Despite all the problems the adult film industry faced with free tube sites, piracy and a myriad of other problems, 2014, for the most part, was a very good year for much of the adult industry. As it has for over 40 years, the adult industry fought against the various problems they faced and still managed to put out some very high quality product in 2014 to an ever growing consumer base.

Let’s take a look at a couple of the names that really broke loose in 2014. There was Anikka Albrite who began in 2011, but 2014 really saw this blonde beauty hit her stride. The Denver beauty just won the Female Performer of the Year award at XBIZ. At the AVN awards she came away with the Female performer of the Year as well, plus several other awards. Her body of work has been for just about every major studio Wicked, Vivid, Digital Playground, Evil Angel, Hard X, Airerose, New Sensations and more. She has shown not only is she the bomb sexually, but also possesses some good acting chops making her a solid all around performer whose star just keeps getting brighter and the new year promises even more.

Then there was the amazing Carter Cruise. The Atlanta cutey burst on the scene and from her first appearance you knew there was something special with this girl. Since her debut early this year she has done close to 100 titles for every major company and appeared in top parodies like American Hustle XXX, Cinderella XXX for Wicked and Axel Braun and showed off her tremendous acting chops in New Sensations “Second Chances”. That performance led her to getting the Best Actress award at both the XBIZ and AVN shows. In addition she also garnered the Best New Starlet award from both, an award she won just a few months back at the NightMoves Adult Awards show. She also captured a few other awards at both XBIZ and AVN. She has done just about every kind of scene you could think of and with each one her star becomes bigger and brighter. Winning such prestigious awards so quickly is a true testament to her fast growing popularity and immense talents as both a performer and actress. The sky is limit in 2015 and beyond for this incredible young lady.

There were many more in 2014 who hit the porn scene with a bang (pun intended), Jillian Janson, Bailey Bae, Carmen Caliente, Belle Knox and August Ames just to name a few. They all bare watching in this new year as more new stars are discovered and make their way up the ladder of porn success.

2014 we would also see another major female star join the directorial ranks when the multi talented Bonnie Rotten went behind the cameras with her own company, Mental Beauty. Not only does Bonnie excel as a performer, but her directorial style on parody features like Cape Fear XXX and Sisters of Anarchy XXX have resulted in a slew of award nominations for her work behind the camera as well as in front of the camera. It was a year where female directors like Ms. Rotten, Stormy Daniels, Jacky St. James, Dana Vespoli and Mason really broke the doors open in a “man’s world” with their exceptional talents and storytelling both as directors and in the case of Ms. Daniels, St. James and Vespoli, writers as well. The creative efforts from these women and body of work resulted in a number of award nominations from both AVN and XBIZ for the top productions they helmed during the year. Both Mason and Jackie St, James proved winners in the directorial award category. It is certain that 2015 will see even more great work from the above mentioned ladies but other female performers, with the talent, also going behind the cameras as well as in front of them.

It was a year of more great parodies, original screenplays both comedy and dramatic. Axel Braun moved from Vivid and his award winning super hero parodies to Wicked Pictures where he began the Wicked Fairytales line and literally had a slam dunk with Snow White, Sleeping Beauty and Cinderella and his parody of the hit TV show “24”, that captured a number of AVN and XBIZ awards. Will Ryder, also hit the awards nominations with his parody mastery taking an XXX look at the Hollywood hit, American Hustler and then taking on a subject that was a hit show on Broadway and on tour and in the movies, Ryder’s rousing porn musical parody of Jersey Boys, which garnered the Best Music award. There were the original stories both dramatic and comedy from Brad Armstrong’s dramatic Aftermath and Jacky St. James love story, Second Chances, both being big winners from AVN and XBIZ. Those titles only scratched the surface of the great parodies and original films that grabbed the consumer’s attention throughout the year.

2014 would also be the year in which the BBW genre, thanks in large part to the foresight of one Kelly Shibari helped bring this genre to the forefront. This movement was even buoyed by the fact that jessica drake, along with Ms. Shibari, added to her successful series “jessica drake’s Guide to Wicked Sex” one titled Plus Size that quickly became a runaway best selling and critically acclaimed release. We saw a major upswing in taboo subjects involving sex within the family unit. Original screenplays written and directed by Jacky St. James treated these taboo subjects in a very honest and hard hitting way. Forbidden Fruits Films and Jodi West also became a big player in this genre also

There was more that took place throughout 2014 making it a good year in spite of the problems the industry faced on and off the set. It was also a year where the consumer continued to be a more mature, much more discerning buyer and renter of adult films. More couples were shopping at adult stores, more women were buying not only sexy apparel, but toys and DVD’s. It was a reflection of a broader acceptance of adult films and accessories by the more mature and open minded person and/or couple. It was also a reflection of the industry listening and giving the public what they truly wanted to see and enjoy in private. Third was the fact that many adult stores and boutiques coast to coast had become very upscale, more visually appealing with a classier, cleaner and more inviting look and presence than in years past. All of this made for a very interesting 2014.

Now the new year is here, the XBiz and AVN awards are history, so what can we expect in 2015. For me, as a critic, writer and reviewer I am looking forward to more great parodies, more strong original films and the emergence of several budding stars who will have a huge impact in the coming year. I am very excited about 2015 and what it has in store for the fans and consumers and look forward to writing some great reviews and features. There are still the big problems to fight regarding piracy, free sites, etc. but the industry will find a way to win this battle just as they have fought and won many others since porn hit the commercial scene in the early 1970’s. For now, bring it on 2015, we are ready!

Art Koch, National Features & DVD Editor, NightMoves Magazine and AAN