film awards
This is a list of groups, organizations, and festivals that recognize achievements in film, cinema, usually by awarding various prizes. The awards sometimes also have popular unofficial names (such as the "Oscar" for Hollywood's Academy Awards), wh ...
sponsored and presented by the American
adult video
Pornographic films (pornos), erotic films, sex films, and 18+ films are films that present sexually explicit subject matter in order to arouse and satisfy the viewer. Pornographic films present sexual fantasies and usually include erotical ...
industry
trade magazine
A trade magazine, also called a trade journal or trade paper (colloquially or disparagingly a trade rag), is a magazine or newspaper whose target audience is people who work in a particular trade or industry. The collective term for thi ...
'' AVN'' (''Adult Video News'') to recognize achievement in various aspects of the creation and marketing of American pornographic films. They are often called the "
Oscars
The Academy Awards, better known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international film industry. The awards are regarded by many as the most prestigious, significant awards in the entertainment ind ...
of porn".
The awards are divided into over 100 categories, some of which are analogous to industry awards offered in other film and video genres and others that are specific to
pornographic
Pornography (often shortened to porn or porno) is the portrayal of sexual subject matter for the exclusive purpose of sexual arousal. Primarily intended for adults,
/ erotic film and video.
''AVN'' sponsored the first AVN Awards ceremony in February 1984. The award ceremony occurs in early January during the
AVN Adult Entertainment Expo
AVN may refer to:
Medicine
* Atrioventricular node, special region of conducting tissue in the heart
* Avascular necrosis, medical condition
Transport
* Air Vanuatu, by ICAO airline code
* Avonmouth railway station, UK, by National Rail code
Com ...
in
Las Vegas
Las Vegas (; Spanish for "The Meadows"), often known simply as Vegas, is the 25th-most populous city in the United States, the most populous city in the state of Nevada, and the county seat of Clark County. The city anchors the Las Vegas ...
,
Nevada
Nevada ( ; ) is a state in the Western region of the United States. It is bordered by Oregon to the northwest, Idaho to the northeast, California to the west, Arizona to the southeast, and Utah to the east. Nevada is the 7th-most extensive, ...
. Since 2008, the ceremony has aired in a form edited for time on
Showtime
Showtime or Show Time may refer to:
Film
* ''Showtime'' (film), a 2002 American action/comedy film
* ''Showtime'' (video), a 1995 live concert video by Blur
Television Networks and channels
* Showtime Networks, a division of Paramount Global w ...
, which is usually broadcast in a 90-minute time slot.
Awards for gay adult video were a part of the AVN Awards from the 1987 ceremony through the 1998 ceremony. The increasing number of categories made the show unwieldy. For the 1999 ceremony ''AVN Magazine'' began hosting the
GayVN Awards
The GayVN Awards are film awards presented annually to honor work done in the gay pornographic industry. The awards were sponsored by ''AVN Magazine'', the parent publication of ''GAYVN Magazine'', and continue the recognition for gay pornograp ...
Best Actress
Best Actress is the name of an award which is presented by various film, television and theatre organisations, festivals, and people's awards to leading actresses in a film, television series, television film or play. The first Best Actress aw ...
* Best Supporting Actor
* Best Supporting Actress
* Male Performer of the Year
* Female Performer of the Year
* Male Foreign Performer of the Year
* Female Foreign Performer of the Year
* Transgender Performer of the Year
* Director of the Year
* Best New Starlet
* Best Director
* Best Non-Sex Performance
* Best Cinematography
* Best All-Sex Video
* Best Renting Title of the Year
* Best Selling Title of the Year
* Best Film
* Best Video Feature
* Best Foreign Feature
* Best Tease Performance
* Best All-Girl Sex Scene
* Best All-Girl Feature
* Best Newcomer – Gay Video
* Best Bi-Sexual Video
* Best Gay Video
* Best Actor – Gay Video
* Best Supporting Actor – Gay Video
* Best Director – Bi-Sexual Video
* Best Director – Gay Video
* Best Screenplay – Gay Video
* Best Sex Scene – Gay Video
* Best Non-Sexual Performance – Bi, Gay, or Trans Video
* Best Gay Alternative Video
* Best Gay Solo Video
* Best Gay Specialty Release
* Best Videography – Gay Video
* Best Alternative Adult Feature Film
* Most Outrageous Sex Scene
* Best Sex Comedy
* Breakthrough Award
* Best Performer of the Year – Gay Video
* Best Male Newcomer
* Best Director – Foreign Release
* Best Classic Release
* Best DVD
* Best High Definition Production
* Unsung Starlet of the Year
* Best High-End All-Sex Release
* Best All-Sex Release
* Best MILF Release
* Best Director – Feature
* Best Director – Foreign Feature
* Best Boy/Girl Scene
* Best All-Girl Couples Sex Scene
* MILF Performer of the Year
Honorary award
*
AVN Hall of Fame
The ''AVN'' (''Adult Video News'') Hall of Fame has honored people for their work in the adult entertainment industry since 1995.Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in
Las Vegas
Las Vegas (; Spanish for "The Meadows"), often known simply as Vegas, is the 25th-most populous city in the United States, the most populous city in the state of Nevada, and the county seat of Clark County. The city anchors the Las Vegas ...
, but it grew and garnered more attention over time, allowing it to be established as a separate event in the 1990s. The event started out as the "Adult Software exhibition" of the show, which attracted as many as 100,000 visitors in addition to those attending CES. When the show became a separate event, it initially moved to
Caesar's Palace
Caesars Palace is a luxury hotel and casino in Paradise, Nevada, United States. The hotel is situated on the west side of the Las Vegas Strip between Bellagio and The Mirage. It is one of Las Vegas's largest and best known landmarks.
Caesar ...
, but it has since moved to other Las Vegas venues.
A writer from ''
Los Angeles
Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, largest city in the U.S. state, state of California and the List of United States cities by population, sec ...
'' magazine made the claim in 2006 that awards often go to consistent advertisers in ''AVN'' magazine. In his article, the writer stated: "Imagine the editors of ''
Variety
Variety may refer to:
Arts and entertainment Entertainment formats
* Variety (radio)
* Variety show, in theater and television
Films
* ''Variety'' (1925 film), a German silent film directed by Ewald Andre Dupont
* ''Variety'' (1935 film), ...
'' choosing the Academy Award nominations—then handing out
Oscars
The Academy Awards, better known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international film industry. The awards are regarded by many as the most prestigious, significant awards in the entertainment ind ...
to the winners—and you have a pretty good idea of how much manipulation can go on behind the scenes during the run-up to the AVNs. ..Actresses trying to secure a nomination stop in to schmooze at the magazine's Chatsworth offices. n agencyclient once presented dolls of herself to editors and writers. Another baked cookies". Similar allegations have been made regarding the Academy Award nominations and influencing Academy member voting that date back to at least 1988 with regard to movies such as ''
Rain Man
''Rain Man'' is a 1988 American road drama film directed by Barry Levinson and written by Barry Morrow and Ronald Bass. It tells the story of abrasive, selfish young wheeler-dealer Charlie Babbitt (Tom Cruise), who discovers that his estranged ...
''.
In 2013, actress
Tanya Tate
Tanya Tate (born 31 March 1979) is an English glamour model, writer, international cosplayer, and pornographic actress.
Career
After beginning her porn career in 2009,
offered some insights into the industry in an interview with the '' Huffington Post'' about the
30th AVN Awards
The 30th AVN Awards ceremony, or XXX AVN Awards, was an event during which ''Adult Video News'' (''AVN'') presented its annual AVN Awards to honor the best pornographic movies and adult entertainment products of 2012. Movies or products released ...
at which she was nominated for an award. She stated: "If you are more popular with the fans, companies are more likely to book you for their production", "Being nominated for awards help build your recognition with your fan base. People that win male and female performer of the year are generally solid consistent talent that are open to many 'levels', and some of these performers already have higher basic rates than others".
AVN Award winners
Listed below are the winners of the AVN Award in various major categories over the following years:
1984–1989
1990–1994
1995–1999
* From 1999 onwards, ''AVN Magazine'' began hosting the
GayVN Awards
The GayVN Awards are film awards presented annually to honor work done in the gay pornographic industry. The awards were sponsored by ''AVN Magazine'', the parent publication of ''GAYVN Magazine'', and continue the recognition for gay pornograp ...
, an annual adult movie award event for gay adult video.
2000–2004
2005–2009
The category, introduced in 2007, was first called "Underrated Starlet of the Year (Unrecognized Excellence)". It has since been renamed to "Unsung Starlet of the Year".
2010–2014
2015–2019
2020–2022
Hall of Fame
Reuben Sturman Award
* 2000 David Sturman, General Video of America West
* 2001
Ed Powers
Mark Arnold Krinsky (born October 25, 1954), better known as Ed Powers, is an American pornographic film director, producer, actor, and radio host. He is the owner of the porn production company Ed Powers Productions.
Early life
Powers was born ...
, Ed Powers Productions
* 2001 Mark Kernes, Senior Editor, ''AVN''
* 2002
Gloria Leonard
Gloria Leonard (born Gale Sandra Klinetsky; August 28, 1940 – February 3, 2014) was an American pornographic actress during the Golden Age of Porn (1969–1984) who later became the publisher of ''High Society'' magazine. As a board member of ...
Free Speech Coalition
The Free Speech Coalition (FSC) is a non-profit trade association of the pornography and adult entertainment industry in the United States. Founded in 1991, it opposes the passage and enforcement of obscenity laws and many censorship laws (with t ...
* 2002 Elyse Metcalf, Retailer Elyse's Passion
* 2003 Mel Kamins, General Video of America, Cleveland
* 2005
Harry Mohney
Harry Mohney (born May 30, 1943) is the founder of Déjà Vu, a U.S. company which (as of 2006) owns about 132 strip clubs and numerous other adult businesses in 41 U.S. states, as well as multiple clubs abroad. For a period of time, he was the ...
, Déjà Vu Showgirls
* 2006
Robert
The name Robert is an ancient Germanic given name, from Proto-Germanic "fame" and "bright" (''Hrōþiberhtaz''). Compare Old Dutch ''Robrecht'' and Old High German ''Hrodebert'' (a compound of '' Hruod'' ( non, Hróðr) "fame, glory, honou ...
Extreme Associates
Extreme Associates, formerly known as Extreme and Extreme 2.0, is a pornographic film production company, featuring a catalog of DVD titles and Internet content. It is owned by Rob Zicari ("Rob Black") and his former wife Janet Romano ("Lizzy Bo ...
* 2007
Paul Cambria
Paul J. Cambria, Jr. is an American criminal defense and appellate attorney, who has represented various figures and companies within the pornography industry as well as many prominent white collar defendants. Cambria received his Juris Doctor ...
, Clyde DeWitt and Louis Sirkin
* 2011
John Stagliano
John Stagliano (born November 29, 1951), also known as Buttman, is an American entrepreneur, former pornographic film actor, producer and director who founded and owns the Evil Angel pornographic film studio.
Early life and career
Stagliano ...
* 2013
Lasse Braun
Lasse Braun (born Alberto Ferro; 11 January 1936 – 16 February 2015) was an Italian pornographer, film director, producer, screenwriter, novelist and researcher.
He initially produced so-called loops, ten-minute hardcore movies that he sold to ...
See also
*
Transgender Erotica Awards
The Transgender Erotica Awards, formerly known as ''The Tranny Awards'', are a group of movie awards presented annually in the United States recognizing performances and performers in the field of transgender pornography, with an emphasis on ero ...
*
Pornhub Awards
Pornhub is a Canadian-owned internet pornography website. It is one of several pornographic video-streaming websites owned by MindGeek. , Pornhub is the 10th-most-trafficked website in the world and the second-most-trafficked adult website aft ...
*
XBIZ Award
XBIZ Awards are given annually to honour "individuals, companies, performers and products that play an essential part in the growth and success of adult films" and have been described by XBIZ publisher and founder Alec Helmy as being "born out of ...
s
*
Venus Award
The Venus Award is a film award in the adult film industry presented yearly in Berlin since 1997 as part of the Venus Berlin trade fair, an international erotic trade festival, on the exhibition grounds at the Funkturm.
Prizes are offered in ...
*
Sexual Freedom Awards
The Sexual Freedom Awards is an annual British event that honours achievement in the sexuality and erotica industries worldwide.
Founded in 1994 by campaigner Tuppy Owens, the awards were first called the "Erotic Oscars", until the name had to b ...
XRCO Award
The XRCO Awards are given by the American X-Rated Critics Organization annually to people working in adult entertainment and it is the only adult industry awards show reserved exclusively for industry members.
Once every calendar year, XRCO ...
Internet Movie Database
IMDb (an abbreviation of Internet Movie Database) is an online database of information related to films, television series, home videos, video games, and streaming content online – including cast, production crew and personal biographies, ...