Nirvana is set to receive the Video Vanguard Award at the 2026 MTV Video Music Awards, which will be presented on Sept. 27 at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles. The trio will be the first band to receive the honor since Duran Duran in 2003. It will be the first band to receive the award after it disbanded since The Beatles in 1964.
In making the announcement on Wednesday (Sept. 9), MTV noted in its Instagram post: “This day in 1992, Nirvana took to the VMAs stage for the first time — shaping music, culture and MTV forever.”
Nirvana is the ninth band to receive the Video Vanguard Award, following The Beatles (1984), Bon Jovi (1991), Guns N’ Roses (1992), The Rolling Stones (1994), R.E.M. (1995), Beastie Boys (1998), U2 (2001) and Duran Duran (2003).
Nirvana won best alternative video at the VMAs three years running, with “Smells Like Teen Spirit” in 1992, “In Bloom” in 1993 and “Heart-Shaped Box” in 1994. “Smells Like Teen Spirit,” a true generation-defining classic, and “Heart-Shaped Box” were both nominated for video of the year but lost to Van Halen’s “Right Now” and Aerosmith’s “Cryin’,” respectively.
The 2026 VMAs will be broadcast live on CBS and simulcast on MTV.
Nirvana consisted of Kurt Cobain, Krist Novoselic and Dave Grohl. Cobain died by suicide on April 5, 1994. Novoselic is 61. Grohl, who went on to great success fronting Foo Fighters, is 57.
The VMAs will air live coast-to-coast on Sunday, Sept. 27 (7:30-9:30 p.m. ET/4:30-6:30 p.m. PT) on CBS, simulcast on MTV and streaming on Paramount+ (Premium) in the U.S. The show will also be available globally the next day on Paramount+ and MTV.
Nominees were announced on Aug. 18. Madonna leads with 11 nominations, and is followed by Taylor Swift with nine. Ariana Grande and Sabrina Carpenter have seven each, while Bruno Mars, PinkPantheress and Zara Larsson each boast five.
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