Nirvana members pay tribute to visionary frontman Kurt Cobain as they're honored at 2026 MTV VMAs… as rocker lights up a CIGARETTE on stage

Nineties music icons Nirvana was presented with the Video Vanguard Award at the 2026 MTV Video Music Awards Sunday, with surviving members paying tribute to late lead singer Kurt Cobain.

Principal band members Dave Grohl, 57, and Krist Novoselic, 61, were joined onstage at Los Angeles' Peacock Theater by touring guitarist Pat Smear, 67, who shocked crowds by lighting up a cigarette while accepting the honor. 

Novoselic said, 'Thank you very much to Nirvana's fans around the world and to everyone at MTV.'

He called Cobain - who died via suicide on April 5, 1994 aged 27 - a 'one of one' artist and 'one of the greatest artists of all time.'

Novoselic said that the ideas for the group's iconic music 'videos all grew out of the vision' from the late frontman.

The musician reflected on the lasting legacy behind the band, who were credited with kickstarting the grunge rock movement with their 1991 hit Smells Like Teen Spirit, with a video which he described as a 'dystopian pep rally with anarchist cheerleaders.'

He referred to other videos the band made such as In Bloom, calling it 'our version of an Ed Sullivan’s TV appearance;' and Heart-Shaped Box, 'performing in a Wizard of Oz-like Field of Poppies.'

Novoselic continued, '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, it charted its own course.'

He said that '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,' adding that 'Kurt would've loved that legacy.'

Public Enemy’s Chuck D introduced the segment, saying the musical ensemble had remained 'true to their vision' with a sound that 'was loud, beautiful [and] daringly open.'

He added, 'Their lyrics were poetic, raw, and deeply human. Their music videos defined an era. They were completely original and always fearless at a time when the status quo kind of got to the point of being formulaic.'

Cobain and Novoselic initially formed the band in 1987 in Aberdeen, Washington, playing alongside drummers such as Chad Channing and Grohl, who continued building his musical legacy following Cobain's death with the Foo Fighters.

Recent Video Vanguard Award honorees include Mariah Carey last year, Katy Perry in 2024, Shakira in 2023 and Nicki Minaj in 2022, as Nirvana is the latest rock group to be honored since Duran Duran in 2003.

During their run, the group captured five VMA awards: in 1992 for Best Alternative Video and Best New Artist for Smells Like Teen Spirit; in 1993 for Best Alternative Video for In Bloom; and in 1994, for Best Alternative Video and Best Art Direction for Heart-Shaped Box.

Van Toffler, the producer of Sunday's event, told The Hollywood Reporter Thursday that he was 'personally surprised... to realize that Nirvana never got the Video Vanguard Award,' calling the group 'a timeless band.'

He added, '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.'

A number of users on X commented on Smear smoking on the stage, with one person calling it a 'GenX move if I’ve ever seen one.'

Another user commented, 'Pat Smear lighting up a cigarette on stage at the VMAs is cool as f***,' while one called the moment 'the closest this program will get to art tonight.'

One user said Smear 'has lost not a single bit of aura in 30 years,' while another speculated that 'the cigarette was for Kurt.'

Said one commenter, 'Pat Smear lighting up a cigarette on stage is probably the only worthy moment for whatever reason i’m watching the vma’s.'