The SHAFTA Awards ("Soft and Hard Adult Film and Television Awards") are an annual
film award
Film award is a cinematic award which can be awarded in several categories. Unlike the film festival, the film award is not accompanied by a public screening of competitive films. Film awards are usually awarded based on the results of a secret vot ...
ceremony for
pornographic film
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 erotic ...
s in the
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and ...
, described by the organisers of the event as the "UK Oscars of Porn", while '' AVN'' state it is the highlight of the British adult film calendar.
Voting is open to any subscriber of
Television X
Television X (TVX) is a series of adult pay-per-view television channels in the United Kingdom owned by MG Global Entertainment (Europe) Limited. Until 2020, it was owned by Portland TV which was a subsidiary of Richard Desmond's publishing com ...
. As winners are determined by fan votes, nominees have used
social media
Social media are interactive media technologies that facilitate the creation and sharing of information, ideas, interests, and other forms of expression through virtual communities and networks. While challenges to the definition of ''social me ...
to encouraging people to vote for them. The term SHAFTA was chosen as a
portmanteau
A portmanteau word, or portmanteau (, ) is a blend of wordsBAFTA and penis
shaft
Shaft may refer to:
Rotating machine elements
* Shaft (mechanical engineering), a rotating machine element used to transmit power
* Line shaft, a power transmission system
* Drive shaft, a shaft for transferring torque
* Axle, a shaft around whi ...
, with the full name being a
backronym
A backronym is an acronym formed from an already existing word by expanding its letters into the words of a phrase. Backronyms may be invented with either serious or humorous intent, or they may be a type of false etymology or folk etymology. The ...
.
History
The first SHAFTA ceremony was held in 2010 and it was organised by
Television X
Television X (TVX) is a series of adult pay-per-view television channels in the United Kingdom owned by MG Global Entertainment (Europe) Limited. Until 2020, it was owned by Portland TV which was a subsidiary of Richard Desmond's publishing com ...
. The 2011 SHAFTAs were held in
London
London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary dow ...
on 9 March at the For Your Eyes Only club. Celebrities attending the event included Billi Bhatti,
Dane Bowers
Dane Leon Bowers is a British singer, songwriter, DJ and producer. He was a part of pop boy band Another Level between 1997 and 2000 when he performed on seven Top 10 singles, before taking up solo projects with True Steppers and Victoria Beck ...
and
Tim Westwood
Timothy Westwood (born 3 October 1957) is a British DJ and presenter. He is often referred to by other DJs and artists appearing on his shows simply as Westwood. He was described by ''The Guardian'' in 2022 as "a veteran of the hip-hop scene ...
. The 2012 SHAFTAs were held on 15 March at Platinum Lace, which is a
strip club
A strip club is a venue where strippers provide adult entertainment, predominantly in the form of striptease or other erotic or exotic dances. Strip clubs typically adopt a nightclub or bar style, and can also adopt a theatre or cabaret-style ...
on
Coventry Street
Coventry Street is a short street in the West End of London, connecting Piccadilly Circus to Leicester Square. Part of the street is a section of the A4, a major road through London. It is named after the politician Henry Coventry, secretar ...
in London. The event was hosted by
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,
, who won the MILF of the Year award for the third year in a row. A minor controversy was caused when
transsexual
Transsexual people experience a gender identity that is inconsistent with their assigned sex, and desire to permanently transition to the sex or gender with which they identify, usually seeking medical assistance (including sex reassignmen ...
star Holly Harlow was nominated for Best New Starlet, but Television X defended the choice stating that "the term starlet fits her perfectly, she is feminine, sexy and a great performer". Award presenters included Danny Dyer,
Lethal Bizzle
Maxwell Owusu Ansah (born 14 September 1984), known by his stage name Lethal Bizzle, is a British rapper from Walthamstow, London, of Ghanaian origin. He emerged in 2002 as a grime MC as part of More Fire Crew, with their grime single "Oi!" ch ...
and Terry Coldwell from
East 17
East 17 are an English pop boy band started by Tony Mortimer, Brian Harvey, John Hendy, and Terry Coldwell in 1991. As of 2020, the group consists of Coldwell, Robbie Craig, and Joe Livermore. East 17 have undergone multiple lineup changes, wi ...
.ICM Registry co-sponsored the event along with Television X, and the event was streamed live on the awards' official website.Ben Dover was presented with an honorary award, entitled The Palm Phwoar for "endeavours in adult entertainment" over his 33 years in the industry. The 2013 SHAFTAs were held on 5 December at the Rise Superclub in
Leicester Square
Leicester Square ( ) is a pedestrianised square in the West End of London, England. It was laid out in 1670 as Leicester Fields, which was named after the recently built Leicester House, itself named after Robert Sidney, 2nd Earl of Leicest ...
. The 2016 SHAFTAs were held at The Rah Rah Room on London's
Piccadilly
Piccadilly () is a road in the City of Westminster, London, to the south of Mayfair, between Hyde Park Corner in the west and Piccadilly Circus in the east. It is part of the A4 road that connects central London to Hammersmith, Earl's Cour ...
and hosted by Benedict Garrett. The 1920s themed event was attended by the UK press, porn industry and celebrity guests including Big Brother housemate Marco Pierre White Jr and Geordie Shore's Marty McKenna and David Hawley.