HOLLYWOOD, Calif.—The X-Rated Critics Organization held its annual awards Sunday night at Boardners, a still-active bar just a few steps off Hollywood Boulevard once famous as a hangout for animators in the 1930s and '40s. The red carpet started at 6 p.m., with adult-industry luminaries walking up a narrow entryway between a step-and-repeat backdrop and a coterie of video and still photographers, leading to a sheltered patio with a fountain and bar. Early arrivals included veteran performer Kiki Daire, Lolly Dames, and new talent Ellie Smoke, in a floor-length lace dress and G-string. "I liked the red carpet, and I'm looking forward to seeing the people here tonight," Smoke told AVN.
Hall of Fame honorees Paul and Tracy Allen, founders of Nightmoves magazine, were in from their Florida headquarters. "We don’t know if it’s cool, or because we’re old," Tracy joked. "We’re the oldest localized adult publication in the USA," Paul said. "This is year 37 or 38 for us, and we have our 33rd awards show coming up in October. We're the longest consecutively-run show, because we did shows during COVID when nobody else did. A lot of the categories that we made up, people are still using today, and we were the first show to put feature dancers along with porn stars in the same show. Hailey Rose got starlet of the year last year.
"We put [XRCO Chairman] Dirty Bob in our Hall of Fame a few years ago, maybe this is payback," he added.
"I'm just here to support my friends tonight," Leana Lovings said. "I'm very happy to be here. It's always good to attend the XRCOs because it feels like one big family reunion. I get to see everyone's faces. It's so pleasant having everyone gathered in one place. It feels very exclusive."
Spotted in the crowd: producer Scott David, veteran performers Tanya Tate and Christy Canyon, Little Puck, AVN staffers Dan Miller, Peter Warren, and Joanne Cachapero.
"I'm looking forward to supporting friends, and supporting what we do best," Olivia Jay told AVN.
Performer Jessica Ryan ("I made my name for dick-in-hand syndrome: It’s as easy as it can be.") was pleased with the turnout: "I am an introvert. Getting me out sometimes is like pulling teeth. But this is actually quite enjoyable. I'm running into all the people that I like."
As the sun went down, people gravitated into the high-ceilinged black-walled goth-decorated bar, with a mezzanine and makeshift stage along one wall. A screen above the stage had a live video picture of the crowd, and later simulcast livestreamed video of the awards presentation on skyhawkafterdarktv.com.
Hall of Fame inductee Brittany Andrews said, "I'm looking forward to boring everybody with my extremely egotistical speech. I have a two-minute-45-second speech prepared, and I'm gonna say all of it, goddammit. It's the only Hall of Fame you get where you get to talk. So I'm gonna fuckin' talk. I'm a bitch that's always got something to say, and I'm gonna say it."
"Everyone comes out for this, so it's like seeing everybody all at once," Kira Noir observed.
Agent Mark Spiegler and his clients gathered at a corner booth, including Gal Ritchie and Anna Claire Clouds. Jennifer White recounted a blowbang she recently shot: "It was about nine guys, and it was shot in a real junkyard. It was dirty, it was nasty... amazing."
New talent Bella Blu and retired director Axel Braun—who is getting the Lifetime Achievement Award tonight—are spotted in the crowd. Director Will Ryder squints into the darkness: "Why can't they get some fuckin' light in here?" Codey Steele. James Bartholet walks by, shaking hands. New talent Addyson James told me she's a presenter: "I'm in group five."
Awards show coordinator Alexander "Monstar" Raymond started the show by thanking the sponsors and offering the winners a free press release to publicize their win before introducing co-hosts Cherry Kiss and Gigi Dior. Dior takes the mic and says "We're here for fun, and fuck!" before introducing trophy girls Hailey Rose and Sasha Pearl.
Veteran performer Tanya Tate presented New Stud, saying "These are the guys on my next to-do list." Winner Chocolate God, in a gold satin Pulp Fiction jacket, is followed by the presentation of Unsung Siren to Chloe Amour, who was a no-show.
When performer Gal Ritche won New Starlet, she walked to the stage, hugged the presenters, struck a triumphant pose with her award, and left the stage without giving a speech. Ricky Greenwood ran over to hug Best Director – Web winner Ivan when his name was announced, then observed "I can't direct a gonzo movie. I need a story" right before winning Best Director - Feature.
Trophy Girl Hailey Rose was called to the stage when she won Teen Dream. "This is really cool," she said. "I love everybody here tonight. Thank you all, and let’s fucking party!" Blake Blossom was announced as Personal Favorite, a no-show, and then Vicki Chase announced the winner of the Vicki Chase Orgasmic Oralist award, Willow Ryder, with a gleeful "Come get your award, bitch!" — but she wasn't present.
Best Actor winner Chad Alva observed "Sixteen years in this industry, it's always crazy. And it's a pleasure to be up here. I loved doing the movie. It's my first time at XRCO. It's incredible to be here and I can't wait to see you all on set."
Fuck Angela won Star Showcase, and producer/star Angela White said "Fuck Angela was a love letter to my favorite era in gonzo porn, the early 2000s. Thank you to all the performers and directors who made it work."
Ricky Greenwood came back to the stage to receive Best Release for Gold Diggers, saying "Gold Diggers was a very fun movie to make. It was very hard because we did it right after another movie, and I was exhausted. I'm very happy that people liked it."
Male Performer of the Year went to Seth Gamble, who said "Thank you guys so much. I want to thank all the women in this room that I've worked with. Thanks for making me look really good, and I've enjoyed working with you so much. Love every single one of you."
Raymond took the host podium to present the Hall of Fame honorees, switching it up from the last few years when the Hall of Fame presentations started the show. Honoree Brittany Andrews said, "This is the only fuckin' Hall of Fame where they allow a bitch to say something, and this bitch has got something to say, God damn it, and I'm going to fuckin' say it. When I started in this business over 30 years ago, I had no idea where it would take me, but I knew one thing: I was not going to be the porn chick showing up on set, hitting my mark, and going home. I was here to build an empire: to create, produce, direct, and break all the damn rules to make things my way.
"This is my third Hall of Fame, which is just a fancy way of saying I've survived more bullshit than most people can imagine. I'm very proud of being an old bitch in this business. But tonight isn’t just about numbers, it's about legacy and the people in this room. Some of you motherfuckers I've known for 25-30 years. We've been through the booms, the bans, the crap and the comeback. The best we can be, and the worst. I stand here, not in spite of it, but because of it. This business has given me a life beyond my wildest dreams, and I'm so fucking grateful. And now I'm a Mama Bear of this dysfunctional family. Going forward with advocacy, mental health, equality, teaching the young ones how to protect their peace, and their money. We're producers, creators, leaders, entrepreneurs, and boss bitches. And if the world doesn’t start treating us like that, I'll be bending it over like the bitch that it is and giving it my big fuckin' cock up the ass. I'm not slowing down, I'm not aging out, I'm aging the fuck in. I'm not going anywhere."
XRCO Chairman Dirty Bob was also inducted into the Hall of Fame, giving a modest "thank you," before director Ivan was inducted, introduced by performer Samantha Mack who gave a fiery introduction as Ivan recorded her on his cell phone: "When I entered the porn industry almost a quarter century ago, women could not have tattoos. Women did not have piercings except the earlobes. If you had pink hair, you weren't worthy to serve coffee at Starbucks. But times have changed thanks to the hard work of many people, but mostly this guy right here, who turned this industry on its ass."
"It's kind of a surreal thing, because this is my third Hall of Fame," Ivan told AVN. "I've been doing this for 43 years. Doing it the right way, trying to do everything as proper as possible. It takes a lot. In our industry there are so many ways to be enabled to do things the wrong way. We all have urges, I tell the models I mentor. And those 15-minute urges can either make or break something for you. It's how you handle it. I try to do things the right way, and when this happens, it means a lot. When they reached out to me I was doing a lot of personal stuff, and it made my year. I also didn’t expect to get Web Director, because I shoot alt models, and going against directors who have budgets, who shoot non-marginalized talent, it means a lot. I'm incredibly honored."
"It's nice to be recognized," Hall of Fame inductee John Strong said, a sentiment shared by inductee Pat Myne: "It feels nice to be recognized for all the work. I've been at it a long time, 27 years I've dedicated to doing this. A lot of those years performing, the last four years directing. And here I am still doing it. It's nice to get out and see a lot of people. Old faces I haven’t seen in a long time. I came to this show before I was in the business. I was a guest, dating somebody who had just started in the business. I thought, 'This is cool, I might get into this.' That was 1997, and now I'm in the Hall of Fame of that award show I went to."
"We had a good turnout," Dirty Bob said, as the crowd abated. "I was worried with the holiday weekend, but it turned out alright."
For the full winners list, click here.
Photography by Jeff Koga & Rony Alwin
Click here for photo galleries.
