Nirvana Are This Year’s VMAs Video Vanguard Award Winners
Here's a funny one. This year, the MTV Video Music Awards have dropped the show's Best Rock category for the first time in the show's 37-year history. But today, the folks at MTV have announced that the network's highest lifetime achievement honor, the Michael Jackson Video Vanguard Award, will be bestowed upon Nirvana. Finally, some institutional recognition for Nirvana! The post Nirvana Are…
Nirvana will be honored with the Video Vanguard Award at the upcoming 2026 MTV VMAs event. Among the past winners are Mariah Carey, Katy Perry, Shakira, and Nicki Minaj. Following the 1994 passing of Kurt Cobain, the band’s remaining members—Dave Grohl, Krist Novoselic, and Pat Smear—have occasionally made appearances for tribute performances featuring various singers.
They previously invited artists like Joan Jett, Kim Gordon, St. Vincent, and Lorde to cover Nirvana songs during their induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2014. Their last joint performance was in January 2025 for a Fire Aid benefit concert. The 2026 VMAs will air live from Los Angeles on September 27 and will also be broadcast on CBS, Paramount+, and MTV.
The host for the event has not yet been confirmed, and a complete list of nominees can be found online.
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