Chi Chi LaRue's Wrong Side of the Tracks 1-2 was named Best Video at Saturday night's 15th Annual Gay Chicago Grabby Awards.
Co-hosted by LaRue and local drag celebrity Honey West for the eighth year in a row, this 8th Live Show was held at the Vic Theatre and featured Rod Barry, Brad Benton, and Chad Hunt as porn-star celebrity hosts, four dazzling awards presenters — Roman Heart, Tony Mecelli, Damon Phoenix, and Tyler Riggz — sparkling humor, and uncountable costume changes by LaRue and West.
The show got off to a roaring start with the Grabbys' traditional West/ LaRue introductory video (filmed and edited by GAYVN's Jeff Rosenberg). When LaRue took the stage and pelted Raging Stallion's JD Slater with ice — spoofing Slater's throwing ice at Michael Lucas during the recent GAYVN Awards — saying, "Now that we got that out of the way..." he served notice that the night would be studded with the pointed quips and outrageous behavior he is famous for.
The evening was dedicated to Gay Chicago and Grabby Awards founder Ralph-Paul Gernhardt who, because of illness, could not attend the show.
Rascal Video's Wrong Side of the Tracks also took awards for Best Videography (Hue Wilde), Best Threeway (Johnny Hazzard, Marcus Iron, Tommy Ritter), and Best Director (LaRue).
Raging Stallion Studios took home three trophies for Arabesque: Best All-Sex Video, DVD Extras, and Group Scene (the marketplace fiveway).
Another three-trophy winner was Red Devil Entertainment's Dirty Little Sins which won Best Screenplay (Jett Blakk, who also directed), Solo (Brad Benton), and Supporting Actor (Jacob Slader, who thanked director Blakk "for allowing a porn star to cry on camera without having a fist in his ass").
Hot House Entertainment was awarded the Best Leather Video trophy for director Steven Scarborough's The Missing and Best Fetish Video for first-time director David Lam's Twisted.
COLT Studio's Buckshot Productions' Beyond Perfect won Best Duo Sex Scene (Brad Patton and Jason Kingsley) and Non-Sex Role (Joe Gage).
Falcon Studios received two awards, Best Art Direction (Heaven to Hell, accepted by art director Bradley Picklesimer whose garb appeared to be an homage to Sheena Queen of the Jungle in spike heels) and Best Comedy (Through the Woods).
Other winners included Gus Mattox (Best Actor, Dangerous Liaisons), Bel Ami (Best International Video, Lukas in Love), and Catalina Video's Big Guns — original ending — (Classic DVD).
The Grabbys names two Best Newcomers and Performers of the Year. In the first category, trophies went to Roman Heart and Jason Kingsley. Perfomer of the Year awards went to Brad Benton and Johnny Hazzard.
Last year, the Grabbys initiated some special performer awards. This year's recipients are Rod Barry (Hottest Versatile Performer), Trevor Knight (Hottest Cock), Marco Paris (Hottest Cum-Shot, The Missing), and Pete Ross (Hottest Ass).
This year's Maleflixxx.tv People's Choice award went to Raging Stallion Studios' Hard as Wood.
Five men were invited to the stage to sign the Grabbys' Wall of Fame: performers Matthew Rush and Caesar, videographer/ editor Max Phillips, videographer/ director Steven Walker (Hue Wilde), director/ videographer/ screenwriter Jett Blakk, and performer/ director Chad Hunt.
The show closed with the presentation of $9,000 to AIDS organization Test Positive Aware Network (T-PAN) and, to boost the amount, a live auction of the four Trophy Presenters' underwear. Damon Phoenix's brought $120, Roman Heart's earned $200, Tyler Riggz' undies brought $300, and the big bucks-magnet were Tony Mecelli's which BigMuscle.com won with a high bid of $1,000!
