Kurt Cobain's VMA award and other Nirvana memorabilia are now on display at Newbridge Silverware

Kurt Cobain's VMA award from the infamous 1992 MTV Awards is one of a few items from the Nirvana icon's past that will be featured in the latest exhibition in the Museum of Style Icons at Newbridge Silverware starting today (25th September).

The exhibition will be running through October, during which time you will be able to see a number of the Nirvana frontman's most treasured belongings on display. The exhibition, titled Kurt Cobain & Gods of Rock and Grunge will include garments belonging to Cobain, alongside his VMA award, handwritten notes and signed award letters.

These items, brought to Ireland by Julien’s Auctions will include many other items of rock memorabilia, all of which will be auctioned off in Los Angeles on November 3rd and 4th. Undoubtedly, the highlight of the exhibition is the 1992 MTV Video Music Award Moonman presented to Kurt Cobain for Best New Artist in a Video for the Nirvana song “Smells Like Teen Spirit,” the iconic single from the diamond selling album Nevermind. Cobain reportedly kept his Moonman award on display in the upstairs bathroom of his Seattle home, and this item is valued $30-40,000.

The 1992 MTV VMA awards night in Los Angeles was one of the most remarkable in the history of the event, as Nirvana performed for the first time at the ceremony that year, and their rendition of Lithium became infamous after a public spat between Cobain and Guns ‘n’ Roses lead singer Axl Rose spilled onto the stage, resulting in Nirvana drummer Dave Grohl taunting Rose from the stage towards the end of their performance.

A number of vintage coats and jackets will also feature at the auction, but the most eye-catching piece of clothing is a Kurt Cobain photoshoot-worn cheerleader outfit from Aberdeen Weatherwax High School, where Cobain was a student. The ensemble includes a Bobcats yellow and blue acrylic sweater and a matching polyester skirt made by Team Mates. Cobain wore the ensemble during a January 1994 photoshoot with Mark Seliger for Rolling Stone magazine, and a copy of the magazine accompanies the lot.

Another notable item in the collection is a vintage xerographed flyer advertising a live show which took place in Seattle, Washington, at the Vogue on Tuesday, April 19, 1988. The concert featured live performances by Das Damen and Blood Circus, as well as the first live performance by early grunge band Mudhoney. The version of the flyer contains notes handwritten in ink by Kurt Cobain, including date references and venues (OK Hotel and Natacha’s) and the bands Broken Bones, The Accüsed, U.K. Subs, and Bundle of Hiss, whose drummer, Dan Peters, was also the drummer for Mudhoney.

A cream leather single right hand tour glove belonging to Michael Jackson is one of the highlights of the exhibition, as is a printed silk Gucci shirt belonging to Prince and a Louis Vuitton garment bag which once belonged to Rod Stewart.

Speaking ahead of the exhibition, William Doyle, CEO of Newbridge Silverware, said; “We are delighted to bring the Kurt Cobain & Gods of Rock & Grunge exhibition to the Museum of Style Icons at Newbridge Silverware, and we are sure that there will be fans of the legendary guitarist and singer from all over Ireland coming to see some of the fantastic pieces of memorabilia in the exhibition.

“Kurt Cobain was a hugely influential figure not just in music, but in popular culture too. Some of the items that Julien’s Auctions are bringing to us here in Newbridge Silverware are very important in the life of Kurt Cobain and they are staples of the music industry from that era.

“We are delighted to be able to bring this exhibition to Newbridge Silverware as it will provide fans of Kurt Cobain one last opportunity to see some of his most treasured items before they go to auction on November 3rd and 4th.”