LOS ANGELES—The 2014 AVN Awards nominations have been revealed, and industry powerhouse Wicked Pictures has received one hundred mentions, with contract director Brad Armstrong's Underworld emerging as the adult industry's most acclaimed release.
In addition to acknowledging the excellence of Wicked's own feature productions, additional nominations went to such series as jessica drake’s Guide to Wicked Sex and Wicked Passions, while dozens more were earned by the outside productions distributed on behalf of Video Marc Dorcel, JoyBear Pictures, Abby Winters and Burning Angel Entertainment. The 2014 nominations also recognized Wicked’s expanding web presence and the success of the Wicked Sensual Care Collection of luxurious lubricants and enhancers.
In a prepared statement, AVN Senior Editor Peter Warren revealed, "the most nominated title of all, however, was Brad Armstrong's fantastical masterpiece Underworld for Wicked Pictures, sweeping a whopping 17 categories." This sweep included recognition in such major categories as Best Drama, Best Director - Feature, Best Cinematography (Francois Clousot), Best Editing (Scott Allen), Best Girl/Girl Sex Scene (jessica drake and Capri Cavanni), Best Oral Sex Scene (Julia Ann) and many more. Other nominations reflecting the outstanding quality of Armstrong's output as both a filmmaker and performer over the last 12 months included Director of the Year and a Best Supporting Actor nom for his role in the Scott Allen-directed Sexpionage.
Veteran Wicked director Jonathan Morgan enjoyed similar success, earning a place in the Director of the Year category thanks to such superlative features as Getting Schooled and Secret Admirer. His all-sex release Samantha Saint is Completely Wicked earned five major nominations, including Best Director - Non-Feature, a coveted nomination the filmmaker also received for Lisa Ann Can't Say No. These two superstar vehicles also earned mentions in the highly competitive Best Star Showcase category. The sexy Hotel No Tell, a humorous adult feature in the patented Morgan tradition, received several well-deserved nominations, including Best Comedy and a Best Safe Sex Scene nom for Wicked Girl Kaylani Lei.
Iconic adult performer/filmmaker Stormy Daniels' talent was recognized with over fifteen diverse nominations. As a performer, she earned a Best Safe Sex Scene nomination for her work with Brendon Miller in Francois Clousot's hit First Crush. As a filmmaker, she was honored with Best Director - Feature, Best Romance Movie and Best Screenplay nominations for her excellent Wicked Passions release Meant to Be. And her humorous hit Divorcees scored attention in such highly competitive categories as Best Comedy, Best Actor (Brendon Miller) and Best Supporting Actor (Marcus London).
jessica drake’s Guide to Wicked Sex saw the titular writer, director and host earning several nominations. In addition to noms for Best Continuing Series and Best Marketing Campaign, jessica drake’s Guide to Wicked Sex: Anal Play for Men and jessica drake’s Guide to Wicked Sex: Woman to Woman both received Best Educational Release nominations. As a performer, jessica received a Best Actress nomination for Sexpionage and Best Sex Scene nominations for such titles as Underworld and $ex. In recognition of her mainstream media savvy and commitment to social justice, jessica received a Mainstream Star of the Year nomination.
Barrett Blade's Editor's Choice Bikini Outlaws garnered the actor/director several high-profile nominations, including Best Director - Feature, while the uniformly high quality of his work in 2013 was acknowledged in the Director of the Year category. All-sex specialist Edwin Lee received three nominations, including Best Gonzo Release for The Lust Resort.
2014 AVN Awards co-host and Wicked Girl Samantha Saint came on strong in several categories, receiving sex scene nominations for specific projects like Samantha Saint is Completely Wicked and Bikini Outlaws, as well as recognition in the coveted Female Performer of the Year category. The latest young lady to join the ranks of the Wicked Girls™, industry superstar Asa Akira, was also honored with a Female Performer of the Year distinction.
In total, 27 titles - over half of all in-house Wicked productions - received "Best of" recognition in AVN's 2014 nominations. These titles include such hits as Underworld, I Was A Mail Order Bride, Just Visiting, First Crush, Divorcees, Meant To Be, If You Only Knew, Change of Heart, Naughty Nannies, Skintight, Wet Dreams, Booty Pageant, Getting Schooled, Samantha Saint is Completely Wicked, Secret Admirer, Lisa Ann Can't Say No, Hotel No Tell, Bikini Outlaws, Saints And Sinners, Show No Mercy, Harvest Moon, Sexpionage, Stimulant, The Lust Resort, Cougars Vs. Kittens, Guide to Wicked Sex: Woman to Woman and Guide to Wicked Sex Anal Play For Men.
Burning Angel Entertainment earned over thirty nominations, with performer / filmmaker Joanna Angel earning Best Director - Feature, Best Director - Parody and Director of the Year accolades. Among the overseas lines distributed by Wicked, France’s Video Marc Dorcel received nearly forty nominations, including Best Foreign Feature mentions for such titles as The Ingenuous, The Last Shag and The Dancer. Abbywinters.com was honored with several nominations, including Best Amateur Series for Girls and their Boys, while Britain's JoyBear Pictures earned no less than four mentions in the Best Foreign Feature category.
Looking at his company's track record in outstanding production, performance, eroticism and design, Wicked Pictures President and Owner Steve Orenstein is justifiably pleased with his team's performance. "After two decades of producing movies, we continue to be inspired by the recognition we receive," he said. "I am particularly happy to see all of our contract girls recognized in Best Acting and/or Best Scene categories, all of our directors receive Best Director nominations, and to see Underworld become the year's most nominated movie."
Wicked Pictures congratulates its talented performers, filmmakers, distribution partners and staff for their 2014 AVN nominations. From sprawling epics to the most intimate of love stories, this forward-thinking studio continues to prove that it is built to last.
For more information, please visit wicked.com.
For a complete list of nominations, go here.
