Sublime won the 1997 MTV Best Alternative Video Award for “What I Got.” The song’s video received the award at the 1997 MTV Video Music Awards, where it competed against videos by Beck, Blur, Foo Fighters, and Nine Inch Nails.
“What I Got” was released on Sublime’s self-titled third album in 1996. The album became the band’s breakthrough record, blending punk, reggae, ska, and hip-hop. Its success grew even more after lead singer Bradley Nowell died in May 1996, shortly before the album’s release.
The video was assembled partly from archival footage and photographs of Nowell, giving the award a commemorative importance as well as recognizing the song’s popularity. A common mix-up is confusing this category with Best Video from a Film or Best Alternative Artist; the exact winning entry was Sublime’s “What I Got.”