SAN FRANCISCO - Leading VOD and content portal NakedSword's many contributions to the gay adult industry were recognized at the 10th Annual GAYVN Awards in San Francisco.
NakedSword cofounder and CEO Tim Valenti was acknowledged with a Special Achievement Award for his role in the industry. 2007 NakedSwordsMan of the Year, Jake Deckard, was awarded both the Best Actor award for Grunts as well as the coveted Performer of the Year trophy.
"It was such an honor to be recognized for the work we have done in the industry," said NakedSword co-founder and CEO Tim Valenti. "We have reached some milestones in the past year, and to be recognized really solidifies our accomplishments." Valenti added, "NakedSword has created more than just a site that streams porn, we have built a community for both our studios and our members. We are one of the best examples of the way that studios can support each other and themselves thru a commitment to working together and a dedication to providing audiences with the best content."
NakedSword was also proud to see Raging Stallion take home the most awards of the night for GRUNTS, a movie that NS co-produced with the San Francisco-based studio.
The 22-man military epic and top selling title of 2007, Grunts, was the most anticipated films of the year. The film received top honors from GAYVN for both the actors and the production crew. Grunts received 8 awards including Best Still Photographer (Kent Taylor/ Geof Teague), Best Editing (Chris Ward/ Ben Leon), Best DVD Extras/ Special Edition, Best Solo Performance (Sinz), Best Supporting Actor ( Ricky Sinz), Best Duo (Sinz/ Roman Ragazzi), Best Actor (Deckard), and Best Picture. Chris Ward, Raging Stallion President, also received the distinguished Best Director Award that evening alongside Ben Leon.
"Grunts was a tough shoot for us," said Ward, "but having NakedSword as our co-producer really helped it along. Having [TheSword.com Editor] Michael Stabile on set really was great. He fueled us with plenty of margaritas to beat the summer heat. In fact, I think that all the sweat and margaritas may have played a big role in the films success." Ward said he is celebrating his victories by spending the well-deserved Grunts revenues on Champagne Toasts, as well as getting ready to start filming Raging Stallion's next big production, a cowboy themed film yet to be titled.
