2007 AVN Award show review – by Lady Venus
Yes, I know that reporters are supposed to write without any bias; however, at this
year’s AVN Awards, some of our favorite performers came out on top and we could not be happier. At the 2007 Adult Video News Adult Entertainment Expo (AVN AEE), I had the distinct pleasure to interview some of the biggest names in the adult industry, many of whom were nominated for AVN Awards. I cannot help but beam that my prediction regarding the Best Transsexual Performer of the Year award went to Buck Angel. During my interview with Buck, I told him that I felt it in my nipples that he would be a winner. My nipples were right! In case you have not yet heard of Buck, he is known as the Man with a Pussy. He’s a female-to-male performer and hotter than hell. You should check out his movies and prepare yourself to be both shocked and turned on! We hope that we’ll soon see his films on Hotmovies.com (who once again sponsored the AVN Award show).
The winner of the Male Performer of the Year was Tommy Gunn. He’s a stand-up guy who actually took the time to seek us out at the Hotmovies.com booth so that we could interview him. It took a few tries, but eventually he caught up with us and we had an excellent chat. It was fun talking with Tommy Gunn because he really loves his job and he has a healthy outlook on life and on the industry. If you gentlemen out there want to learn what it takes to break into the adult entertainment field, watch our interview with him because it is full of very useful advice. Keep in mind that breaking in to the adult entertainment industry is not only about how big a package you have! Tommy tells you what you should know about becoming a part of adult films. In addition to the Male Performer of the Year award, Tommy Gunn was part of a group of actors who took the award for Best Oral Sex Scene – Film for FUCK from Wicked Pictures. The winners of this award, in addition to Tommy Gunn, were Ice LaFox, Eric Masterson, Marcos London, and Mario Rossi.
When we go to these adult events, I (Lady Venus) do the interviews and my partner Michael Diamond does the camera work. At the 2006 AVN AEE, we met the lovely Mika Tan, and a few months later, Michael had the opportunity to do a Sybian shoot and Masturbation Instruction video with her. I can say that he definitely has a bit of a crush on her, and we both are excited to see that Mika won
the Underrated Starlet of the Year (Unrecognized Excellence) award at this year’s AVN show. She’s terribly sexy and she seems to have a great sense of humor, and it is great to see that she has been recognized for her efforts. Isn’t it a little odd to gain recognition for being “unrecognized” in the industry? Maybe they need to change the name of that award… but I digress. Another smoking hot award winner was Katsumi. She won awards for Female Foreign Performer of the Year and for Best Supporting Actress – Video (for Fashionistas Safado: The Challenge), and this was no surprise to either of us. Interviewing Katsumi is always a pleasure and she loves what she does for a living. Watching her movies, it is easy to see why Katsumi won these awards. Incidentally, for those of you who are wondering about the male talent, Jean Val Jean was given the AVN Award for Male Foreign Performer of the Year. Jean’s performances never, ever disappoint!
Hilary Scott, the Anal Princess, earned two AVN Awards this year! 
Both Female Performer of the Year and Best Actress – Video (for Corruption ) were Hilary’s for the taking, and she beat out a field of highly talented and delicious ladies (Missy Monroe and Belladonna are just two of them). I spoke with Hilary at the AEE and she was terribly excited to be nominated. I imagine that she is flying high right now, basking in her wins. Another exciting win was for Most Outrageous Sex Scene ( Girlvert 11 from JM Productions), which went to Ashley Blue, Amber Wild, and Steve French. Though I have not yet seen this particular video, Ashley took the time to tell me all about the “Meat is Murder” scenario. A hardcore vegetarian college student gets the deluxe bitch treatment from Ashley. She is fucked with a sausage and has an array of raw meat thrown at her, in a total affront to her vegan ways. Is Ashley Blue a crazy bitch? You bet she is! Her unorthodox scenes are one reason that so many of you jerk yourselves off watching her, right? Hey, in case you don’t yet know, Ashley let us know that Max Hardcore and his bevy of beauties are now working with JM Productions! Keep your eyes open for lots of new releases from Max and his luscious, lascivious, limber ladies.
In a slightly different vein, and not surprisingly, the award for Crossover 
Star of the Year went to the queen of all that is porn, Jenna Jameson. We were hopeful that we might get the chance to speak with Jenna, but things didn’t quite work out for us; however, while we were waiting for Jenna to show at the Club Jenna booth, we gained access to some of the hottest leading ladies in porn, the incomparable Club Jenna girls. Buxom blonde Sophia Rossi, innocent-looking Brea Bennett, hot Londoner Roxy Jezel (We love, love, love her British accent!!), blonde bombshell Ashton Moore, and steaming hot brunette Chanel St. James were all kind enough to take some time to talk to me about their newest movies, their favorite non-porn activities, and how much they love their lives as Club Jenna girls. The Club Jenna girls are all first-rate and as classy (and as sexy) as they come! While we were unable to interview Jenna Jameson, we have no complaints at all about the rest of the uber-hotties at Club Jenna. The Best Overall Marketing Campaign – Company Image Award also went to Club Jenna. Jenna Jameson and her empire simply cannot be stopped – and we couldn’t be happier about it!
We also spoke with Kelly Payne, and we were excited to see that she was awarded an AVN for Best Specialty Release – Spanking for her Baltimore Brat movie. This sassy New York lady loves to spank both boys and girls, and you should know that she always gets off in her movies! If she doesn’t get off, then you wont see the movie! Michael and I started out in the industry doing FemDom and BDSM videos, so we are happy to see that the fetish community is finally getting recognition in the adult industry.
I am not sure how it is possible, but each time I see extreme nasty girl Belladonna, she just gets sexier and sexier. I spoke with her about her AVN nominations and I am sure that she is reeling about her AVN Award for Best All-Girl Release. Right now her hair is cropped super short and her body is still rocking even after having a baby. We love Belladonna’s juicy ass! Belladonna also accepted an AVN Award for Best Group Sex Scene – Video for the video from Evil Angels Productions entitled Fashionistas Safado: The Challenge. Of course, there are others who accepted this award along with Belladonna. These actors included Melissa Lauren, Jenna Haze, Gianna, Sandra Romain, Adrianna Nicole, Flower Tucci, Sasha Grey, Nicole Sheridan, Marie Luv, Caroline Pierce, Lea Baren, Jewell Marceau, Jean Val Jean, Christian XXX, Voodoo, Chris Charming, Erik Everhard, Mr. Pete, and Rocco Siffredi. Fashionistas Safado: The Challenge should not be missed and you can check it out right now at Hotmovies.com.
Unfortunately, I was unable to attend the AVN Awards Show, but Michael did attend. Not only did he shoot the stars strutting down the red carpet, but he was also honored to be one of only a few photographers who were allowed access to the awards show itself. He has some amazing photos of the stars accepting their awards, so be sure to check them out as well at http://www.erosartist.com . Michael will now fill you in on what you didn’t see in the behind-the-scenes goings on at the 2007 AVN Awards show.
Photographing at the 2007 AVN Awards show – Michael Diamond
Although this is the third year that we attended the AVN expo and award show, 2007 marks the first year that I was invited to photograph the event. This year, I was given the unique honor of being permitted to photograph both on the red carpet, as well as inside the award show! I was included among only 4 official AVN photographers who were permitted to shoot inside the venue. Because the event was held at Mandalay Bay, instead of at the Venetian as it was in prior years, the stricter fire regulations created a very limited amount of space to photograph. In order to photograph the presentation of the awards, I was limited to shoot in one area, which was very far away from the stage. Thankfully, I was able to obtain a telephoto lens so I could shoot at such an extreme distance.
On the red carpet, photographers jostled for position, squabbling like frustrated paparazzi to squeeze in the small space that was allocated. About half of the entire space was occupied by Playboy TV, as well as other mainstream media. One thing was certain, the AVN show is becoming much more mainstream, with media coverage from NBC, Newsweek, and about 20 freelance photographers including myself.
For over an hour, the gems of the porn industry strolled up the red carpet, stopping every 3 feet to pose for the row of photographers. While I had a great time, it was frustrating to be trapped behind a barricade, able to only shoot from one angle. Nevertheless, I had a great spot, the lighting was perfect, and I’m pretty happy with all of the photos from the red carpet.
The parade of porn stars and celebrities included Gene Simmons, Chriss Angel, Dave Navarro, and even Dustin Diamond (AKA Screech from "Saved by the Bell"). I recognized many of the ladies who I’ve had the pleasure of having on my Sybian, including: Missy Monroe, Kat, Emilianna, Mika Tan, Gianna Lynn, and Gwen Diamond, just to name a few.
Once the stars arrived, it was time for the show to begin. I was ushered into the giant amphitheater and assigned my spot. Fortunately I scored a telephoto lens earlier in the day, so I was able to shoot the stage from my very distant vantage point. Over 7000 people attended the AVN Awards this year, as it was open to the public. For the most part it was a typical award show, and was kept rolling along by the hostess Wicked contract star Jessica Drake and co-host comedian Jim Norton.
The highlight of the evening was a 5-minute performance that was staged by John Stagliano of Fashionistas Safado, complete with high-flying aerialists. Buck Cherry closed the evening with a performance of "Crazy Bitch." The most poignant moment of the evening came when a teary-eyed Larry Flynt, founder of Hustler magazine, was greeted with a standing ovation for his encouragement to keep fighting for our first amendment rights.
I want to thank HotMovies.com for helping me to get access to photograph the awards, as well as Lady Venus for her hard work photographing at the AEE Expo, interviewing many of the stars on video, and helping me to get this article together in a timely manner. I just spent the past 18 hours editing over 3000 photos, so much of the evening is a blur for me. Next week I will be posting all Lady Venus’ photos from the Adult Entertainment Expo, as well as all of the video interviews with the stars. For now, I hope you enjoy the entire photo gallery from the 2007 AVN Award show!
Click here to see the entire 2007 AVN Award show photo gallery.
