UNIVERSAL CITY, Calif.—Unveiled with touches of irreverent humor and flourishes of fanfare and greeted with a spirit of joyful camaraderie, the winners of AVN’s inaugural “O” Awards were announced Tuesday night.
Thirteen products and companies were recognized in the awards ceremony, designed to recognize the leading products, companies and more in the adult pleasure industry. In addition, Carol Queen, Ph.D., and her Center for Sex and Culture were honored with the Outstanding Achievement Award.
“Though the AVN Awards are a spectacle now watched by millions of viewers on Showtime, it wasn’t always that way,” AVN Publisher and Editor Tony Lovett told the crowd of more than 400. “In fact, tonight’s ‘O’ Awards are reminiscent of the same low-key vibe that was part of the AVN Awards launch, so many years ago.”
Each award winner was presented with the “O” Award trophy, which features a black marble base and a polished metal three-dimensional “O” on top.
The following companies are the winners of the first-ever “O” Awards, presented by AVN Media Network and AVN Novelty Business magazine:
Outstanding Boutique: Fairvilla Megastore, Orlando
Outstanding Retail Chain: Peekay (Lovers/Condom Revolution/Touch of Romance)
Outstanding Online Retailer: GoodVibes.com
Outstanding Non-Powered Product: Pure Wand, njoy
Outstanding Powered Product: BO, LELO
Outstanding Lube, Lotion or Potion: Sliquid Organics, Sliquid LLC
Outstanding Innovation: SaSi, Je Joue
Outstanding Overall Product Design: Fun Factory
Outstanding Apparel or Accessory Line: Spartacus Leathers
Outstanding Packaging: Evolved Novelties
Outstanding Marketing: The Screaming O, in-store marketing kit
Outstanding Distributor—East: East Coast News
Outstanding Distributor—West: Entrenue
Carol Queen, who also serves as the sexologist for Good Vibrations in San Francisco, was honored with the Outstanding Achievement Award for her work as a writer, speaker, educator, activist and all-around champion for the sex toy industry, Lovett said.
“Many of us in this room would not be where we are if it weren’t for Carol Queen and her colleagues at Good Vibrations,” he said.
Nominees for The “O” Awards were culled from pre-nomination submissions and a panel of advisors who narrowed down the field. From there, an advisory panel of more than 100 industry professionals was chosen for balloting. Their votes were counted along with those from AVN novelty writers and reviewers.
The “O” Awards were held in conjunction with the AVN Novelty Expo, the premier B2B event for the adult pleasure product industry. ANE continues Wednesday at the Universal Sheraton and the Hilton Los Angeles hotels in Universal City, Calif.
For more information, visit AVNNoveltyExpo.com. Also see the “O” Awards photo gallery.
