Kate Upton Dances Her Way to 2013 Model of the Year

Was it even a competition?

Stunning model and (cat daddy dancing enthusiast!) Kate Upton will be awarded the title of 2013 Model of the Year at Wednesday night's 10th Annual Style Awards in New York City.

Upton will accept her prize at the swanky fashion soiree, which kicks off New York Fashion Week, and will draw dozens of fashion insiders and designers, including fellow honorees like Rachel Zoe, Zac Posen, and Frederic Fekkai. The event, which will be hosted by Nicole Richie and includes a performance by Nickelodeon star Ariana Grande.

The buxom blond babe has certainly earned the title. She's had a gangbuster career already, scoring back-to-back covers of the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit edition in 2012 and 2013, only one year after making her debut in the highly anticipated issue.

Her quick rise to the modeling elite wasn't without controversy though. In 2012, Sophia Neophitou, a model booker for Victoria's Secret, told the New York Times, “We would never use Kate ... She’s like a footballer’s wife, with the too-blond hair and that kind of face that anyone with enough money can go out and buy.” Despite the diss from the lingerie giant, Upton prevailed and successfully secured ad campaigns for David Yurman, Carl's Jr., and a Super Bowl commercial for Mercedes-Benz.

At the ripe age of 21, Upton has made the difficult transition from bikini babe to high fashion hottie, nabbing Vogue covers in Brazil, the U.K., and the U.S. in 2013. The U.S. edition, which hit stands in June, dubbed her "the hottest supermodel on earth" and the "American Dream."

What's more? She's taking her good looks to the silver screen and starring opposite Cameron Diaz and Leslie Mann in "The Other Woman," slated to hit theaters next year.

It's safe to say Kate Upton has officially stolen the spotlight in 2013.

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