The Real Reason Taylor Swift Skipped the AMAs After Travis Kelce Fueled Engagement Rumors
One big absence shook audiences to their core at the 2025 American Music Awards. Taylor Swift did not show up to the fan-voted awards show after fans were theorizing that she would make a huge announcement about her future releases.
Taylor Swift was nominated for six awards at the 2025 AMAs for her album The Tortured Poets Department. Swifties anticipated the singer’s long-awaited return and theorized that she would announce Reputation (Taylor’s Version). Her team even teased something huge for the awards show when they rallied fans to vote for her album and songs at the award show. (More on that later!)
Related: How Many Grammys Does Taylor Swift Have? She Surpassed Her Lucky Number
The AMAs are a special place for Taylor Swift and Swifties alike. She currently holds the record for the most AMAs wins with a whopping total of 40, and was named the Artist of the Decade in 2019. But, what was the real reason she wasn’t at the awards show?
Why Wasn’t Taylor Swift at the American Music Awards 2025?
Perhaps Taylor Swift is still laying low after an exhausting year during the Eras tour. Reports emerged over the past couple of months that she and her boyfriend Travis Kelce were taking a break after he lost the Super Bowl.
“They have been traveling nonstop and very much enjoy it,” a source told People in April. “They are making the most of their time off together. They are hanging out with friends, too. It’s a special time for them.”
Just days before the awards show, Travis and Taylor were spotted in a restaurant in Florida by TMZ. The Kansas City Chiefs’ tight end is staying at a $20M mansion to train in the southern state for the NFL offseason.
There are also very big rumors that the couple will take the next step in their relationship soon. A source told the Daily Mail that an engagement is definitely on the way. “Everyone is just waiting for Travis to ask her parents for her hand in marriage, her parents will say yes, and they can’t wait for them to get engaged,” a source told the site. “Nothing seems to be imminent, but it will 100 percent happen. Taylor and Travis are treating this relationship as their last relationship, and when they get engaged, when they get married and when they start a family, it will be exactly when it is meant to happen.”
Taylor’s team teased fans earlier in the month about the American Music Awards. Taylor Nation reshared a fan’s post on X about voting for the artist and wrote, “And our town, it looks so sMall from wAy up here.” Taylor’s team added “Screamed, ‘vote for the chairman’ at the night sky!” It might be a coincidence, but it reflected the spelling of her song “thanK you aIMee” and the capitalized letters of the tweets spell out “AMAs.”
Swifties also pointed out that Taylor’s online merch site changed from its previous format to a four-block of purchasing options, “Apparel” “Music” “Accessories” and “Sale.” What does that spell? You guessed it. “AMAs.”
However, Taylor didn’t win any of her nominations at the American Music Awards. She was nominated for Artist of the Year, Album of the Year, Collaboration of the Year (with Post Malone), Favorite Pop Album, Favorite Female Pop Artist, and Favorite Touring Artist. So, it makes sense for her to skip out on the awards show to rest with her beau.
Reputation (Taylor’s Version) is Taylor’s second-to-last album before she completes her re-recordings of her discography. Will we ever see the announcement in the near future? We surely hope so!
