Archive note: This English edition follows Oldies Radyo’s report of 21 September 2026. Dates and announced plans reflect the information available when that report was written.
The MTV Video Music Awards will bring together two defining legacies of pop and rock history on September 27. Madonna will return to open the VMAs for the first time in 23 years, while Nirvana will be honored with the Video Vanguard Award.
Madonna Makes a Major VMA Comeback
Madonna last opened the VMAs in 2003. Over the years, she has delivered some of the most talked-about moments in MTV history, including her 1984 performance of “Like a Virgin” and her 1990 rendition of “Vogue.”
Her opening performance at the September 27 ceremony will mark a return to one of music television’s most iconic stages.
Nirvana’s Visual Legacy Honored
Nirvana’s Video Vanguard Award recognizes the band’s impact not only on music, but also on the language of the music video. “Smells Like Teen Spirit” became one of the era’s most influential visual statements, carrying the mood of 1990s youth culture around the world in just a few minutes.
The legacy created by Kurt Cobain, Krist Novoselic and Dave Grohl played a defining role both in bringing grunge into the mainstream and in increasing the visibility of alternative music on television.
Two Major Names in MTV History
Madonna’s return to the stage and Nirvana’s recognition give the VMA ceremony a significance that goes beyond the year’s current nominees. The pop revolution of the 1980s and the alternative-rock explosion of the 1990s will once again share the same program.
Taylor Swift will also receive the inaugural Artist Director Honors award. For Oldies Radyo, however, the night’s strongest nostalgic weight lies in Madonna’s return and in the renewed recognition of Nirvana’s influence across generations.
From Oldies Radyo
Some artists are remembered for their songs; others for the way the atmosphere changes the moment they step onto a stage. Madonna and Nirvana were two of the strongest symbols of the years when MTV was not simply a music channel, but a stage that helped shape popular culture.