The Oscars of Porn

Did you know that the adult industry has its own version of the Oscars? That's right—each year AVN (Adult Video News) hands out its own golden statuettes for categories like “well-performed sex acts” in addition to “best director” or “best starlet.”

2009 Winners

Sin, redemption, and steaming hot sex performed every which way—Fallen brings us the classic tale of a fallen angel, but with a much-appreciated twist. Once a guardian angel for humanity, Angel now works to earn the forgiveness of those she’s harmed through a momentary lapse; in trying to avoid an eternity of punishment, she takes us on a journey of love, loss, and unforgettable anal sex. This is the kind of redemption tale we can get behind! Great for women and/or couples. Features Jessica Drake, AVN winner for Best Actress.

2008 Winners

Upload is one of those high-budget adult films that comes out once in a blue moon that knocks all the competition on its ass. Something of a cross between Alias and Total Recall, Upload is a stylized futuristic tale featuring the heavenly Eva Angelina (who won Best Actress) as a security agent who’s addicted to the hardcore sex she’s supposed to police. The set design and acting compliment a plot that is so tightly wound, the sex almost seems secondary, proving that explicit sex and a great plot can co-exist in a porn movie.

Stop the presses! Renowned director Paul Thomas delivers a hilarious and sexy spoof of an adult magazine’s newsroom in Layout, which earned eight AVN Awards in the process (including Best Film, Best Director, Best Couple’s Sex Scene, and Best Oral Sex Scene). Porno meets journalism, so you get equal doses of hot sex, humor and romance as the intertwining stories reveal the sexual hijinx in the newsroom, including a recluse who hides in his bedroom during porn shoots in his living room, and an assistant director who bribes an aspiring porn starlet into a little sex in exchange for news coverage. Lots of anal sex and some bondage.

The much-awaited debut in the Femme Chocolat line features all the hallmarks of Candida Royalle’s Femme productions—natural bodies, no money shots, and plot-driven sex—plus a racially diverse cast led by the foxy Simone Valentino playing an up-and-coming hip hop star. Valentino’s playful style adds heat to sensual sex, especially in her solo masturbation scene and her passionate, affectionate interlude with the always-sexy Mr. Marcus. AVN Winner for Best Music.

Award Winners from Recent Years

FUCK

Top-shelf porn with a gorgeous cast and equally-gorgeous fucking—there’s something for everyone in this aptly named film, which won Best Group Sex Scene, Best All-Girl Sex, Best Art Direction and Best Cinematography at the 2007 AVN Awards. Though the faux-historical plot is silly, hit the mute and be dazzled by the high-budget sex: a medieval barbarian gets down with his warrior woman; the Indian goddess Kali takes on four men; a Versailles dinner party with four "tarts" as the main courses—and more. Directed by Brad Armstrong, 2-Disc Set.

Chemistry

This is the tale of seven porn stars picked to live in a house for 36 hours with no plot, no script, and no restrictions. Former Babelander Tristan Taormino knows a thing or two about creating a hot flick, and she shows it in this sex-positive fuckfest. We believe Chemistry is one of the best DVDs we have ever seen, and were pleased to see it win a 2007 AVN Award for Best Gonzo Release. A diverse cast stars in this intimate look at porn stars' lives and stories, spliced between passionate and sexy scenes.

Pirates

Swashbuckling ladies give "walking the plank" a whole new meaning in this pirate-inspired, high-seas adventure, which won several 2006 AVN Awards, including Best Actor, Best All-Girl Scene, and Best Special Effects. The feisty performances by Janine, Carmen Luvana, and others intersperse swordplay with cockplay, and sea battles with fierce girl-girl skirmishes.

Jenna Jameson is The Masseuse

Winner of Best Adult Film of 2005, along with Best Actress, Best Actor, Best Director, and Best Couple’s Sex Scene. Starring Jenna Jameson as a masseuse whose client is a socially awkward virgin male (played by real-life husband Justin Sterling). A great couples' flick with a compelling plot, veteran director Paul Thomas pairs hardcore with bondage in this remake of the original.

Insatiable

This adult video earned a Best Classic award in 2004. Marilyn Chambers’s performance as a poor little rich girl with only one thing on her mind was memorable enough to inspire a sequel and a special 20th anniversary edition of the original. This is the film with the oh-so-memorable pool table scene that wowed reviewers then, and still does today.

Also Recommended

• Classics from the Golden Age of Porn
• Shop for Award-Winning Adult DVDs
  
• Female Directors
• Women's Guide to Good Porn