Dave Grohl, Krist Novoselic and Pat Smear of Nirvana accept the Video Vanguard Award onstage at the 2026 MTV VMAs. Rich Polk/Billboard via Getty Images Public Enemy frontman Chuck D celebrated Nirvana‘s musical legacy as he presented the ’90s grunge rock band with the Video Vanguard Award at the 2026 VMAs.
“Nirvana never bent to the will of the mainstream; they always stayed true to their vision,” Chuck D stated onstage. “Their sound was loud, beautiful, daringly open. The lyrics were raw and deeply human. Their music videos defined an era. They were completely original and always fearless at a time when the status quo got to the point of being formulaic. Today, their influence can be heard in virtually every generation of artists who follow.”
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After a pretaped segment showing the group in its early days, reflecting on memorable music videos, Krist Novoselic and Dave Grohl accepted the award alongside Pat Smear, who smoked a cigarette onstage. “The ideas for those videos all grew out of the vision of one of the greatest artists of all time, Kurt Cobain,” Novoselic stated of the band’s lead singer and guitarist who died by suicide in 1994 at the age of 27.
“Kurt was one of one. None of us could have imagined that our band, our sound or our aesthetic would mean so much to so many people. But ultimately, the music had a life of its own. It charted its own course,” the bassist continued. “Nirvana continues to resonate so deeply because people are still hungry for authenticity, something real, something uncompromising, something that tells you it’s just OK to come as you are. Kurt would have loved that legacy.”
In addition to the Video Vanguard award, Nirvana has won a total of five VMAs from 10 nominations, including best new artist in a video and best alternative video for their 1992 best-selling single “Smells Like Teen Spirit.”
The 2026 VMAs took place at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles from 7:30-9:30 p.m. ET/4:30-6:30 p.m. PT on Sept. 27, airing simultaneously on CBS and MTV and streaming on Paramount+ Premium in the U.S. See the full list of winners here.
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