CHATSWORTH, Calif.—AVN Media Network, in its continual effort to refine its requirements for AVN Awards eligibility in keeping with evolving release trends, has made a number of slight but notable changes to those requirements for its Video & Web categories that will take effect with submissions for the 2022 AVN Awards.
So as to help studios and producers properly plan their release strategies for any such submissions leading up to September’s pre-nomination period, AVN presents below the complete updated rules for video productions released during the current eligibility cycle to be deemed eligibile for 2022 AVN Awards consideration:
Eligibility Term
To be considered in any of the Video & Web categories, a production must be made available commercially between October 1, 2020 and September 30, 2021. If a sex scene or featurette is independently released both as a standalone work and as part of a larger production prior to or on the September 30 cutoff date, it will by default be considered part of the larger production for attribution purposes.
Movie/Series Eligibility
To be considered for a nomination in any category recognizing full, multiple-scene movies or ongoing series, the collected work in question must be commercially released during the eligibility term via at least one of the following qualifying methods/platforms:
• DVD — must be available through a wholesale distributor and stocked with at least three major online retailers, meaning ones carrying DVD titles from a minimum of 60 active producers/production banners.
• VOD/streaming site — defined as a third-party website carrying productions from at least 60 active producers/production banners and offering monthly paid memberships and/or a la carte purchases to access content.
• Membership site — defined as a website owned by/operated under licensing from the studio, producer or parent corporation holding the publishing rights and all associated documentation for the library of content bearing the site’s banner (and/or those of any companion sites/subsites), and offering unlimited access to all content it houses for a monthly paid membership fee.
• Subscription-based broadcast network — pay cable or satellite channel.
In addition, one of the following rules must apply:
I. If released via DVD, the work must contain a minimum of THREE full and distinct sex scenes ORIGINALLY released via ANY OTHER QUALIFYING PLATFORM no earlier than the first date of the last awards eligibility cycle (October 1, 2019).
II. If released solely via ONE qualifying digital/broadcast platform (without prior release via any other qualifying platform), the work must contain at least SIX full and distinct sex scenes all released within the eligibility term.
III. If released via TWO OR MORE qualifying digital/broadcast platforms, the work must contain at least THREE full and distinct sex scenes released in a complete, assembled presentation format via at least one of said platforms and not previously released via any other qualifying platform earlier than the first date of the last awards eligibility cycle (October 1, 2019).
Scene/Featurette Eligibility
To be considered for a nomination in any sex scene or featurette category, a work may be released as a standalone segment and/or as part of a larger production via any qualifying platform, in accordance with the following guidelines:
• If submitted as a standalone segment, the scene/featurette must be solely and originally released as its own self-contained work during the current eligibility term.
• If submitted as part of a larger production, the scene/featurette must have been originally released on any qualifying platform no earlier than the first date of the last awards eligibility cycle (October 1, 2019), and not previously considered for AVN Awards contention.
*Any sex scene or featurette released as a standalone segment on ANY PLATFORM earlier than the first date of the last awards eligibility cycle (i.e. prior to October 1, 2019), and subsequently included in a work as outlined above released during the current eligibility cycle, is ineligible for consideration in any sex scene/featurette category.
**Any work considered for the 2022 AVN Awards will be void from any future AVN Awards consideration if released on any qualifying platform after September 30, 2021.
***Content released solely via clip sites—i.e. ones expressly offering user-generated content on a revenue sharing basis—does not qualify for AVN Awards consideration.
Record-Keeping Requirements
Producers must maintain 2257 records for any content submitted for AVN Awards consideration. In addition, any online content submitted must have clearly marked post/release dates within the eligibility term on the qualifying website(s) carrying it.
Any questions regarding these updated rules may be directed to AVN Senior Editor Peter Warren at [email protected].
