AVN won't hold its Adult Entertainment Expo or award ceremony until early next year, but now isn't too soon to start thinking about, researching and prepping for that porn-centric week in early January.
The group on Tuesday released its 75-page list of nominees for the annual awards, which often are referred to as the Oscars of the adult entertainment industry and are scheduled for January 8 at the Pearl inside the Palms. (The AEE is scheduled for January 6-9 at the Sands Expo Convention Center at The Venetian.)
A few Las Vegans make appearances on the extensive list of nominees — which includes a new section of awards for sex toys and pleasure products — and some in places you might not expect. Local band Sin City Sinners is nominated in the best original song category for their tune "Numb," which first appeared on the band's debut CD, Exile on Fremont Street, and later in Gia: Portrait of a Porn Star. The film's star, Sunny Leone, spoke to the Weekly about the project in June, calling it "different from any other movie" she'd previously been in. Gia was written and directed by Spencer Benedict, a pseudonym for Sin City Sinner manager Jason Green.
Other locals snagging nominations include Vegas natives Faye Reagan in the Female Performer of the Year category and Mr. Pete in the Male Performer of the Year category. Three other locals — Raven Alexis for Best New Starlet and Best Tease Performance, Sonny Hicks for Best Male Newcomer and Katie Kox for Unsung Starlet — also were nominated.
Also worthy of note: Evil Angel owner John Stagliano is accepting the Reuben Sturman Award for successfully defending his production studio against obscenity charges in Washington DC over the summer. Locally, Stagliano is known for producing Fashionistas, which had a nearly four-year run at Krave between 2004-08.
For a full list of nominees, download the official release here (.pdf).
Previous Discussion: