VMAs 2026: Nirvana Receive The Video Vanguard Award

At tonight's VMAs, Nirvana were the recipients of the Michael Jackson Video Vanguard Award, the lifetime-achievement honor traditionally given out to whichever famous artist MTV can convince to show up. It's the first time a rock band has received the Video Vanguard since Duran Duran in 2003, and it comes in the same year MTV dropped a rock category from the ceremony for the first time in its 37-year history.

Nirvana's breakthrough had a lot to do with MTV, and the band has history with the VMAs specifically. In 1992, riding high off the success of Nevermind, the band performed "Lithium" (after a few chords from the verboten "Rape Me"), got in a fight with Guns N' Roses backstage, and accepted the Best New Artist award from music industry peers Boyz II Men and Wilson Phillips.

Tonight, Public Enemy's Chuck D took the stage to present the Video Vanguard award to Nirvana. After remarks from Chuck, there was a montage with extant footage of Nirvana members talking about their various music videos in the '90s. The montage featured footage from "Smells Like Teen Spirit," "In Bloom," "Come As You Are," "Heart Shaped Box," and the MTV Unplugged version of "All Apologies."

Dave Grohl, Krist Novoselic, and Pat Smear were on hand to accept the award. Smear smoked a cigarette while Novoselic shared prepared remarks, including warm words for Kurt Cobain. Grohl, surprisingly, remained silent and let Novoselic do all the talking. Watch the acceptance speech below.