Rock band Nirvana will receive the Video Vanguard Award at the 2026 MTV Video Music Awards, recognizing the band’s lasting influence on music videos and visual culture.
MTV announced the honor on September 9, exactly 34 years after Nirvana made its first appearance at the VMAs in 1992. The band performed “Lithium” at that ceremony, in a performance that became one of the event’s most notable moments.
Nirvana won five VMAs during its career, including Best New Artist in a Video and Best Alternative Video in 1992. The band gained international recognition with its 1991 album “Nevermind,” followed by “In Utero” in 1993.
Frontman Kurt Cobain died in 1994. The band’s surviving members, Dave Grohl, Krist Novoselic and Pat Smear, have since reunited occasionally for special performances featuring guest vocalists.
In 2014, Grohl, Novoselic and Smear performed Nirvana songs with Joan Jett, Kim Gordon, St Vincent and Lorde during the band’s induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. The surviving members also reunited for the FireAid benefit concert in 2025.
It has not yet been confirmed which members will attend this year’s ceremony or whether the award will be accompanied by a tribute performance.
Previous recipients of the Video Vanguard Award include Mariah Carey, Katy Perry, Shakira, and Nicki Minaj.
The 2026 MTV Video Music Awards will be held in Los Angeles on September 27. The ceremony will air live on CBS and MTV and stream on Paramount+. A host has yet to be announced.