MTV has announced Nirvana as its 2026 VMAs Video Vanguard recipient via Instagram.

The VMAs’ Video Vanguard is an honor bestowed on artists who have had a major impact on music videos and pop culture. Nirvana has done exactly that.

In an Instagram post, MTV announced: “This day in 1992, Nirvana took to the VMAs stage for the first time — shaping music, culture and MTV forever. Nirvana is our 2026 #VMAs Video Vanguard recipient!!!“

They added, “Join us as we celebrate Nirvana’s incredible legacy on Sunday, September 27th.” The broadcast will air on CBS and MTV and stream on Paramount+.

Nirvana has several iconic music videos, such as “Smells Like Teen Spirit,” “Heart-Shaped Box,” “Come As You Are,” and “In Bloom.” Its members include Kurt Cobain, Krist Novoselic, and Dave Grohl. Cobain passed away by suicide in 1994, and Grohl is now the frontman of Foo Fighters.

There is some controversy surrounding this award. Many commenters believe Christina Aguilera or Miley Cyrus should have received the honor. Others have criticized the decision to eliminate the “Best Rock” category while honoring Nirvana during the same show. There have also been mixed reactions to removing Michael Jackson’s name from the award’s original title, the “Michael Jackson Video Vanguard Award.”

Nirvana is the ninth band to receive this honor. It has previously been awarded to The Beatles, Bon Jovi, Guns N’ Roses, The Rolling Stones, R.E.M., Beastie Boys, U2, and Duran Duran.

I’m looking forward to Nirvana hopefully performing a medley of their hits, which the award recipients typically do.

Emma Platt