Part one began back in October with our 23rd Annual NightMoves Adult Awards in Tampa. Now we come to January and both the XBIZ and AVN awards. Then in April the 2015-2016 awards season comes to a rousing close with the XRCO awards. These are the four most prestigious and longest running award ceremonies in the adult industry.
This year with AVN and XBIZ adding more categories to the nominations list makes it even tougher for the nominees. This past year yielded some of the very best adult product in some time. In just about every category of adult genre there were standout productions that raised the bar higher than ever, not to mention some subject matter that was very daring. As a reviewer/critic, it certainly made 2015 an interesting year for me see some of the production work and performances unlike anything previous. The infusion of new companies that quickly made their mark was also a big positive for an industry still fighting piracy and the internet.
Now we come to these two anticipated award ceremonies, the XBIZ in Los Angeles on January 15 and the AVN in Las Vegas on January 23 to see just who will come out and be the best of the best for this past year’s work. I am proud to say that every one of the award winners from our NightMoves Adult Awards show back in October is also nominees with either AVN or XBIZ or both. In addition, all three of our First Choice award winners “Peter Pan XXX An Axel Braun Parody”, “Wanted” and “Sleeping With Danger” are all up for a multitude of awards in a variety of categories.
Considering all of the categories, the extraordinary production work behind the cameras, the standout performances by the actors and actresses and the overall body of work of those who were nominated, it is shaping up to be an exciting time for everyone. As a critic, and voting member of XRCO, I cannot wait to see who will come out victorious in one of the most competitive adult award seasons I can remember. No doubt there will be some surprises as there always are as well as some disappointments. I must also add there is one thing the adult industry does that mainstream Hollywood does not do when it comes to film nominations. We don’t ignore or forget great film productions that were done early in the year, so the adult list of film nominations is not made up of films from just the past couple of months or that have barely been seen.
In closing, my congratulations go out to all of the nominees at both the XBIZ and AVN awards. To this critic, you all are winners through these nominations. I also want to personally thank each and every one of you for making 2015 a fantastic year. Good luck to you all at the awards!
Art Koch, National Features and DVD Editor, NightMoves Magazine and AAN
