Nirvana Members Reunite, Accept MTV Vanguard Award

Dave Grohl, Krist Novoselic and Pat Smear accepted MTV's Video Vanguard Award on September 27, 2026 at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles. Chuck D of Public Enemy presented the gold Moon Person trophy after a pretaped look at the band's early days and videos. Novoselic spoke while Grohl and Smear stood with him; Smear lit a cigarette. The band did not perform. Novoselic said: "Kurt was one of one. None of us could have imagined that our band, our sound or our aesthetic would mean so much to so many people. But ultimately, the music had a life of its own. It charted its own course." He added that Nirvana resonates because people remain hungry for authenticity and that "Kurt would have loved that legacy." Chuck D said he does not think there has ever been a band exactly like Nirvana, that they never bent to the mainstream, stayed true to their vision, and that their sound was loud, beautiful and daringly open. Cobain died by suicide in 1994 at age 27. Nirvana won five VMAs from 10 nominations. No factual disputes found.