds of records, plus earned more than $2 billion in ticket sales. with the longstanding run.
Now, both Kelce and Swift received good news on Wednesday, January 8, giving them even more reasons to smile.
Travis Kelce and Taylor Swift Get Awards
On Wednesday, the NFL announced that Kelce won the Walter Payton Man of the Year “Charity Challenge.” The award was given to him after a fan vote, which took place December 5, 2024, and January 6, 2025. Kelce towered over 31 other candidates, each one hailing from a each NFL team. This isn’t a first for Kelce, either, because this is the second time he’s won the challenge. Because of winning, Kelce’s charity foundation, 87 & Running, will score a $30,000 donation from Nationwide.
“A staple of the Kansas City community both on and off the field, Kelce will now have an opportunity to do even more for his adoptive home courtesy of Nationwide and those who voted,” a January 8 release from the Kansas City Chiefs states.
Over in the Swift camp, on the same day, Swift was christened Billboard’s top artist of the 21st century as the publication recapped the first quarter of the 21st century. Swift beat a bevy of other top musicians for the honor, including Eminem, Drake, Rihanna, Beyonce and Justin Bieber.
“Taylor Swift reigns as the No. 1 artist on Billboard’s recap of the first 25 years of the 21st century, leading Billboard’s Top Artists of the 21st Century chart, based on performance on the Billboard 200 albums chart and the Billboard Hot 100 songs chart from the start of 2000 through the end of 2024,” the outlet announced.
Other Winners From Billboard
Drake came in as No. 2 on the tally, with Billboard stating, “Dating to his 2009 breakthrough, Drake dominated with 13 No. 1s on both the Billboard 200 albums chart and the Hot 100 No. 1 songs chart through the first 25 years of the century.” Billboard added that Drake “also amassed a record 78 Hot 100 top 10s. In 2021, he became the first artist since The Beatles in 1964 to lock down the Hot 100’s top five in a single week.”
Rihanna came in at No. 3, followed by Post Malone and Eminem to round out the top five.
As Kelce preps for the playoffs, he spoke on the January 8 edition of his “New Heights” podcast with his brother Jason about the Chiefs losing to the Denver Broncos on Sunday, January 5. There’s been some talk that the Chiefs rested their starters and possibly wanted to lose to keep the Bengals out of the playoffs. Kelce says that’s bogus.
On his podcast, Kelce said he “ain’t scared” or anything and that he “wanted them” in the playoffs.
“I want to slay every dragon one by one, like Mortal Kombat,” he added. “I don’t even want this to be like we play the lowest seed. Just give me the best teams.”
