CHATSWORTH, Calif.—For the first time in the history of the AVN Awards, companies, products and individuals from the pleasure products industry will be recognized during the January event in Las Vegas. The new category, “Sex Toys & Pleasure Products,” will include awards for Best Sex Toy of the Year for Women, Best Sex Toy of the Year for Men and Best Overall Sex Toy Line or Company, among others. Ten awards plus a Hall of Fame entry will be given out in all.
In addition to having some of the awards presented on stage during the 2011 AVN Awards, slated for Saturday, Jan. 8, at the Palms Resort and Casino in Las Vegas, at least one of the major categories will be included in the broadcast of the ceremony on Showtime.
“We’ve always believed that the adult industry should encompass more than content production and distribution and the sex toy business is not only a mainstay in our business, but an important component for growth,” said Paul Fishbein, AVN founder. “I think the industry is going to be excited to see an award like Sex Toy of the Year given out on our TV broadcast on Showtime, where millions of homes tune in. I think having awards for pleasure products at the AVN Awards is long overdue.”
Details regarding the online pre-nomination process, wherein companies can submit their products for consideration, will be announced soon. Final nominations and winners will be voted on by AVN staffers and independent critics, all of whom review pleasure products for the magazine and website.
While enthusiastic about including pleasure products in the AVN Awards, AVN publisher Tony Lovett is quick to distinguish them from the AVN “O” Awards, which specifically honor the pleasure product industry, and took place earlier this month.
“The new AVN awards are not in any way a replacement of the ‘O’ Awards, which are—and will continue to be—the pre-eminent awards ceremony for the pleasure product industry,” Lovett said. “From the nominations to the final voting, the ‘O’ Awards is a private, trade-only event by and for pleasure product professionals. With almost three decades of notoriety behind it, the AVN Awards provide the perfect public venue in which to recognize an important part of our industry with mass exposure it so well deserves. Though the voting processes are completely different for the AVN Awards and ‘O’ Awards, both are prestigious honors in their own right. I mean, who wouldn't want to win a Nobel and an Oscar?"
Listed alphabetically, the awards in the Sex Toys & Pleasure Products category for the AVN Awards are as follows:
Best Fetish Product: Any BDSM or other fetish item distinguished by exceptional quality, design, and functionality.
Best Lingerie or Apparel Company: Any lingerie or apparel company distinguished by exceptional fashion design, packaging, marketing, and customer service.
Best Overall Sex Toy Line: Any sex toy product line distinguished by exceptional quality, design, and functionality.
Best Packaging: Any packaging for any individual pleasure product or pleasure product line, distinguished by exceptional quality, design, functionality, and customer appeal.
Best Party, Game, or Gag Product: Any bachelor/bachelorette party product, game, or gag gift, distinguished by exceptional creativity, humor, and customer appeal.
Best Sex Accessory: Any lube, supplement, or other non-toy item distinguished by exceptional quality, design, and functionality.
Best Sex Toy Company: Any sex toy manufacturer distinguished by exceptional product design, packaging, marketing, and customer service.
Best Sex Toy for Couples: Any powered or non-powered pleasure product designed for use by a couple and distinguished by exceptional quality, design, and functionality.
Best Sex Toy for Men: Any powered or non-powered pleasure product designed for use by a man and distinguished by exceptional quality, design, and functionality.
Best Sex Toy for Women: Any powered or non-powered pleasure product designed for use by a woman and distinguished by exceptional quality, design, and functionality.
Hall of Fame (Pleasure Product Branch): Any professional with at least 10 years of adult industry experience who has had an enormous positive impact in the field of pleasure products. (Not a voting category.)
For more information, visit AVNAwards.com.
