Nirvana is set to receive one of MTV’s highest honors at the Video Music Awards. At the 2026 VMAs, the iconic grunge band will accept the Michael Jackson Video Vanguard Award, presented to musicians and directors who have made a profound impact on the art form of music videos. With classic videos for tracks including “Smells Like Teen Spirit,” “Come As You Are,” “Heart-Shaped Box,” and many more, it’s no surprise to see the Seattle legends accept the major award at this year’s ceremony in Los Angeles.
Nirvana has a long history with the VMAs, winning their first trophies in 1992 for Best New Artist and Best Alternative Video for “Smells Like Teen Spirit.” That same year, the band defied network censors by performing a bit of “Rape Me” before going into their hit “Lithium.” The next year, Nirvana was back at the ceremony to accept their third award, this time for Best Alternative Video for the track “In Bloom.” In September 1994, after the death of Kurt Cobain the previous April, band members Dave Grohl and Krist Novoselic returned to the stage to accept two more awards for the “Heart-Shaped Box” video: Best Alternative Video and Best Art Direction. After Nirvana disbanded, former drummer for the band Dave Grohl went on to win several more awards with his next band, Foo Fighters, including Best Group Video in 1996 for “Big Me.”
Nirvana is in good company with the award. Recent winners of the Michael Jackson Video Vanguard Award include Mariah Carey, Katy Perry, and Shakira, with winners in the 2010s including Beyoncé, Britney Spears, Justin Timberlake, and Rihanna. Along with their award-winning videos, Nirvana has several more highly-viewed videos, including “You Know You’re Right,” “Silver,” and “Dumb.”
The 2026 Video Music Awards will air on CBS, MTV, and Paramount+ on September 27. Madonna leads the nominees with 11 nominations, with Taylor Swift following with nine nominations. Ariana Grande and Sabrina Carpenter both earned seven nominations, while Bruno Mars earned six nominations.
Browse Nirvana’s music on limited edition vinyl or CDs here.
