A Gold record award given to the late Steve Albini for his work on Nirvana’s 1993 album In Utero is going up for auction.
Notably, the certification is not from the RIAA, but in recognition of In Utero going Gold in Indonesia.
“Basic story is that when Steve was sent his RIAA Gold Record Award for In Utero, he returned it to the band’s management, as part of his philosophical stance against major labels and how they operate,” reads a description of the item. “Later, perhaps at the behest of others, he requested that the award be returned. Alas, it was no longer available, although what exactly happened to it is unclear.”
“In its stead, and presumably as a slap-back of sorts, Steve was sent this INDONESIAN Gold Record Award for In Utero,” the description reads. “That was the sole souvenir of the multi-platinum record in his archives. So, no, it is not the RIAA version, whose current whereabouts are unknown, but it IS the one Steve had and kept. Now, it could be a key piece for any world-class Nirvana collection out there.”
The Gold record award is being auctioned by the site SteveAlbinisCloset.com, which launched following the engineer’s death in 2024. It will be sold via a blind auction; anyone interested can email auction@stevealbiniscloset.com with the word “NIRVANA” and the bid amount in the subject line.
The auction ends on May 3 at 4:30 p.m. ET, after which the winning bidder will be notified. The minimum bid is $5,000.
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