Congrats to Nirvana, who added to a legendary history of accolade by receiving the MTV Video Music Awards most cherished honor, the Video Vanguard Award. The career achievement honor has previously gone to such acts as Madonna, Peter Gabriel, Michael Jackson, Bon Jovi, Guns N’ Roses, Tom Petty, R.E.M., Beastie Boys and Red Hot Chili Peppers amongst others.
For this year’s ceremony, the band was saluted with a speech from Public Enemy‘s Chuck D., who reflected on the impact that Nirvana had during their run in the late ’80s and early ’90s. Sadly, the 1994 death of Kurt Cobain concluded what had been a historic run of success, but as was recapped during the induction, they had a string of hit songs and videos ranging from “Smells Like Teen Spirit,” “Come as You Are,” “In Bloom” and “Heart-Shaped Box” that commanded the airwaves at the video channel.
What Did Chuck D. Say About Nirvana?
The Public Enemy rapper took the stage and delivered an introduction that truly spoke to why the band resonated with so many listeners in the early ’90s.
“They always stayed true to their vision. Their sound was loud, beautiful and daringly open. Their lyrics were poetic, raw and deeply human. Their music and videos defined an era. They were complete original and always fearless at a time when the status quo kind of got to the point of being formulaic. Today, their influence can be heard in just about every generation of artists who followed,” Chuck D. shared.
Before inviting them up onstage, he concluded, “The most enduring artists are the ones who dare to be completely unapologetically themselves. I don’t think there’s ever been a band exactly like Nirvana. They owned the moment.”
What Did the Living Members of Nirvana Say?
Krist Novoselic, Dave Grohl and Pat Smear were all on hand to accept the Video Vanguard trophy. But the trio let Novoselic address the audience on their behalf.
READ MORE: The Nirvana Songs Dave Grohl Thought Would Be Bigger Than “Smells Like Teen Spirit”
After acknowledging Kurt Cobain’s vision and how it translated to their music videos, the bassist shared, “Kurt was one of one. None of us could have imagined that our band, our sound, 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. Nirvana continues to resonate so deeply because people are so hungry for authenticity, for something real, something uncompromising. It’s something that tells you it’s just okay to come as you are. Kurt would’ve loved that legacy. Thank you so much.”
Nirvana’s Video History
Over the course of their career, Nirvana created nine music videos. The first was for a 1990 version of “In Bloom” that came from Sub Pop, but they obviously found greater success later on with the 1992 Kevin Kerslake clip of the song that was a take off of the ’60s Ed Sullivan Show.
The Samuel Bayer-directed “Smells Like Teen Spirit” was their second clip and it was instrumental in breaking the band to the masses. Videos were also created for “Come as You Are,” “Lithium,” “Sliver,” “Heart-Shaped Box,” “You Know You’re Right” and “Dumb.” There were also multiple videos shared from their legendary MTV Unplugged in New York session following the death of Cobain.
Sadly, Nirvana’s Video Vanguard award came in a year in which MTV eliminated the Best Rock Video award. Revisit the Best Rock Video award winners of years past in the gallery below.
MTV Video Music Awards Rock Awards Winners by Year
Gallery Credit: Chad Childers