Above, various Brazzers regulars were in attendance, including Kimmy Granger, Madison Ivy, Bonnie Rotten, Lela Star and Karmen Karma. Photo by Rick Garcia
LOS ANGELES—The adult industry continued its exploration of downtown theater spaces when the historic Belasco theater hosted the first Pornhub Awards Thursday night. The celebration was heavily influenced by creative director Kanye West, who designed the presenters' costumes and the award itself.
The pink carpet entry took place in an open-air side patio, with a backdrop wall of pink roses overlaid with larger-than-life erotic line drawings. The pink entry carpet was crowded with photographers snapping stills and shooting video interviews of arriving performers. The clothes from West's Yeezy brand were revealing: Several dresses had hip cutaways to reveal matching G-strings; dresses were cut away to reveal breasts, including Asa Akira's; performer Rocky Emerson wore a lime-green skirt and matching choker with nothing between, showing off her back tattoo; and performer Honey Gold walked the pink carpet completely nude but for a pair of calf-high boots: "Kanye West himself personally picked this outfit," Gold told AVN. "The shoes are by Yeezy; he wanted to make a bold statement. I'll be presenting naked as well."
Asa Akira in a chest-baring ensemble and co-host Aria in her own see-through dress selected by Kanya West. Photo by Rick Garcia
"I'm very curious to see how this goes on the Internet," performer Dana DeArmond told AVN. "I think there is going to be a lot of boobs. I want to see boobs. There will be more boobs and more gay stuff than the other awards do."
Adriana Chechik walked the carpet in a mirrored halter and miniskirt, followed by Riley Reid in gold chains and pasties with gold Magnum condom foil packs hanging from the chains and a Magnum choker. Penny Pax, walking the carpet with Alex Legend, reacted to a photographer's request for "a couple of singles" by retreating out of camera range, leaving Legend in the spotlight. Joanna Angel wore skintight translucent latex. Performer Alex Chance told an interviewer, "I've never seen people naked on a red carpet before."
"I'm looking forward to seeing how this night pans out," performer Angela White said, modestly attired in a non-Yeezy high-necked white-on-white sequined dress. "I'm presenting, so I think it's going to be fun. I know I'm not going to win the awards I'm presenting."
"I'm nervous. I've never been around so many beautiful, hot people," Demi Sutra observed. "I'm looking forward to meeting Asa Akira in person. I'll die."
From left, Gianna Dior, Whitney Wright, Angela White, Kendra Spade, Eliza Ibarra, Alina Lopez, Gia Derza, Anny Aurora and Demi Sutra. Photo by Rick Garcia
"I'm really excited because this is the first time Pornhub has had an awards show," performer Bonnie Rotten said. "Being their contract girl, it's really special to be here because they're making a big deal of it."
The media was barred from the ceremony, but in the press lounge performer Tiffany Watson told AVN she hoped to win for her work in the Pornhub Games: "There are six female contestants, and they compete for Best Blowjob, Best Jerkoff, Best Girl/Girl, stuff like that. It's all fan vote based. I feel my performances are always great, and the things I'm not so good in, I still try. My Blowjob was really good and my Solo was really good."
Samantha Mack handled online interviews with winners in the press lounge, giving them a lightweight prop award to pose with for stills. "They were just brought to us today," Mack told AVN.
Kimber Woods, Lily Lane, Cherie DeVille, Anna Lee, Elena Koshka and Tiffany Watson. Photo by Rick Garcia
Brandi Love won Top MILF Performer. "It's the coolest thing I could ever win, because it's my genre. It's what I do, and I love it. I don't know what to say, I'm so happy," she said after posing for stills. "The fans voted, and they were heard. It doesn’t get better. The fans are what matter. If they're happy and I win because of them—I'm doing something right."
Mia Malkova was voted Most Popular Female Pornstar By Women. "I didn’t think I was going to win, because I had already been on stage. It caught me by surprise," Malkova told AVN. "I love that [the award was voted by women]. I love my women fans. It's one of my favorite things to hear from my fans, when somebody says, 'Me and my wife, we love you. We watch you together all the time.'"
Top Celebrity on Pornhub went to a surprised Lena The Plug. "That's something that makes no sense to me. I beat Kim Kardashian, Cardi B, Justin Bieber, all people I'm huge fans of, at a numbers game. I'd like to say I'm the under-woman, the underdog, under-bitch—whatever you’d like to call it—and I'm still in shock, because I thought there was no way. I was happy to be in the category."
Natalie Mars, winner for Most Popular Trans Performer, told AVN, "I was kind of expecting to win. Not for conceited reasons: I had an assigned seat and they gave me a blue wristband, so I had some clues that I might win, but it wasn't 'I deserve it the most.' Oddly, I'm nervous in front of crowds: I'm a porn performer and I get naked in front of people all the time, and I fuck and all that, but when it comes to getting on stage and talking in front of people, I definitely get nervous. I'm a shy person, which is kind of counter to porn."
"I had won the award in January, but it was presented tonight," Most Popular Amateur Performer Lindsey Love said, in her pastel-green awards-presenter dress with a large cutout at the waist and hip exposing her matching G-string. "I really didn't think I was going to win, but when they announced it online I clicked on it and my photo was right there. We were screaming. I have given up my amateur status now, because I'm in the top-50 porn star rank. I was like, 'Okay, fine, I’ll be a pro.' I think I've reached my level of validation." The Las Vegas-based Love said she's "interested in working with trans companies. I'm super-good friends with Natalie Mars, who just won, and we just shot our first scene together this week. It should be online in the next week or two, on her website."
Instagrammer of the Year winner Nicolette Shea told AVN, "I got all my fans to vote for me. I've had my Instagram since I was modeling for Playboy, and from Playboy I was at a million followers. From there I decided to do porn, and my social media following just blew up after that. I have 800K on Twitter and more than three and a half million on Instagram. Now I'm exclusive with Brazzers as a contract star. Thank you to Shea's Club.”
The evening ended in the press lounge with Riley Reid posing for pictures with the prop Pornhub award, then pulling a condom off her outfit, opening the foil package and rolling it down the shaft of the award, smiling and tonguing the award as the still cameras flashed. As they exited, audience members were given goody bags with original Yeezy sweatshirts with art commemorating winners of the awards.
Realer Than Reality—Top VR Performer
Megan Rain
Up Close And Personal—Top POV Performer
Mark Rockwell
Top Channel
Brazzers
Most Popular Network
Team Skeet
Blowjob Queen—Top Blowjob Performer
Miss Banana
Splash Zone—Top Squirting Performer
Abella Danger
Back Door Beauty—Top Anal Performer
Danika Mori
Most Popular Parody Channel
Wood Rocket
Most Popular Cinematic Channel
Blacked
Most Popular MILF Channel
Moms Teach Sex
Most Popular VR Channel
BaDoink
Most Popular European Channel
Fake Taxi
Most Popular Gay Channel
Family Dick
Most Popular Trans Channel
She-Male Idol
Tantalizing Twinkie—Top Twink Performer
Joey Mills
Glorious Grizzly—Top Bear Performer
Colby Jansen
The Whole Squad—Top Gay Group Performer
Johnny Rapid
Blowjob King—Top Gay Blowjob Performer
Darius Ferdynand
Most Popular Male Performer By Women
Johnny Sins
Top Comment on Pornhub
PhatCockRocket
Get Your Freak On—Top Fetish Performer
Prettykittymiaos
Mrs. Dressup—Top Cosplay Performer
Mattie Doll
Visionary Director
Young M.A
Best Chest—Top Big Tits Performer
Lena Paul
Big and Beautiful—Top BBW Performer
Jade Jordan
Full Mast—Top Big Dick Performer
Manuel Ferrara
Highly Experienced—Top MILF Performer
Brandi Love
Girl Who Likes Girls—Top Lesbian Performer
Vanessa Veracruz
Solo Siren—Top Female Solo Performer
Lilcanadiangirl
Most Popular Female Performer By Women
Mia Malkova
Celebrity of the Year
Lena The Plug
All at the Same Damn Time - Top DP Performer
Adriana Chechik
Three's Company - Top Threesome Performer
Lady Fyre
More The Merrier - Top Gangbang Performer
Riley Reid
Most Popular Verified Amateur
Lindsey Love
Most Popular Verified Professional Model
Bryci
Most Popular Verified Couple
LeoLulu
Most Popular Trans Performer
Natalie Mars
M4M—Most Popular Gay Performer
William Seed
Most Popular Male Performer
Jordi El Niño Polla
Most Popular Female Performer
Riley Reid
Best Dick (Fan Award)
Johnny Sins
Nicest Pussy (Fan Award)
Dillion Harper
Nicest Tits (Fan Award)
Kendra Sunderland
Hottest Female Ass (Fan Award)
Mia Malkova
Hottest Male Ass (Fan Award)
Johnny Sins
Best Cumshot (Fan Award)
Danny D
Hottest Inked Model (Fan Award)
Karmen Karma
Favorite MILF (Fan Award)
Brandi Love
Favorite Trans Model (Fan Award)
Natalie Mars
Favorite Gay Model (Fan Award)
William Seed
Favorite BBW Model (Fan Award)
Marilyn Mayson
Favorite Fetish Model (Fan Award)
Mandy Flores
Cam Performer of the Year (Fan Award)
Jenny Blighe
Favorite Channel (Fan Award)
Brazzers
Funniest Performer (Fan Award)
Jordi El Niño Polla
Best Premium Snapchat (Fan Award)
Dani Daniels
Best Porn Twitter (Fan Award)
Riley Reid
Instagrammer of the Year (Fan Award)
Nicolette Shea
Below, photos from the Pornhub Awards pink carpet by Rick Garcia/@IndustryByRick. More to follow later today on AVN.com/galleries.
