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The '90s will be in bloom at the MTV VMAs 2026.
At the music award show—hosted by Snoop Dogg on Sept. 27—Nirvana will be honored for their iconic place in rock history as the year's Video Vanguard Award winner.
"This day in 1992, Nirvana took to the VMAs stage for the first time—shaping music, culture and MTV forever," the network's Sept. 9 Instagram announcement stated. "Nirvana is our 2026 #VMAs Video Vanguard recipient!!!"
Indeed, the '90s grunge ensemble—known for its primary bandmates Kurt Cobain, Krist Novoselic and Dave Grohl—has lived out many historic milestones on MTV. In 1993, they recorded a live taping of MTV Unplugged that was later released as its own album and became an esteemed part of their discography.
The music video for the Nevermind artists' biggest hit—1991's "Smells Like Teen Spirit"—debuted on the music video channel, introducing fans to the then-up-and-coming group through an avant-garde pep rally.
Following years of chart-topping songs including "Lithium," "Come as You Are" and "In Bloom," the band released their third and final studio album, In Utero, in 1993. Half a year later, lead singer Cobain tragically died at his home in Seattle, with the King County Medical Examiner concluding it was a suicide.
Since then, his surviving bandmates have honored Cobain—dad to Frances Bean Cobain with wife Courtney Love—and the legacy they made together through their music. In 2025, Grohl, Novoselic and guitarist Pat Smear played reunion shows at the FireAid Benefit Concert and SNL50, with Grohl explaining how reconnecting has nurtured their bond.
Photo by Jeff Kravitz/FilmMagic
"Sometimes when people think of bands, they just think of instruments and songs and stuff, but it really is, it's this connection of people and life experience and relationships with other human beings," the Foo Fighters frontman said on The Colbert Show in May. "And then you put on guitars and play music, and that translates your love and respect and the relationship you have with the other person, it really comes through the music."
Keep reading for more iconic moments from the VMAs over the years.
Kevin Mazur/Getty Images
Kanye West, 2009
The rapper crashed the stage when Taylor Swift won Best Female Video because he thought Beyoncé "had one of the best videos of all time." When Bey later won for Video of the Year, she asked T.Swift to join her on stage to have her moment.
AFP/Getty Images
Michael Jackson & Lisa Marie Presley, 1994
Shortly after their wedding, the couple walked on stage holding hands as the audience cheered. After Jackson declared, "I'm very happy to be here and just think, nobody thought this would last," the King of Pop and Elvis Presley's daughter shared a kiss and walked off.
Steve Granitz/WireImage
Beyoncé, 2011
The pop star announced she and Jay-Z were expecting their first child together when she cradled her baby bump on the red carpet and literally dropped her mic and rubbed her baby bump at the end of her performance of "Love On Top."
Frank Micelotta/Getty Images
Madonna, 1984
The "Material Girl" famously sang "Like a Virgin" while rolling around the stage in a white wedding dress.
PA Images via Getty Images
Lady Gaga, 2010
Gaga made headlines when she sported the now-unforgettable meat dress by Franc Fernandez as the most awarded star of the night.
Kevin Kane/WireImage.com
Britney Spears & Madonna, 2003
To open the show, Britney, Madonna and Christina Aguilera joined together for a rendition of "Like a Virgin" and "Hollywood," sealed with a headline-making kiss between the women.
Frank Micelotta/ImageDirect
Diana Ross and Lil' Kim, 1999
While presenting Best Hip-Hop Video, the legendary singer unexpectedly tapped Lil' Kim's exposed left breast.
Kevin Mazur/WireImage
Rage Against the Machine, 2000
Who could forget when Rage Against the Machine bassist Tim Commerford expressed his displeasure at the band losing an award to Limp Bizkit by storming the stage and scaling a display tower? Although his moment was short-lived on television—since the network cut to a commercial—in reality, Tim's night was not since he was arrested and sentenced to a night in jail.
Kevin Mazur/WireImage
Lil Mama, Jay-Z and Alicia Keys, 2009
Believe or not, the Kanye West-Taylor Swift incident was not the only impromptu onstage moment to happen during the 2009 show. After the now-infamous interruption, Lil Mama decided to unexpectedly join fellow New Yorkers Jay-Z and Alicia Keys during their duet of "Empire State of Mind."
Frank Micelotta/ImageDirect/Getty Images
Howard Stern, 1992
The Shock Jock lived up to his raunchy reputation when he was lowered onto the stage as a superhero named Fartman.
Paul Harris/Frank Micelotta/Getty Images
Kurt Cobain vs. Axl Rose, 1992
The two were involved in one of the most famous rock feuds. At the 1992 VMAs, tensions ran high backstage, where Cobain's wife Courtney Love, who also brought along then-newborn daughter Frances Bean, taunted Rose, prompting the Guns N' Roses frontman to threaten to beat up Cobain if he didn't shut his "bitch" up. Kurt then told Love, sarcastically, "Shut up, bitch!"
After he performed with his band Nirvana, the group's drummer Dave Grohl kept saying "Hi, Axl!" into his mic.
Vinnie Zuffante/Getty Images
Fiona Apple, 1997
The songstress won the award for Best New Artist in a Video, but used her acceptance speech as an opportunity to speak out against Hollywood, telling viewers, "This world is bulls--t."
Kevin Kane/WireImage
Britney Spears, 2001
The pop princess unforgettably took the stage for her performance of "I'm a Slave 4 U" with a snake draped over her shoulders.
Jeff Kravitz/FilmMagic; E!
Eminem vs. Moby, 2002
Amid an ongoing feud between Eminem and Moby, Triumph the Insult Comic Dog poked fun at their beef while roasting the latter artist to his face in the VMAs audience. Triumph then attempted to do the same to Eminem, who was not in the mood.
Eminem later took to the stage to accept the award for Best Male Video and said mid-speech, "That little Moby girl threw me out of my zone for a minute."
Kevin Mazur/WireImage.com
Britney Spears, 2007
The pop princess made her highly anticipated return to the VMA stage, though her performance of "Gimme More" was panned.
Steve Granitz/WireImage
Justin Bieber, 2011
The Biebs had his own snake moment when he brought a baby boa constrictor named Johnson to the show.
Getty Images
Nicki Minaj vs. Miley Cyrus, 2015
While accepting the award for Best Hip-Hop Video for "Anaconda," Nicki confronted Miley, who was hosting, over negative comments she had made about the rapper in a New York Times interview. She called the pop star a "bitch" and asked her, "What's good?"
Kevin Winter/MTV1415/Getty Images For MTV
Kanye West, 2015
At the end of his lengthy Video Vanguard acceptance speech, the rapper unforgettably announced his plan to run for president in 2020.
Michael Loccisano/Getty Images
Drake & Rihanna, 2016
The rapper sparked headlines when he declared his love for the songstress while presenting her with the 2016 Video Vanguard Award, telling the audience, "She's someone I've been in love with since I was 22-years-old."
Chelsea Lauren/Shutterstock
Fifth Harmony, 2017
On the heels of Camila Cabello's exit, the girl group shocked the world when they opened their performance with the image of a fifth member falling off the stage.
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