"What is this. Lol": Internet in shambles as Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce bags 'Favorite Surprise Guest' at iHeartRadio Music Awards

The internet is in hysterics after Taylor Swift and NFL star Travis Kelce secured the highly-coveted (lol) 'Favorite Surprise Guest' award at the 2025 iHeartRadio Music Awards. Swift, known for her history of bringing surprises to her performances, shocked fans once again by bringing Kelce on stage, sparking an online frenzy. The Swifties and NFL fans collided in disbelief when the iHeartRadio Music Awards introduced a new category that seemed… well, oddly specific.

One comment by @cryptmehta summed up the collective confusion perfectly:

“What is this. Lol,”

This comment was under the main announcement tweet by @PopBase:

“Taylor Swift wins the #iHeartAwards2025 for Favorite Surprise Guest for bringing out Travis Kelce.”

Let the fan reactions roll in.

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Swifties and NFL fans collide as Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce win the most unexpected award of the night

The moment Taylor and Travis's surprise guest win was announced, fans from all corners of the internet had thoughts. And those thoughts? Hilarious.

“SHE IS NOT ATTENDING 😭” screamed @__glxz, pointing out that despite not physically attending the event, Swift was still sweeping the awards.

Perfectly capturing the mood of those trying to wrap their heads around the Favorite Surprise Guest win, @eyeamwema quipped:

“Not me thinking this was a serious award show for a second 😭,”

A more supportive fan, @folkred12 remarked, nodding to the internet frenzy Swift and Kelce stirred when they shared the stage.

“The livestream went crazy that day.”

One conspiracy theorist joked, half-kidding that Swift might be behind the creation of such an unusual award.

“She paid for all of these wdc” -@positionsmafiaa

Some couldn’t help but question how seriously the event should be taken.

“They just giving out an award for anything now, huh,” @Trop_cfc pondered aloud.

And finally, the cherry on top:

“Is this a real award? 😭” - @BigRissah

Someone, somewhere, was just trying to make sense of it all. Fans seemed both bemused and entertained, and while some questioned the legitimacy of the award, it’s safe to say that nobody saw this coming.

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The story behind the Taylor-Travis surprise

Taylor Swift is no stranger to winning awards, but this one took the internet by storm for its sheer randomness. The award, part of the 2025 iHeartRadio Music Awards, was designed to honor memorable, unexpected on-stage collaborations. Swift brought Travis Kelce out during her performance, and though his NFL prowess was miles away from her pop-queen dominance, the two created one of the most buzzworthy moments of the year.

Kelce’s brief appearance wasn't exactly planned for months, but it worked—sending the live stream viewers into a frenzy and giving fans one of the most unlikely musical pairings in recent memory. Swift, who dominated the night with multiple wins, added this quirky accolade to her growing list of awards, while Kelce earned a surprising yet humorous badge of honor.

Though neither was physically present at the iHeartRadio Music Awards to accept their win, the chaos they caused still made it feel like they were right there, front and center. After all, who else could win for simply being a surprise guest and spark such an iconic internet reaction?