CHATSWORTH, Calif.—Right on the heels of last week's grand return of the AVN Awards Premiere Party, the time has come for another major traditional event to ensue: the opening of AVN Awards pre-noms.
Yes, the moment is here for industry pros to take stock of their best output since this time last year and send it to Chatsworth, Calif., to be considered for nomination glory heading into the 2026 AVN Awards, set to take place Saturday, January 24 at Virgin Hotels Las Vegas, and presented by MyFreeCams.
So start your engines, as AVN Media Network hereby formally invites any and all legitimate adult industry producers, directors, talent and other active personnel to begin submitting pre-nominations of their past year's productions, products and other work to the 2026 AVN Awards Committee via the AVN Awards Pre-Nomination Site, now open at the link below:
The Pre-Nom Site will close promptly at 11:59 p.m. PT the night of September 15, and there will be no extension of this deadline. Rest assured, however, that this does NOT affect the traditional deadline of September 30 to RELEASE submitted material commercially. Any work or product slated for release during the period of September 15-30 may still be submitted prior to release via the Pre-Nom Site, and the work or product itself may be delivered to AVN any time through the traditional release deadline.
Those who have previously been approved to use the Pre-Nom Site may use the same login to access the site for this year's submissions. Anyone without a previously approved login must fill out the sign-up form to request access HERE.
Pre-nominations are also now open for the 2026 GayVN Awards, and industry members may request access to submit pre-noms for that event as well using the same application form.
Note that as in previous years, those approved for the Pre-Nom Site may submit a maximum of FIVE (5) pre-nominations in any one category. With that in mind, we strongly urge all those participating in the pre-nomination process to take great care in what and whom they choose to submit for consideration, limiting it to the very best of the best selections within a given category.
For clarification on any category, simply mouse over the question mark beside each one on the Pre-Nom Site to see a detailed description, or find them all here.
AVN also urges those submitting pre-nominations to CAREFULLY read through the eligibility rules for the various types of production categories in the Video section (Scene/Featurette, Movie/Anthology, Series/Line), available in their entirety at the following link:
AVN Awards Video Eligibility Rules
Any questions regarding AVN Awards pre-nominations and rules may be directed to [email protected].
Producers who wish to send physical copies of their submitted productions for consideration are asked to deliver two (2) copies of each submitted title to the AVN office by September 30. Pleasure products companies should also provide two (2) samples of each product they would like considered. All items should be mailed or hand-delivered to:
AVN Media Network
Attn: Nominations
9400 Penfield Ave.
Chatsworth, CA 91311
The full list of categories for the 2026 AVN Awards follows:
(AVN reserves the right to make changes to AVN Awards categories at any time.)
VIDEO
Best Actor – Featurette
Best Actress – Featurette
Best All-Girl Group Sex Scene
Best All-Girl Movie or Anthology
Best All-Girl Series or Line
Best Anal Movie or Anthology
Best Anal Series or Line
Best Anal Sex Scene
Best Art Direction
Best BDSM Movie or Anthology
Best Big Bust Movie or Anthology
Best Big Butt Movie or Anthology
Best Blowbang Scene
Best Boy/Girl Sex Scene
Best Cinematography
Best Directing Portfolio – International
Best Directing Portfolio – Narrative
Best Directing Portfolio – Niche/Specialty
Best Directing Portfolio – Non-Narrative
Best Directing Portfolio – Varied Range
Best Double-Penetration Sex Scene
Best Editing
Best Featurette
Best Female Mixed-Age Movie or Anthology
Best Foursome/Orgy Scene
Best Gangbang Scene
Best Girl/Girl Sex Scene
Best Gonzo/Cinemacore Movie or Anthology
Best Gonzo/Cinemacore Series or Line
Best Hair & Makeup
Best Ingénue Movie or Anthology
Best Ingénue Series or Line
Best International All-Girl Sex Scene
Best International Anal Sex Scene
Best International Boy/Girl Sex Scene
Best International Group Sex Scene
Best International Picture
Best Leading Actor
Best Leading Actress
Best Male Newcomer
Best MILF Movie or Anthology
Best MILF/Female Mixed-Age Series or Line
Best Multi-Partner Movie or Anthology
Best Music
Best New International Starlet
Best New Production Brand
Best New Starlet
Best Niche Movie or Anthology
Best Niche Series or Line
Best Non-Sex Performance
Best Oral Series or Line
Best Oral Sex Scene
Best POV Sex Scene
Best Screenplay – Feature/Extended Work
Best Screenplay – Featurette
Best Scripted Short/Clip Movie or Anthology
Best Scripted Short/Clip Series or Line
Best Solo/Tease Performance
Best Star Showcase
Best Supporting Actor
Best Supporting Actress
Best Tag-Team Sex Scene
Best Three-Way Sex Scene
Best Trans Acting Performance
Best Trans Group Sex Scene
Best Trans Movie or Anthology
Best Trans Newcomer
Best Trans One-on-One Sex Scene
Best Trans Series or Line
Best VR Group Sex Scene
Best VR One-on-One Sex Scene
Best VR Trans Sex Scene
Clever Title of the Year
Female Performer of the Year
Grand Reel
International Female Performer of the Year
International Male Performer of the Year
Mainstream Venture of the Year
Male Performer of the Year
Mark Stone Award for Outstanding Comedy
MILF Performer of the Year
Most Outrageous Sex Scene
Niche/Specialty Performer of the Year
Outstanding Directing – Individual Work
Trans Performer of the Year
PLEASURE PRODUCTS
Best Enhancement Manufacturer
Best Fetish Manufacturer
Best Lingerie or Apparel Line
Best Lubricant Brand
Best Pleasure Product Manufacturer – Large
Best Pleasure Product Manufacturer – Medium
Best Pleasure Product Manufacturer – Small
RETAIL
Best Boutique
Best Retail Chain – Large
Best Retail Chain – Medium
Best Retail Chain – Small
Best Web Retail Store
