It’s at the 2026 MTV Video Music Awards that Nirvana will be honored with the Video Vanguard Award to be held at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles on September 27.
On Wednesday (9.09,) the show’s producers announced that the iconic rockers – featuring the late Kurt Cobain, bassist Krist Novoselic, and drummer Dave Grohl – would be celebrated at the upcoming ceremony.
“This day in 1992, Nirvana took to the VMAs stage for the first time – shaping music, culture, and MTV forever.” “Nirvana is our 2026 #VMAs Video Vanguard recipient!!!,” penned an MTV spokesperson on Instagram, adding that the event will celebrate “Nirvana’s incredible legacy.”
The Seattle-based band’s most famous videos include the productions for 1991’s ‘Smells Like Teen Spirit,’ 1991’s ‘In Bloom,’ and 1993’s ‘Heart-Shaped Box.’
Survived by his now 34-year-old daughter, Frances Bean Cobain, Kurt Cobain died by suicide at the age of 27 in 1994.
As representatives for the pair yet to weigh in on the news, at press time, it’s unclear as to whether Novoselic or Grohl will attend the show.
Previous recipients of the prestigious prize, sometimes called the Michael Jackson Video Vanguard Award, include Mariah Carey, Katy Perry, Shakira, Jennifer Lopez, Madonna, and U2, among many others.
Madonna leads the 2026 MTV VMA nominations with eleven, followed by Taylor Swift, who garnered nine nods, and Ariana and Sabrina Carpenter, who landed seven apiece.
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Author: Saul Goode
Photo: P.B. Rage from USA