MTV VMAs 2021: Foo Fighters Take Home Global Icon Award, Perform Hits Medley

It’s been a big year for the Foo Fighters. We can go into that ad nauseam but will spare you. But at this year’s edition of the MTV Video Music Awards, Dave Grohl and company were the recipients of the Global Icon Award.

According to the award’s description, it “celebrates an artist/band whose unparalleled career and continued impact and influence has maintained a unique level of global success in music and beyond. The VMAs will honor the global icon who has left an indelible mark on the musical landscape and continues to influence, inspire, and evolve.” The award is typically presented at the MTV EMAs, with this being its first time given at the VMAs. Previous recipients include Queen, Whitney Houston, Eminem, Green Day, and U2, among others.

Billie Eilish introduced the band and said “they put their hearts into every single song and leave it on the stage every single time” and “they’re officially global icons.”

In his acceptance speech, Grohl thanked the people at “MTV past and present” and said “we’ll see ya in 26 years.”

Prior to that, the Foos performed a medley of “Learning to Fly,” “Shame Shame,” “Everlong.”

Watch that below.

Earlier this year, the Foo Fighters released their 10th studio album, Medicine at Midnight, and 11th as the Dee Gees, which was essentially a Bee Gees covers album along with some new songs performed on the B-side. They also opened up Madison Square Garden, headlined festivals, rocked with Guns N’ Roses, and performed with 11-year-old phenom Nandi Bushell at a Los Angeles show in August.