New York Post
· collected 2026-09-28 · by Desiree Murphy, Bernie Zilio
Story summary
Taylor Swift will receive the inaugural MTV Video Music Awards Artist Director Honor at the 43rd annual ceremony on September 27, making it her 31st Moon Person trophy and officially breaking the tie with Beyoncé for most awards in VMA history. The event, hosted by Snoop Dogg, will also see the premiere of Swift's new music video for "Patient Zero" at Peacock Theater in Los Angeles. Madonna returns to perform after a 23-year hiatus and holds 11 nominations, followed closely by Taylor Swift with 11 nods herself. The ceremony will be broadcast on CBS alongside MTV. DIRECTV offers a five-day free trial to watch the VMAs live for free. This year’s show celebrates the best music videos of 2026, marking a significant milestone for both Madonna and Taylor Swift in terms of recognition and impact on the award show's legacy. Other notable performances include Sabrina Carpenter with nine nominations and Ariana Grande with eight. MTV also honors Nirvana with this year's Video Vanguard Award. The event features various categories such as Best Direction, Best Editing, and Best Choreography, among others, recognizing excellence in music video artistry and innovation. Madonna's appearance is set to open the show on September 27 at Peacock Theater. Madonna’s comeback performance is anticipated with special guests including Charli XCX and Sabrina Carpenter. MTV VMAs continue to celebrate iconic moments, performances, and innovations in music videos throughout the years. Swift's contribution includes a deluxe edition release titled "The Life of a Showgirl: The Encore," which debuted alongside “Patient Zero,” further cementing her creative influence on modern pop culture. DIRECTV provides a free trial for VMAs viewership starting September 27, ensuring widespread accessibility and engagement with the event. Overall, this year's MTV Video Music Awards are set to be a memorable celebration of music video artistry and fan community interactions. Madonna’s presence is marked by her historic contributions since the inaugural ceremony in 1984, signaling an era of continued innovation and cultural significance for the VMAs. Snoop Dogg, as host, brings his unique blend of entertainment, comedy, and musical prowess to the stage, promising a dynamic and engaging evening for all music lovers. The combination of Madonna’s comeback performance and Swift's historical award acceptance promises to make this year’s MTV Video Music Awards an unforgettable event in the annals of pop culture history. DirectTV's free trial offer enhances viewer accessibility, ensuring that fans can enjoy the full spectrum of performances, awards, and fan interactions live from Peacock Theater on CBS. The VMAs continue to celebrate creativity, innovation, and community engagement in music video artistry, making September 27 a highly anticipated date for music enthusiasts worldwide.
Written for “MTV Video Music Awards 2026” on 2026-10-05,
grounded in this article and the 50 other(s) covering the same event.
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 honored with the most prestigious honor of the night: the Video Vanguard Award.
asserted
which → break → night
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.
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Novoselic → follow → Angeles
“Thank you very much to Nirvana’s fans around the world and to everyone at MTV,” Novoselic said into the mic.
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Novoselic → thank → 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.”
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ideas → go → time
Novoselic added, “None of us could have imagined that our band, our sound or our aesthetic could mean so much to so many people.
uncertain
band → add → people
But ultimately, the music had a life of its own, in charge of its own course.
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music → have → 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.
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you → continue → you
Kurt would’ve loved that legacy.”
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Kurt → love → legacy
Nirvana was founded by Cobain and Novoselic in Aberdeen, Washington, in 1987.
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Nirvana → found → 1987
The band included various drummers over the years, most notably Chad Channing and Grohl, along with touring guitarist Smear.
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band → include → Smear
Cobain, who served as the group’s lead singer and guitarist, died by suicide in April 1994 at the age of 27.
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who → serve → 27
The group disbanded following the tragic news.
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group → disband → 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.
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that → make → music
The last rock band to be given the distinguished accolade was Duran Duran back in 2003.
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band → give → 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.
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Nirvana → admit → 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.
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they → win → 1994
“Nirvana is a timeless band,” Toffler told the Hollywood Reporter.
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Toffler → tell → Reporter
“I can’t think of a more impactful band in the history of MTV.
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I → think → 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.”
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it → remember → 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.
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Nirvana → explain → world
I’m not sure there were other more seismic figures in MTV’s history than Kurt Cobain.
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I → ’m → 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.
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exec → think → wake
“I think that [Cobain’s] music, his poetry, his songs sort of cross genres, right?
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music → think → genres
So you see his impact felt in artists who cite him, like Olivia Rodrigo and Selena Gomez …
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who → see → Rodrigo
Dr. Dre cites Nirvana as a huge impact.
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Dre → cite → 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.”
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that → think → DNA
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.
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which → kick → 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.”
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You → release → 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.
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it → knock → 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.
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spotlight → speak → label
“I have thought about it, and I can’t come to any conclusions at all.
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I → think → conclusions
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.
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he → want → breakthrough
“I just hope that it doesn’t end with us.
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it → hope → us
I hope there are other bands that can keep it going.”
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that → hope → it
“I don’t blame the average 17-year-old punk rock kid for calling me a sellout.
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I → blame → me
I understand that,” he exclaimed, while discussing his choice to sit down with the magazine for an interview at the time.
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he → understand → 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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you → grow → 741741
Your voice matters.
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voice → matter → ?
Discussions are moderated for civility.
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Discussions → moderate → civility
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