(Los Angeles, CA / November 20, 2023) — Maitland Ward has found herself on the XBIZ Award shortlist with a pair of nominations that celebrate the industry superstar’s first forays into writing and directing her very own films.

Ward’s directorial debut from Tushy, Casting Couch, was nominated for Featurette of the Year, and her follow-up release from Blacked, Fame, picked up a nod for Best Sex Scene-Vignette for her scorching onscreen work with Isiah Maxwell.

“I am so happy that the first two scenes that I wrote and directed on my own have both been nominated for XBIZ Awards, so BIG thanks to the team at XBIZ for acknowledging my creative work as a filmmaker,” said Ward of the honor.

“I’ve been eyeing the director’s chair, and the opportunity to step out of my comfort zone and test my abilities behind the camera, for a while now, and I’m so glad that I finally took the leap. I’ve also really enjoyed weaving bits of my many Hollywood experiences into these films. It’s been a blast – like riding a rollercoaster, but with more cameras and less screaming.”

Find and follow Maitland Ward at:

Twitter.com/maitlandward

Southern California-born and bred Maitland Ward has quickly become one of the biggest stars in adult entertainment, after an-already successful career as an American model, actress and cosplay personality. After finding fame in the ‘90s on CBS soap The Bold and the Beautiful and smash ABC sitcom Boy Meets World, as well as a plum role in 2004’s cult classic White Chicks, Ward decided to shake things up with racy social media content, sexy cosplay and appearing at fan conventions before making the leap into adult film in 2019.

The statuesque (5’10”) all-natural redhead is unique in that not only is she beautiful and built for the adult biz, Ward’s talent as an actress means she can also carry dramatic and comedic scenes with ease. Her playful energy, professionalism and open sexuality earned her an exclusive performance contract with Vixen Media Group and the famous face of the brand’s blockbuster studio, Deeper.

In ‘20, Ward won three AVN Awards: Best Supporting Actress, Best Three-Way Sex Scene-G/G/B for Deeper film Drive and Favorite Camming Cosplayer, as well as three XBIZ Awards for Crossover Star of the Year, Best Actress-Feature Movie and Best Sex Scene-Feature Movie, also for Drive. In ‘21 she won two AVN Awards: Best Leading Actress for Deeper’s Muse and Best Boy/Girl Sex Scene for Higher Power, plus two XBIZ Awards for Best Acting-Lead and Best Sex Scene-Feature for Muse. In ‘22 she won two XBIZ trophies for Best Acting-Lead for Muse 2 and Performer of the Year. In ’23 Ward won two AVN Awards for Best Leading Actress for Deeper feature Drift and Mainstream Venture of the Year, and an XBIZ trophy for Drift in the category of Best Sex Scene-Feature Movie.

Ward’s recent mainstream endeavors include starring and co-producing a TV series, The Big Time, taking on a lead role in psychological thriller Just for You and releasing an eye-popping no-holds-barred memoir about her wild life in the entertainment biz, Rated X: How Porn Liberated Me from Hollywood (which won a ’23 AVN Award for the aforementioned Mainstream Venture of the Year and an esteemed Kirkus Star for Excellence). Follow Maitland at Twitter.com/maitlandward and Instagram.com/maitlandward