Jeremy Renner Makes Surprise Appearance at 2024 People’s Choice Awards: ‘Feels Good to Be Back’

Jeremy Renner helped his Marvel co-star Sim Liu kick off the 2024 People’s Choice Awards.

More than 13 months after the snowplow accident that left Renner in critical condition, he took the stage at the Barker Hangar in Santa Monica, California on Sunday to present the night’s first awards show.

“I have to say, it feels good to be back,” Renner, 53, told the crowd after exiting to thunderous applause. “This year has been one heck of a journey and I’m happy to be here with you, the fans. You are the best. You really brought this year. You broke records. You have turned movies into movements. We heard you all loud and clear, we heard you.”

People’s Choice Awards 2024: See the full list of winners (live updates)

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The father of 10-year-old daughter Ava then turned to presenting the nominees for TV performance of the year.

“Right now I have the privilege of celebrating the most powerful cinematic performances on the silver screen,” Renner continued. “So are you ready for tonight’s first prize?”

Renner announced that Billie Eilish had won Queen Charlotte: The Bridgerton Story‘s Adjoa Andoh, Ayo Edebiri from Bear, Morning show‘s Jon Hamm, Matt Bomer from Companions, Just the murders in the building‘s Meryl Streep, Steven Yeun from Beef and Storm Reid of The last of us for her performance in Swarm.

As Eilish, 22, made her way to the stage to collect her award, Renner stepped back and hugged his the Avengers costar Tom Hiddleston — who earlier gave him a standing ovation — as he left backstage. Hiddleston, 43, accepted the sci-fi series of the year for Loki.

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Renner spent more than two weeks in the hospital undergoing multiple surgeries after a near-fatal snow plow accident on January 1, 2023 that left him with more than 30 broken bones.

The The mayor of Kingstown star told PEOPLE last month that she feels “blessed” today. “I certainly got a lot of callousness out of me with that machine,” he said. “I was never bitter, but always perhaps a little more callous, a little tougher. And I just think those blisters have just been scraped off me at this point. Literally, I feel pretty open and wonderfully vulnerable and youthful.” The Oscar nominee credited his loved ones for motivating him to recover. “Everything just worked out,” Renner said. “Obviously, I had a lot of persistence, I had a lot of support, a lot of reasons to recover. It’s really special. There are a lot of people who don’t have that much, [don’t have] those things to live for.”

Renner joked that he “didn’t realize that a lot of people cared about me.” “Maybe Hawkeye, it is,” he continued, referring to his Marvel character. “[But] just me as a person, that’s another thing, you know what I mean?”

See how each star arrives at the 2024 People’s Choice Awards

Earlier this year, Renner marked the one-year anniversary of his release from intensive care with a sentimental post on Instagram.

“I’m reminded that love, good will, hard work and a legion of good people help me every day… thank you, bless you,” he wrote on January 16. “And as always, I keep my promise to be better, be stronger and move forward to surpass potential… Bless you all ❤️🙏🏼❤️”

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The 2024 People’s Choice Awards air live on NBC, E! and the Peacock.

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