While the celebrity mag is known for naming the "Sexiest Man Alive" and "Most Beautiful" annually, Upton is the first female to snag the "sexy" title.
Sexy to me means someone who is confident and happy and that's the person I always strive to be," she told the audience as she accepted her statue.
The 22-year-old blond beauty joked that was "so, so sorry" to her 18-year-old brother.One man who needed no apology was her boyfriend, Justin Verlander.
"Um, you're welcome, Justin," she quipped to the Detroit Tigers pitcher onstage.People caught up with the Sports Illustrated model backstage at the event and she admitted the last time she didn't quite feel so sexy.
"This morning, it was ugly," she said. "I almost posted an 'I woke up like this' [photo] but I didn't want to be so truthful."
"Who's pretty at 4 a.m. unless they've been out all night?" she added.
