LOS ANGELES—It was another stellar night at the AVN Awards Show for adult director Axel Braun, who took home the prestigious Director of the Year trophy for a fourth consecutive time, an unprecedented feat in the history of the adult entertainment industry.
“This is just surreal,” said an overwhelmed and clearly surprised Braun in his acceptance speech, before thanking industry icons he has been associated with over the span of his career. “I’ve been in the industry 24 years now, and I’ve been lucky to work for some pretty amazing people: Russ Hampshire at VCA, who gave me my first directing gig; Patrick Collins at Elegant Angel, who became a mentor and a huge father figure to me; Scott Taylor at New Sensations, who taught me that making a good movie is not enough…that you gotta make a great movie; Larry Flynt, a hero and an example to all of us; Steven Hirsch at Vivid, who allowed me to make most of the movies that I’ve been winning awards for in the past four years; and now Steve Orenstein at Wicked, a man whose integrity and dedication I truly admire and respect. Most of these people are here tonight, and I want you all to know how much I appreciate them for inspiring me, tolerating me, and helping me get to where I am today.”
Braun also won Best Parody-Drama for Man of Steel XXX: An Axel Braun Parody, along with Best Special Effects for Iron Man XXX: An Axel Braun Parody, cementing his reputation for excellence in superhero-themed parodies. “It takes a village…,” Braun offered as he accepted the Best Parody award, adding, “Well, here’s my village,” while welcoming on stage his director of photography and longtime friend, Eli Cross, who’s been a close collaborator for many years. Man of Steel’s male lead, Ryan Driller, winner of the XCritic Award for Best Actor-Parody, also joined the director on stage. “Axel made me grow my hair, kill myself at the gym to put on 40 pounds of muscle, and spend crazy long days on set to have really uncomfortable sex in spandex…and it was all worth it,” said Driller.
Among Braun’s awards was also Best Music Soundtrack for Grease XXX, a long-gestating project he eventually turned over to fellow director Will Ryder due to scheduling conflicts. “I had a lot of fun bringing Seth Gamble and everybody else in the studio,” said Axel, who wrote, produced and arranged all the tracks, “and even though I ultimately couldn’t shoot the movie, Will did a truly fantastic job with it and I’m just happy that my small contribution got recognized.”
Braun’s own contract girl, Riley Steele, who pulled a massive crowd during her signing stint at the Wicked Pictures booth, also was honored, taking home the fan award trophy for Favorite Female Porn Star. “I’m so happy,” said Steele with a big smile. “This was a fan-voted award, and it really is so special to me…I love love love my fans, and I am so thankful for their support. It was a great night for Axel Braun Productions and I’m totally excited for all the projects that me and Axel have coming out this year!”
Riley’s first ABP movie, the long-awaited Riley Goes Gonzo, was available on DVD in stores nationwide on January 22.
Axel Braun Productions is exclusively distributed by Wicked Pictures. For domestic sales, contact Bonnie Kail at 800-737-7838 or [email protected], and for international sales, contact Steven Vlottes at 818-349-3593 or [email protected].
