Nirvana is to be honoured with the Video Vanguard Award at the 2026 MTV Video Music Awards.
On Wednesday, producers announced that the rock band, featuring the late Kurt Cobain, bassist Krist Novoselic, and drummer Dave Grohl, would be feted at the upcoming ceremony held at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles on 27 September.
“This day in 1992, Nirvana took to the VMAs stage for the first time – shaping music, culture, and MTV forever,” an MTV spokesperson wrote on Instagram. “Nirvana is our 2026 #VMAs Video Vanguard recipient!!!”
They added that the spectacle will celebrate “Nirvana’s incredible legacy” but didn’t disclose any further details.
Nirvana’s most famous music videos include the productions for 1991’s Smells Like Teen Spirit, 1991’s In Bloom, and 1993’s Heart-Shaped Box.
It’s unclear whether Novoselic or Grohl will be at the show. Representatives for the pair have not yet commented on the news.
Cobain died by suicide at the age of 27 in 1994. The frontman is survived by his 34-year-old daughter, Frances Bean Cobain.
Previous recipients of the prestigious prize, sometimes called the Michael Jackson Video Vanguard Award, include Mariah Carey, Katy Perry, Shakira, Jennifer Lopez, Madonna, and U2, among many others.
Madonna leads nominees for the 2026 MTV VMAs with 11 nominations, followed by Taylor Swift, who garnered nine nods, and Ariana and Sabrina Carpenter, who landed seven apiece.
A host for the ceremony has not yet been announced.
