Taylor Swift attended the 2026 MTV Video Music Awards in Los Angeles on September 27 without her husband, Travis Kelce , because the Kansas City Chiefs played the Miami Dolphins in Miami that night. The NFL game at Hard Rock Stadium was scheduled to run into Snoop Dogg’s VMAs hosting window. The schedule clash meant Kelce could not join Swift on the red carpet, but Swift still had major support in the building. Dakota Johnson , who appears in Swift’s “Patient Zero” music video, was expected to stand beside her as MTV presented Swift with the first ever Artist Director Honors. Why Was Travis Kelce Missing? MTV and CBS created the Artist Director Honors to recognize artists whose work behind the camera has pushed music video storytelling forward. Swift’s football season support also made the separate appearances feel less dramatic, since Swift attended the Chiefs’ September 14 opener and celebrated when Kelce scored an overtime touchdown against the Indianapolis Colts the following week. Swift pointed to her wedding ring and shouted, “That’s my husband!” after the score. Kelce later joked on the September 23 episode of his New Heights podcast that he was simply doing his job as a husband and trying to make his wife proud. The couple’s public romance began in July 2023, when Kelce attended Swift’s Eras Tour stop at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City. Kelce later said he hoped to give Swift a friendship bracelet marked with his phone number, but her pre show vocal routine kept him from making the handoff.