Nirvana's Krist Novoselic credits the band's "authenticity" as the reason for their enduring success.

The 61-year-old musician was joined by bandmates Dave Grohl and Pat Smear at the MTV Video Music Awards (VMAs) in Los Angeles on Sunday (27.09.26), and after collecting the Video Vanguard Award, Krist reflected on their decades-long success in the music business.

He said on stage: "Nirvana continues to resonate so deeply because people are still hungry for authenticity or something real, something uncompromising. Something that tells you it's just okay to come as you are."

The Vanguard Award is recognition of the band's lasting influence on music and culture.

During the ceremony, a video compilation of Nirvana's music videos and footage of former bandmember Kurt Cobain - who passed away in April 1994, aged 27 - was played to the audience.

Krist said: "Thank you so much to Nirvana's fans around the world and to everyone at MTV. This award brings back so many memories of making those videos.

"We saw the dystopian pep rally with anarchist cheerleaders, our version of an Ed Sullivan TV appearance, performing in a Wizard of Oz-like Field of Poppies, and so many more."

Krist then paid a heartfelt tribute to Cobain, describing the songwriter as "one of the greatest artists of all time".

The 61-year-old musician - who formed Nirvana in 1987, alongside Cobain - explained: "The ideas for those videos, all grew out of the vision of one of the greatest artists of all time, Kurt Cobain.

"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."

Krist also acknowledged that the recognition would've meant a huge amount to Cobain, too.

He concluded the acceptance speech by saying: "Kurt would have loved that legacy. Thank you all so much."