AVN Awards
The AVN Awards are film awards sponsored and presented by the American adult video industry trade magazine AVN to recognize achievement in various aspects of the creation and marketing of American pornographic movies. They are often called the "Oscars 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/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 in Las Vegas, Nevada. Since 2008, the ceremony has aired in a form edited for time on Showtime, which is usually broadcast in a 90-minute time slot.
Awards for gay adult video were a part of the AVN Awards from the 1986 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, an annual adult movie award event for gay adult video.
Categories
- Best Actor
- Best Actress
- 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
- 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
- Director of the Year
- 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
Reception and review
A writer from Los Angeles 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 choosing the Academy Award nominations—then handing out Oscars 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. client 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.
In 2013, actress Tanya Tate offered some insights into the industry in an interview with the Huffington Post about the 30th AVN Awards 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
The following is a list of the winners in the major categories for the AVN Awards.Winners 1984–1989
Winners 1990–1994
1990 | 1991 | 1992 | 1993 | 1994 | |
Best Newcomer Gay Video | Ryan Yeager | Jason Ross | Danny Sommers | B.J. Slater | Zak Spears |
Best Bi-Sexual Video | Bi and Beyond III | The Last Good Bi | Innocence Found | Down Bi Law | Valley of the Bi Dolls |
Best Gay Video | Undercover | More of a Man | Jumper | Kiss-Off | Abduction 2 & 3 |
Best Actor Gay Video | Tim Lowe Fratrimony | Joey Stefano More of a Man, All Worlds Video | Ryan Yeager Jumper | Michael Brawn Kiss-Off | Johnny Rey Romeo and Julian |
Best Supporting Actor Gay Video | Ryan Yeager Stranded | Jason Ross One Night Stands | Wes Daniels Songs in the Key of Sex | Zak Spears Total Corruption | |
Best Director Bi-Sexual Video | Paul Norman Bi and Beyond III | Paul Norman Bi and Beyond IV | Paul Norman Innocence Found | Josh Eliot Down Bi Law | Josh Eliot Valley of the Bi Dolls |
Best Director Gay Video | John Travis Undercover | Taylor Hudson The Rise | Jean-Daniel Cadinot The Traveling Journeyman | Chi Chi LaRue Songs in the Key of Sex | Sam Abdul Romeo and Julian |
Best Screenplay Gay Video | Jerry Douglas More of a Man | Jim Steel Prince Charming | Stan Mitchell Songs in the Key of Sex | Jerry Douglas Honorable Discharge | |
Best Sex Scene – Gay Video | Heat in the Night Lon Flexxe and Bill Marlowe | The Rise Ryan Yeager and Scott Bond | Fetish Ryan Yeager and Jason Ross | Scorcher Erik Houston and Chris Stone | Romeo and Julian Johnny Rey and Grant Larson |
Best Non-Sexual Performance Bi, Gay, or Trans Video | Chi Chi LaRue More of a Man | Sharon Kane Majestic Knight | Kenneth Weyerhaeuser Kiss-Off | Gino Colbert Honorable Discharge | |
Best Gay Alternative Video | Chi Chi LaRue's Hardbody Video Magazine | ||||
Best Gay Solo Video | Straight to Bed | Men Who Work It Alone | The Beat Cop | Pumping Fever | |
Best Gay Specialty Release | Male Genital Massage | ||||
Best Videography Gay Video | John Trennell Idol Eyes | Mark Thomas Fetish | Ellary Stag Disconnected | Todd Montgomery Abduction 2 & 3 | |
Best Alternative Adult Feature Film | Beach Babes from Beyond |
Winners 1995–1999
1995 | 1996 | 1997 | 1998 | 1999 | |
Best Performer of the Year Gay Video | Joey Stefano | J.T. Sloan | Kurt Young | Jim Buck | |
Best Newcomer Gay Video | Steve Marks | Ken Ryker | Kurt Young | Jim Buck | |
Best Bi-Sexual Video | Revenge of the Bi Dolls | Remembering Times Gone Bi | Switchhitters VIII | Night of the Living Bi Dolls | |
Best Gay Video | Flashpoint | Renegade | Flesh and Blood | Naked Highway | |
Best Actor Gay Video | Ryan Idol Idol Country | Ken Ryker Renegade | Kurt Young Flesh and Blood | Jim Buck Naked Highway | |
Best Supporting Actor Gay Video | Scott Baldwin Flashpoint | Johnny Rahm All About Steve | Dino Phillips Happily Ever After | Bo Summers Family Values | |
Best Director Bi-Sexual Video | Josh Eliot Revenge of the Bi Dolls | James C. Stark Remembering Times Gone Bi | Gino Colbert Switchhitters VIII | Josh Eliot Night of the Living Bi Dolls | |
Best Director Gay Video | John Rutherford Flashpoint | John Rutherford The Renegade | Jerry Douglas Flesh and Blood | Wash West Naked Highway | |
Best Screenplay Gay Video | Gender Idol Country | Jerry Douglas The Diamond Stud | Jerry Douglas Flesh and Blood | Wash West Naked Highway | |
Best Sex Scene Gay Video | Flashpoint Trent Reed and Bryce Colby | Jawbreaker Daryl Brock, Chip Daniels, Rod Majors, Ty Russell and Scott Russell | Tradewinds Derek Cameron and Kurt Young | Jeff Stryker's Underground Jeff Stryker and Derek Cameron | |
Best Non-Sexual Performance Bi, Gay, or Trans Video | Sharon Kane Conflict of Interest | Lana Luster Driven Home | Jeanna Fine Flesh and Blood | Sharon Kane Family Values | |
Best Gay Alternative Video | Vivid Video A Gay Man's Guide to Safe Sex | Siberian Heat | Nighthawken | Summer, The First Time | |
Best Gay Solo Video | 10 Plus, Vol. 2, Rob Lee's Private Moments | Rex Chandler One on One | Brad Posey’s Hot Sessions 3 | Titan Men Alone in the Backwoods | |
Best Gay Specialty Release | The New Pledgemaster | Pissed | Orgy Boys 1 & 2 | Fallen Angel | |
Best Videography Gay Video | Bruce Cam and Kathy Mack Idol Country | Todd Montgomery Big River | Bruce Cam Desert Train | Wash West Naked Highway | |
Best Alternative Adult Feature Film | Killer Looks | Under Lock & Key | Scoring | Crash |
- From 1999 onwards, AVN Magazine began hosting the GayVN Awards, an annual adult movie award event for gay adult video.
Winners 2000–2004
Winners 2005–2009
The category, introduced in 2007, was first called "Underrated Starlet of the Year ". It has since been renamed to "Unsung Starlet of the Year".Winners 2010–2014
Winners 2015–2019
Winners 2020–
Hall of Fame
Reuben Sturman Award
- 2000 David Sturman, General Video of America West
- 2001 Ed Powers, Ed Powers Productions
- 2001 Mark Kernes, Senior Editor, AVN
- 2002 Gloria Leonard, Past President, AVA and Free Speech Coalition
- 2002 Elyse Metcalf, Retailer Elyse's Passion
- 2003 Mel Kamins, General Video of America, Cleveland
- 2005 Harry Mohney, Déjà Vu Showgirls
- 2006 Robert and Janet Zicari, Extreme Associates
- 2007 Paul Cambria, Clyde DeWitt and Louis Sirkin
- 2011 John Stagliano
- 2013 Lasse Braun