Make Page Six a Preferred Source Smells like overdue recognition.
Nirvana finally received their flowers at the 2026 MTV Video Music Awards.
During Sunday’s ceremony, the legendary grunge band — which famously broke barriers in the ’90s music scene, bringing underground alternative rock into the mainstream — was celebrated with the most prestigious honor of the night: the Video Vanguard Award.
Following a montage of old footage honoring the iconic group, bass guitarist Krist Novoselic, drummer Dave Grohl and rhythm guitarist Pat Smear accepted the award at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles.
“Thank you very much to Nirvana’s fans around the world and to everyone at MTV,” Novoselic said into the mic.
He went on to praise the band’s “one of one” frontman, marveling that the “ideas for [their music] videos all grew out of the vision of one of the greatest artists of all time: Kurt Cobain.”
Novoselic added, “None of us could have imagined that our band, our sound or our aesthetic could mean so much to so many people. But ultimately, the music had a life of its own, in charge of its own course.
“Nirvana continues to resonate so deeply because people are still hungry for authenticity, for something real, something uncompromising, something that tells you it’s OK to come as you are. Kurt would’ve loved that legacy.”
Nirvana was founded by Cobain and Novoselic in Aberdeen, Washington, in 1987. The band included various drummers over the years, most notably Chad Channing and Grohl, along with touring guitarist Smear.
Cobain, who served as the group’s lead singer and guitarist, died by suicide in April 1994 at the age of 27. The group disbanded following the tragic news.
The “About a Girl” rockers made their VMAs debut at the Pauley Pavilion in Los Angeles on Sept. 9, 1992, a moment that shaped music, culture and MTV forever.
Previous recipients of the Video Vanguard Award in recent years include Mariah Carey (2025), Katy Perry (2024), Shakira (2023), Nicki Minaj (2022), Missy Elliott (2019), Jennifer Lopez (2018) and Pink (2017).
The last rock band to be given the distinguished accolade was Duran Duran back in 2003.
VMAs producer Van Toffler admitted earlier this week that he was shocked to learn that Nirvana had never received MTV’s highest honor after all this time.
However, they did win five VMAs in the past: Best New Artist in a Video and Best Alternative Video in 1992 for “Smells Like Teen Spirit,” Best Alternative Video for “In Bloom” in 1993, and Best Alternative Video and Best Art Direction in a Video for “Heart-Shaped Box” in 1994.
“Nirvana is a timeless band,” Toffler told the Hollywood Reporter. “I can’t think of a more impactful band in the history of MTV. I remember we all stopped everything the day that Kurt Cobain died, and MTV turned into a news channel because it had such an impact on our audience.”
Toffler further explained, in a separate interview with Billboard on Sept. 22, what it was like working in the industry the day Cobain died — and the long-lasting impact Nirvana has had on the music world today.
“Kurt… I’m not sure there were other more seismic figures in MTV’s history than Kurt Cobain. And then you think about Nirvana and the kind of everlasting impact of their music, and all the artists that followed in their wake,” the longtime MTV exec and show producer recalled.
“I think that [Cobain’s] music, his poetry, his songs sort of cross genres, right? So you see his impact felt in artists who cite him, like Olivia Rodrigo and Selena Gomez … Dr. Dre cites Nirvana as a huge impact. So I think it’s really about that sort of intelligent, youthful rebellion that is prevalent in all kinds of music and genres, and that was a large part of Kurt’s DNA, and Nirvana’s.”
Just days before the VMAs kicked off, Nirvana celebrated another milestone: the 35th anniversary of their sophomore album, “Nevermind,” which catapulted them to international success and revolutionized the ’90s music scene.
Released on Sept. 24, 1991, the album featured hits like “Smells Like Teen Spirit,” “Come As You Are,” “In Bloom,” “Lithium” and “Drain You.” The follow-up to their 1989 debut album, “Bleach,” was so successful that it knocked Michael Jackson’s “Dangerous” out of the No. 1 spot on the Billboard charts.
Cobain spoke about the success of “Nevermind” in an interview with Rolling Stone in 1992, along with what it was like having the spotlight turned on him — and being dubbed “the voice of a generation,” despite hating the label.
“I have thought about it, and I can’t come to any conclusions at all. I don’t want to sound egotistical, but I know it’s better than a majority of the commercial s–t that’s been crammed down people’s throats for a long time,” he said of the album’s massive breakthrough.
“I just hope that it doesn’t end with us. I hope there are other bands that can keep it going.”
“I don’t blame the average 17-year-old punk rock kid for calling me a sellout. I understand that,” he exclaimed, while discussing his choice to sit down with the magazine for an interview at the time.
“And maybe when they grow up a little bit, they’ll realize there’s more things to life than living out your rock and roll identity so righteously.”
If you or someone you know is affected by any of the issues raised in this story, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 800-273-TALK (8255) or text Crisis Text Line at 741741.
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