Category Definitions - 2023 AVN Awards

Categories subject to change at AVN's discretion.

Video & Web

All-Female Specialty Performer of the Year - Female/female-presenting performer with the most outstanding body of work during the eligibility term whose sex scenes predominantly or exclusively involve other female/female-presenting performers.

Best Actor – Featurette - Most outstanding acting performance in a male role including at least one sex scene within a short-form narrative work.

Best Actress – Featurette - Most outstanding acting performance in a female role including at least one sex scene within a short-form narrative work.

Best All-Female Group Sex Scene - Most outstanding U.S.-shot sex scene between three or more female/female-presenting performers.

Best All-Female Movie or Limited Series - Full-length work with a primary theme of and multiple sex scenes all strictly involving female/female-presenting performers.

Best All-Female Series or Channel - Line of/multiple full productions comprised of sex scenes strictly involving female/female-presenting performers; must meet applicable scene quantity criteria.

Best Anal Movie or Limited Series - Full-length work with a primary theme of/multiple scenes all involving anal intercourse.

Best Anal Series or Channel - Line of/multiple full productions comprised of scenes all involving anal intercourse; must meet applicable scene quantity criteria.

Best Anal Sex Scene - Most outstanding U.S.-shot sex scene between one female/female-presenting performer and one male/male-presenting performer primarily or strictly involving anal intercourse.

Best Anthology Movie or Limited Series - Full-length work comprised of multiple narrative segments, with or without any connecting device, whose theme is not specified in another category.

Best Anthology Series or Channel - Line of/multiple full productions comprised of narrative segments whose theme is not specified in another series/channel category; must meet applicable scene quantity criteria.

Best Art Direction - Most outstanding achievement in the design of a production, including its sets and costumes.

Best BDSM Movie or Limited Series
- Full-length bondage or S/M themed work with multiple scenes involving humiliation, tickling, spanking, latex fetish, ballbusting, facesitting and/or other domination or submission themed sexual acts.

Best Blowbang Scene - Most outstanding sex scene strictly involving the act of fellatio as typically performed by one female/female-presenting performer with three or more recipients.

Best Cinematography - Most outstanding achievement in the photographic craftsmanship and overall look of a production.

Best Curve Appeal Movie or Limited Series - Full-length work with a primary theme of and multiple sex scenes all featuring female/female-presenting performers with curvy/voluptuous figures.

Best Directing Portfolio – International - Most outstanding directorial body of work during the eligibility term produced outside the U.S.

Best Directing Portfolio – Narrative - Most outstanding directorial body of work during the eligibility term comprised of scripted/story-based material.

Best Directing Portfolio – Non-Narrative - Most outstanding directorial body of work during the eligibility term comprised of material with little to no story element.

Best Directing Portfolio – Specialty - Most outstanding directorial body of work during the eligibility term comprised primarily or exclusively of specialized or niche material.

Best Double-Penetration Sex Scene - Most outstanding U.S.-shot sex scene involving one female/female-presenting performer being simultaneously penetrated vaginally and/or anally by two phalluses.

Best Editing - Most outstanding achievement in the craftsmanship with which a production is assembled.

Best Featurette - Short-form work with a full-arc narrative structure and at least one full and distinct sex scene; not to exceed a total running time of 60 minutes if the work contains any more than two sex scenes.

Best Female/Female Sex Scene - Most outstanding U.S.-shot sex scene between two female/female-presenting performers.

Best Female Mixed-Age Movie or Limited Series - Full-length work with a primary theme of and multiple sex scenes all involving at least one older and one younger female/female-presenting performer, with or without any male/male-presenting performers.

Best Foursome/Orgy Scene - Most outstanding U.S.-shot sex scene involving any grouping of four or more performers including at least two female/female-presenting ones. 

Best Gangbang Scene - Most outstanding sex scene typically involving one female/female-presenting performer and three or more male/male-presenting performers.

Best Gonzo/Cinemacore Movie or Limited Series - Full-length work containing multiple sex scenes all employing an unscripted documentary/POV style and/or little to no story element; may incorporate any additional theme not specified in another category.

Best Gonzo/Cinemacore Series or Channel - Line of/multiple full productions comprised of gonzo-style or non-narrative sex scenes, which may incorporate any additional theme not specified in another series/channel category; must meet applicable scene quantity criteria.

Best Hair & Makeup - Most outstanding achievement in the use of makeup and hairstyling to enhance a production.

Best Ingénue Movie or Limited Series - Full-length work with a primary theme of and multiple sex scenes all featuring youthful, petite and/or unestablished female/female-presenting performers.

Best Ingénue Series or Channel - Line of/multiple full productions comprised of sex scenes featuring youthful, petite and/or unestablished female/female-presenting performers; must meet applicable scene quantity criteria.

Best International All-Female Sex Scene - Most outstanding sex scene shot outside the U.S. between two or more female/female-presenting performers.

Best International Anal Sex Scene - Most outstanding sex scene shot outside the U.S. with two-three performers—at least one female/female-presenting and one male/male-presenting—primarily involving anal intercourse and/or double-penetration including anal.

Best International Group Sex Scene - Most outstanding sex scene shot outside the U.S. involving any combination of three or more performers (including female/female-presenting and male/male-presenting ones); excludes anal-centric three-way scenes.

Best International Male/Female Sex Scene - Most outstanding sex scene shot outside the U.S. between one female/female-presenting performer and one male/male-presenting performer primarily or strictly involving vaginal intercourse.

Best International Production - Feature-length or longer work produced outside the U.S. whose theme is typically not specified in another category (may be placed in another relevant category at AVN’s discretion).

Best Leading Actor - Most outstanding acting performance in a principal male role including at least one sex scene within a feature-length or longer narrative work.

Best Leading Actress - Most outstanding acting performance in a principal female role including at least one sex scene within a feature-length or longer narrative work.

Best Male Newcomer - New male/male-presenting performer who has made the most significant impact during the eligibility term (sex, acting and marketability all considered).

Best Male/Female Sex Scene - Most outstanding U.S.-shot sex scene between one female/female-presenting performer and one male/male-presenting performer primarily or strictly involving vaginal intercourse.

Best MILF/Female Mixed-Age Series or Channel - Line of/multiple full productions comprised of sex scenes featuring older or pairings/groupings of older and younger female/female-presenting performers; must meet applicable scene quantity criteria.

Best MILF Movie or Limited Series - Full-length work with a primary theme of and multiple sex scenes all featuring older/maternal-type female/female-presenting performers.

Best Multi-Partner Movie or Limited Series - Full-length work with a primary theme of and multiple scenes all involving sex between groupings of three or more performers (including female/female-presenting and male/male-presenting ones).

Best New International Starlet - New foreign-based female/female-presenting performer who has made the most significant impact during the eligibility term (sex, acting and marketability all considered).

Best New Production Banner - Most outstanding production company or brand/label to debut during the eligibility term.

Best New Starlet - New female/female-presenting performer who has made the most significant impact during the eligibility term (sex, acting and marketability all considered).

Best Niche Movie or Limited Series - Full-length work with multiple sex scenes all focusing on a fetish or special interest of any type not specified in another category (i.e. hirsutism, pregnancy, BBW, mature, etc.).

Best Niche Series or Channel - Line of/multiple full productions comprised of fetish or special interest-themed sex scenes; must meet applicable scene quantity criteria.

Best Non-Sex Performance
- Most outstanding acting performance not involving any sexual component beyond nudity.

Best Oral Series or Channel 
- Line of/multiple full productions comprised of scenes all primarily or strictly involving fellatio; must meet applicable scene quantity criteria.

Best Oral Sex Scene
- Most outstanding sex scene strictly involving fellatio as performed by at least one female/female-presenting performer typically with one to two recipients.

Best POV Sex Scene - Most outstanding sex scene shot entirely from the point of view of one of the participants; excludes virtual reality scenes.

Best Screenplay – Featurette - Most outstanding achievement in writing for a short-form scripted/narrative production.

Best Screenplay – Movie or Limited Series - Most outstanding achievement in writing for a feature-length or longer narrative production.

Best Solo/Tease Performance - Most outstanding seduction and/or masturbation sequence performed by one or more female/female-presenting performer(s).

Best Soundtrack
- Most outstanding achievement in the use of music to enhance a production.

Best Star Showcase - Full-length production featuring one performer in all of its sex scenes and typically incorporating said performer’s name into its title; excludes those with a male/male-presenting performer as the titular/unifying talent.

Best Supporting Actor - Most outstanding acting performance in a secondary male role including at least one sex scene within a feature-length or longer narrative work.

Best Supporting Actress - Most outstanding acting performance in a secondary female role including at least one sex scene within a feature-length or longer narrative work.

Best Taboo Relations Movie or Limited Series - Full-length work with a primary theme/multiple scenes all portraying the fantasy of sex between “forbidden” partners such as step-siblings or in-laws.

Best Thespian – Trans/X - Most outstanding acting performance in a trans or gender nonconforming role including at least one sex scene within a narrative work of any length.

Best Three-Way Sex Scene – F/F/M - Most outstanding U.S.-shot sex scene involving two female/female-presenting performers and one male/male-presenting performer.

Best Three-Way Sex Scene – M/F/M - Most outstanding U.S-shot sex scene involving one female/female-presenting performer and two male/male-presenting performers who at no point interact with each other; excludes double-penetration scenes.

Best Trans Group Sex Scene - Most outstanding sex scene between three or more performers featuring at least one trans performer.

Best Trans Movie or Limited Series - Full-length work with a primary theme of and multiple sex scenes all featuring trans performers.

Best Trans Newcomer - New trans performer who has made the most significant impact during the eligibility term (sex, acting and marketability all considered).

Best Trans One-on-One Sex Scene - Most outstanding sex scene between a trans performer and one other performer of any gender.

Best Trans Series or Channel - Line of/multiple full productions comprised of sex scenes featuring trans performers; must meet applicable scene quantity criteria.   

Best Virtual Reality Sex Scene - Most outstanding sex scene produced specifically for the virtual reality format and involving any number of performers.

Clever Title of the Year - Most creative, clever and/or outrageous title given to an adult production released during the eligibility term; not based on quality of production.

Female Performer of the Year - Female/female-presenting performer with the most outstanding body of work during the eligibility term (sex, acting and marketability all considered).

Grand Reel - Feature-length or longer work employing, and demonstrating extraordinary overall achievement in, every facet of adult motion picture production, including eroticism, storytelling, acting, cinematography, art direction, scoring, editing, etc.

International Female Performer of the Year - Female/female-presenting performer with the most outstanding body of work during the eligibility term predominantly produced outside the U.S. (sex, acting and marketability all considered).

International Male Performer of the Year – Male/male-presenting performer with the most outstanding body of work during the eligibility term predominantly produced outside the U.S. (sex, acting and marketability all considered).

Mainstream Venture of the Year - Awarded to one or more adult performer(s) or personality(ies) for a specific mainstream movie, show or other project in which they were involved that occurred/was commercially released during the eligibility term.

Male Performer of the Year - Male/male-presenting performer with the most outstanding body of work during the eligibility term (sex, acting and marketability all considered).

Mark Stone Award for Outstanding Comedy - Highest achievement of the year in comedic craftsmanship within an adult production.

MILF Performer of the Year - Female/female-presenting performer with the most outstanding body of work during the eligibility term in MILF/older woman themed material.

Most Outrageous Sex Scene
- Sex scene with the most creatively unique and impactful element(s) of the year beyond normal eroticism; typically depicts something shocking or outlandish.

Niche Specialty Performer of the Year - Performer with the most outstanding body of work during the eligibility term primarily or exclusively in fetish or special interest material (i.e. BDSM, BBW, mature, wrestling, etc.).

Outstanding Directing – Individual Work - Highest achievement of the year in directing for a single, feature-length or longer production; casting, guidance of performances, eroticism of sex scenes and overall command of moviemaking all considered.

Trans Performer of the Year - Trans performer with the most outstanding body of work during the eligibility term (sex, acting and marketability all considered).
 
 

Pleasure Products

Best Enhancement Manufacturer - Any manufacturer of edible or topical enhancement products distinguished by exceptional product design, packaging, marketing and customer service.

Best Fetish Manufacturer - Any line or range of products specifically designed for a fetish market.

Best Lingerie or Apparel Line - Any line of lingerie or other apparel products distinguished by exceptional product design, packaging, marketing and customer service.

Best Lubricant Brand - Any lubricant brand distinguished by exceptional product design, packaging, marketing and customer service.

Best Pleasure Product Manufacturer – Small - Any sex toy manufacturer distinguished by exceptional product design, packaging, marketing and customer service with 20 or fewer SKUs.

Best Pleasure Product Manufacturer – Medium - Any sex toy manufacturer distinguished by exceptional product design, packaging, marketing and customer service with 21-150 SKUs.

Best Pleasure Product Manufacturer – Large - Any sex toy manufacturer distinguished by exceptional product design, packaging, marketing and customer service with 151 or more SKUs.

 

Retail

Best Boutique - Any single brick-and-mortar store that sells DVDs and pleasure products primarily to women and couples and is distinguished by exceptional appearance, design, product mix and service.

Best Retail Chain – Small - Any chain of two to five brick-and-mortar adult retail outlets that sell DVDs, sex toys, lingerie, accessories or any combination thereof, distinguished by exceptional appearance, design, product mix and service.

Best Retail Chain – Medium - Any chain of six to 10 brick-and-mortar adult retail outlets that sell DVDs, sex toys, lingerie, accessories or any combination thereof, distinguished by exceptional appearance, design, product mix and service.

Best Retail Chain – Large - Any chain of 11 or more brick-and-mortar adult retail outlets that sell DVDs, sex toys, lingerie, accessories or any combination thereof, distinguished by exceptional appearance, design, product mix and service.

Best Web Retail Store - Any store that has only an online presence (no brick-and-mortar retail outlets) and sells DVDs, sex toys, lingerie, accessories or any combination thereof, distinguished by exceptional appearance, design, product mix and service.