In order to be eligible for the 2015 award nomination, a movie or product had to be released in accordance with the following guidelines: [18]
- To be considered, a title must have been released between October 8, 2013, and September 30, 2014, either via VOD (video on demand) or DVD
- Titles released on DVD must fit AVN's traditional distribution requirements of being stocked with five wholesale distributors and/or 100 retail outlets
- Titles released on VOD must have been made available during the eligibility period for VOD download and/or streaming through at least two (2) major, for-pay VOD providers, defined as ones carrying movies from at least 100 active labels/studios
- The title must have clearly marked post dates falling within the eligibility period across all qualifying VOD platforms carrying it
On May 12, 2014, it was announced that Alexis Texas and Tommy Pistol were to be the co-hosts for the ceremonies. This was the first time in twenty years that a male performer was a host at the awards. Previously, AVN Hall of Fame inductee Steven St. Croix was a host in 1995, preceded by Randy West, Tom Byron and Rick Savage. [19] On November 25, 2014, comedian and actress Danielle Stewart was added to the team as the comedic co-host for the show. [2]
Changes to awards categories
For 2015, AVN decided "to expand its longstanding eligibility requirements ... to include ones distributed solely via video-on-demand." [20]
AVN also announced, "Some redundancies were eliminated and categories that were too similar were in some cases merged together to create a tight list of 108 categories." [13]
Additionally, a new "surprise category" was announced, Best Taboo Relations Movie. [13]
Controversies
The Internet Adult Film Database staff believes it has found a couple of mistakes in the nomination list issued by AVN: "In the Best POV Sex Scene category, the editors got their volume numbers jumbled – the scene between Summer Brielle and Kevin Moore appeared in Tease Me POV, not Tease Me POV 2. And performers got crossed with the Best Sex Scene in a Foreign-Shot Production category. The scene from Russian Institute: Lesson 19: Holidays at My Parents isn’t between Ariel Rebel and Lola Reve, it’s between Ariel Rebel and Cayenne Klein." [5]
Reception and review
Some media outlets were impressed by the show. The International Business Times said, "The evening also was filled with surprisingly entertaining repartee between presenters, funny pre-filmed skits and an overall sense of irony about the event." It also noted, "One significant way the AVN awards differs from the Oscars is in the brevity of the acceptance speeches. Most winners thanked agents and other performers in less than 30 seconds before leaving the stage. A couple gave nods to their mothers." [21]
CraveOnline Canada said, "The AVN Awards are as good a time to demand this call to arms as any. Pornography is a popular, widespread artistic genre – whatever you may or may not think of it – and it warrants more thoughtful consideration than whether or not it works as a product, or whether or not it is empowering us or destroying our values." [22]
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 films. They are often called the "Oscars of porn".
Thomas Joseph Strada, better known by his stage name Tommy Gunn, is an American pornographic actor and director. He has made several mainstream appearances, including an episode of Entourage and music videos for Buckcherry and Rilo Kiley. In 2016, Gunn was inducted into the AVN Hall of Fame.
Alexis Texas is an American pornographic actress. In 2020, Texas was characterized as one of "the most popular porn performers", based on her Instagram following of around 3.8 million followers. She was inducted into the AVN Hall of Fame in 2022.
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 between October 1, 2011, and September 30, 2012, were eligible. The ceremony was held on January 19, 2013 at The Joint in the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino, Paradise, Nevada. Comedian April Macie, AVN Hall of Fame inductee Jesse Jane and Asa Akira, who won Female Performer of the Year, hosted the AVN Awards. The awards show was held immediately after the Adult Entertainment Expo at the same venue.
The 29th AVN Awards ceremony, presented by Adult Video News, honored the best pornographic movies and adult entertainment products of 2011 of the United States and took place January 21, 2012, at a new venue, The Joint inside the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Paradise, Nevada. Movies or products released between Oct. 1, 2010 and Sept. 30, 2011 were eligible. The ceremony was televised in the United States by Showtime. Comedian Dave Attell hosted the show for the second time. He first presided over the 27th ceremony held in 2010, and shared the 29th ceremony with co-hosts Bree Olson and Sunny Leone. The awards show was held together with the Adult Entertainment Expo and Internext at the same venue.
The 27th AVN Awards ceremony in Las Vegas, presented by Adult Video News (AVN), honored the best pornographic movies of 2009. The ceremony was held on January 9, 2010 in a new venue, the Pearl Concert Theater inside the Palms Casino Resort in Paradise, Nevada. During the ceremony, AVN Media Network presented awards in 125 of categories of movies or products released between October 1, 2008, and September 30, 2009. The ceremony was televised in the United States by Showtime. Comedian Dave Attell hosted the show with co-hosts Kirsten Price and Kayden Kross.
31st 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 2013.
The 16th AVN Awards ceremony, organized by Adult Video News (AVN) honored the best of 1998 in pornographic movies and took place on January 9, 1999, at Bally's Las Vegas, Las Vegas, Nevada. During the ceremony, AVN presented AVN Awards in 68 categories. The ceremony, televised by Playboy TV, was produced by Gary Miller and directed by Mark Stone. Comedian Robert Schimmel returned as host and actresses Alisha Klass, Midori and Serenity co-hosted the award show. Five weeks earlier in a ceremony held at the Westin Bonaventure in Los Angeles, California, on December 4, 1998, the awards for gay pornographic movies were presented in a new separate ceremony known as the GayVN Awards.
The 33rd AVN Awards ceremony, presented by Adult Video News (AVN), honored the best pornographic movies and adult entertainment products of 2015 and took place on January 23, 2016, at The Joint in Hard Rock Hotel and Casino, Paradise, Nevada. During the ceremony, Adult Video News will present AVN Awards in 115 categories released from October 1, 2014, to September 30, 2015. The ceremony, taped to be televised in the United States by Showtime, was produced by Gary Miller. Comedian and actress Kate Quigley co-hosted the show for the first time, joined by adult movie actresses Joanna Angel and Anikka Albrite.
The 24th AVN Awards ceremony, presented by Adult Video News (AVN), honored the best pornographic films of 2006 and took place January 13, 2007 at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Paradise, Nevada. During the ceremony, Adult Video News presented AVN Awards in 119 categories released during the eligibility period, Oct. 1, 2005 to Sept. 30, 2006. The ceremony, televised in the United States by Playboy TV, was produced and directed by Gary Miller. Adult film star Jessica Drake hosted for the first time, with comedian Jim Norton, who also co-hosted in 2004.
The 22nd AVN Awards ceremony, presented by Adult Video News (AVN), took place January 8, 2005 at the Venetian Hotel Grand Ballroom, at Paradise, Nevada, U.S.A. During the ceremony, AVN presented AVN Awards in nearly 100 categories honoring the best pornographic films released between Oct. 1, 2003 to Sept. 30, 2004. The ceremony, televised in the United States by Playboy TV, was produced and directed by Gary Miller. Comedian Thea Vidale hosted the show for the first time with adult film star Savanna Samson.
The 34th AVN Awards, presented by Adult Video News (AVN), honored the best pornographic movies and adult entertainment products of between October 1, 2015, and September 30, 2016, and took place on January 21, 2017, at The Joint in Hard Rock Hotel and Casino, Paradise, Nevada. During the ceremony, Adult Video News presented AVN Awards in 117 categories. Webcam star Aspen Rae and reigning AVN Female Performer of the Year Riley Reid co-hosted the ceremony, each for the first time. Master of ceremonies was comedian Colin Kane.
The 14th AVN Awards ceremony, organized by Adult Video News (AVN), took place January 11, 1997 at Riviera Hotel & Casino, Winchester, Nevada, beginning at 7:45 p.m. PST / 10:45 p.m. EST. During the show, AVN presented AVN Awards in 41 categories honoring the best pornographic films released between Oct. 1, 1995 and Sept. 30, 1996. The ceremony was produced by Gary Miller and directed by Mark Stone. Comedian Bobby Slayton returned as host, with actresses Nici Sterling and Kylie Ireland as co-hosts. At a pre-awards event held the previous evening, 60 more AVN Awards, mostly for technical achievements, were given out by hostess Dyanna Lauren and comedy ventriloquist Otto of Otto & George, however, the pre-awards event was neither televised nor distributed on VHS tapes as was the main evening's ceremony.
The 13th AVN Awards ceremony, organized by Adult Video News (AVN) honored the best pornographic films of 1995 and took place on January 7, 1996 at the Aladdin Theatre for the Performing Arts in Paradise, Nevada, beginning at 8:15 p.m. PST / 11:15 p.m. EST. During the ceremony, AVN presented AVN Awards in 97 categories. The ceremony, taped for broadcast in the United States by Spice Networks, was produced and directed by Gary Miller and Mark Stone. Comedian Bobby Slayton hosted the show for the first time, alongside actress co-hosts Jenna Jameson and Julia Ann. Hall of Fame inductees were honored at a gala held a month earlier.
The 12th AVN Awards ceremony, organized by Adult Video News (AVN) took place on January 7, 1995, at Bally's Hotel and Casino, Paradise, Nevada beginning at 7:45 p.m. PST / 10:45 p.m. EST. During the ceremony, AVN presented AVN Awards in 89 categories honoring the movies released during the period December 1, 1993 to November 30, 1994. The ceremony was produced by Gary Miller, Mark Stone and Marco Polo. Actor Steven St. Croix hosted the show for the first time, with co-hosts Dyanna Lauren and Tera Heart.
The 8th AVN Awards ceremony, organized by Adult Video News (AVN) took place on January 12, 1991, at the Tropicana Hotel & Casino in Paradise, Nevada. During the ceremony, AVN Awards were presented in 60 categories honoring pornographic films released the previous year in the United States. The ceremony was videotaped for later pay-per-view broadcast. Actor Tom Byron hosted with seven co-hosts throughout the show.
The 6th AVN Awards ceremony, organized by Adult Video News (AVN), took place on January 9, 1989, at the Tropicana Hotel and Casino in Paradise, Nevada. During the ceremony, AVN Awards were presented in 41 categories, plus several extra awards, honoring pornographic films released between January 1, 1988, and December 31, 1988.
The 4th AVN Awards ceremony, organized by Adult Video News (AVN), took place on January 9, 1987 at the Tropicana Hotel Grand Ballroom in Paradise, Nevada. During the ceremony, AVN Awards were presented in 32 categories honoring excellence in the world of adult movies released on videocassette between January 1 and December 31, 1986. The show was hosted by Adult Video News co-publishers Paul Fishbein and Barry Rosenblatt.
The 35th AVN Awards, presented by Adult Video News (AVN), honored the best pornographic movies and adult entertainment products of between October 1, 2016, and September 30, 2017, and took place on January 27, 2018 at The Joint in Hard Rock Hotel and Casino, Paradise, Nevada. During the ceremony, Adult Video News presented AVN Awards in more than 100 categories. Webcam star Harli Lotts and performer/director Angela White co-hosted the ceremony, each for the first time. Master of ceremonies was comedian Aries Spears.
The 36th AVN Awards was a pornography award show presented by Adult Video News (AVN). It took place on January 28, 2019 at the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada.
