Grabby Awards
Encyclopedia
Grabby Awards are presented annually in Chicago
to honor work done in the gay pornography
industry. The awards are sponsored by Grab Magazine, a free weekly that describes itself as "Chicago's premier LGBT publication." The Grabby Awards and Grab Magazine are owned and operated by Grabbys, LLC. The awards were owned until 2009 by Gay Chicago Magazine
.
. Award's given that year included "Burnout of the Year", "Comeback of the Year", "Fresh Surprise of the Year", "Best Supporting Actor", "Best Newcomer", and "Best Overall Performer". According to "Big Daddy" Ferguson, founder of Gay Chicago Magazine and creator of the awards, the Grabbys are "...our way of highlingting[sic] certain aspects of the past year's videos that, in our opinion, are worth[y] of special notice."
The awards have evolved as they have matured; the second year, 1992, saw the addition of some more traditional award categories, such as "Best Video of the Year" and "Best Screenplay"; "Best Overall Performer" was shortened to "Best Performer". The unique awards continued, however, with the presentation of the "Pull-Lister Prize", given to Gay Sex: A Manual for Men Who Love Men.
In 1993, the third annual awards included "Best Ethnic Performer" and "Best Cum Shot", and saw the first tie for an award, that of Falcon Studios and Kristen Bjorn
Productions for "Best Video of the Year".
"Best Director" was added in 1994, along with "Best International Video", "Best Cinematography", "Best Sex Scene", "Best Bisexual Video", and the "Whopper Award", presented to Canadian
performer Conor Finlay.
"Best Cum Shot" was renamed "Hot Shots", the only change in award categories for 1995. The 1996 awards included the addition of "Best Non-Sexual Role", and "Promising New Performers"; there were no additions or name changes for the 1997 awards.
weekend. Chicago had been home to the International Mister Leather Contest
(IML) for 20 years, and the founder of IML, Chuck Renslow, suggested that the Grabbys be added to the weekend's activities to provide additional entertainment
for the thousands of IML attendees.
The ceremony was a fundraiser
for the Reimer Foundation, "a nonprofit corporation
that promotes safer sexual behavior through education
and public
awareness
campaigns
. The organization provides information
resources
and produces videos and other materials on safer sex. Outreach services
include free condom
distribution; services are available internationally."
The first live show took place in the Music Hall of Man's Country, a gay bathhouse
in Chicago's Andersonville neighborhood. The event drew a capacity crowd. Fans, gay "adult male erotic performers", directors, other industry people, and national media came from all over the United States
to attend. Well-known Chicago performer Honey West and prominent porn
director Chi Chi LaRue
served as co-hostesses for the evening's festivities.
Ferguson, (sometimes referred to as the "godfather" of the Grabbys) welcomed the crowd to the first live presentation of the awards. Ferguson was inspired and urged by his porn friend Mickey Skee, of AVN Magazine, to start an awards show in the Midwest that would rival the shows Mickey puts on in the West, but also be different enough to encourage stars to go to all of them. Award categories were once again expanded with the addition of new categories or subdivisions of previous ones. Changes included "Best Video: Romance", "Best Video: All Sex", "Best Video: Fantasy", "Best Actor: Dramatic", "Best Actor: Action Hero", "Best Duo Sex Scene", "Best Group Scene", "Best Ethnic Video", "Best Fetish Video", and "Best Leather Video".
Unlike the similar Gay Video News (GayVN) Awards
, which are open only by invitation to participants and journalist
s, tickets for the Grabbys are available for public purchase, allowing fans and performers
to mingle and network
directly. The event also includes a "People's Choice" category
, though other awards are given by a committee
selected by the magazine
.
Additionally, the Grabbys show x-rated
video clips of the nominations, while the GayVN Awards don't.
The show also saw the creation of a "Wall of Fame" to honor industry legends, awarded for their impact on the industry rather than the length of time they had been involved in it. Relative newcomers to the industry Ken Ryker
, performer, industry critic and author Mickey Skee from Adult Video News and Bob East, the Executive Director of the Men of Odyssey Studio, were inducted alongside long-time directors Jim Steel
, Toby Ross
, and co-hostess Chi Chi LaRue. Ferguson" was also inducted into the "Wall of Fame" despite his protests; his staff insisted that he be honored as the creator of the awards.
LaRue also won awards for "Best Ethnic Video" and tied with Kristen Bjorn
for "Best Videos". Commenting on the award for "Best Ethnic Video", LaRue remarked, "With 10 hot black studs and a white bottom boy, how can you miss?"
"Trophy Studs", very scantily-clad men, were on hand to hand the awards to the presenters. The inaugural year's Trophy Studs were Peter Dixon and Robby Taylor. During the evening, porn performer Mitch Allmond performed a rap piece, Happiness is a Big Cock, the title song from a video by Toby Ross
. During the performance, former Falcon Studios exclusive Christopher Scott joined Dixon and Taylor onstage for explicit oral sex
to prove the point—Dixon is noted for having a large penis
. That wasn't the only explicit activity during the show; the Trophy Studs were joined at one point by award-winning porn performers Tony Acosta and Dr. Feel Good for additional sexual activity
; and the closing number quickly morphed into a group sex
scene involving many of the performers and even some of the fans.
For the 1999 Grabbys, additional awards for "Best Actor: Fantasy
", "Best Actor: Romance
", "Best Screenplay: Fantasy", "Best Screenplay: Romance"; "Best Solo
Scene", "Best Threeway
Sex Scene", and "Best Twink
Video" were added. Once again, LaRue and West were the co-hostesses. The award ceremony, held over the Memorial Day Weekend of 2000, also included a surprise appearance by comedienne Judy Tenuta
, in town doing promotional work. She delighted the crowd and, as Ferguson remarked in his report on the event, "it was a great treat to have her come out to support the gay porn industry. People like that have a lot of class, because they risk a lot to come to these events, and God love 'em, if they're gonna support us, I'm gonna support them!" Other highlights from the show included the use of a dildo
on stage on Trophy Stud Robby Taylor (who wasn't expecting it), and a closing orgy
with porn performer Spike ejaculating
off the stage onto the audience
.
and Addison Scott were added as co-hosts with Honey and Chi Chi. The awards moved from the prior shows' location, Man's Country, to the Circuit nightclub in the heart of the Lakeview, Chicago
Northalsted district, fondly known as Chicago's "Boystown"
. Award title changes / additions included "Best Actor" (with no other qualifiers), "Best Comedy
Video", "Best Newcomer: Director", "Best Video of the Year" simplified to "Best Video", "Best Videography", and the debut of Editor's
Choice Awards: "Documentary
", "DVD
—Classic", and "DVD—Extras".
Due to the change in location, there was more clothing visible than in past years and the closing orgy was omitted. However, Jeff Stryker
, on his way to sign the "Wall of Fame", managed to "lose" his bathrobe
and strut across the stage naked
—his body well-oiled— and proceeded to stroke
his erection
for the appreciative crowd. Chi Chi LaRue exclaimed, "OK, we're all going to jail!"
For the first time, the Trophy Studs for the 2001 awards were selected during the previous few months at events at Chicago's Lucky Horseshoe nightclub. The evening's ceremony, held again at the Circuit nightclub, included Editor's Choice Awards for "Classic Movie Remake
", "Best International Screenplay", "Best International Actor", and "Best International Director". Addison Scott returned as a co-host, along with Jacob Manthy, both joining Chi Chi LaRue and Honey West, veteran co-hostesses. Unlike previous years, there were no outrageous occurrences.
The award titles continued to change for the 2002 awards: "Best Solo Scene" became "Best Solo Performance"; "Best DVD Extras" (previously an Editor's Choice Award) was added to the regular list of awards along with "Best Classic DVD". The Editor's Choice Awards for the year were "Best Bisexual Video", "Best Review
er Promo
Package", and "Special Achievement
Award", presented to Bob East, Executive Director of the by-then defunct Men of Odyssey Studio. The event took place on May 24, 2003, at the Circuit nightclub for the third year in a row, and was once again hosted by Chi Chi LaRue and Honey West. They were joined by Kelly Love and their male co-hosts Matthew Rush and Kyle Kennedy. The show was interpreted for the hearing impaired by porn newcomer Dillon Press. Jason Sechrest
, of JasonCurious.com, was on hand to present a gift basket of several types of sexual lubricant to super-bottom performer Bret Wolfe
.
The 2003 award ceremony was held at the Park West theater on May 29, 2004, moving to a well-known professional concert / event venue. This was further evidence of the growing prominence of the Grabbys and their significance within the gay porn industry. The perennial Chi Chi LaRue and Honey West were joined in co-hosting duties by Chris Steele, Michael Brandon
, and Bret Wolfe
, with sign language interpretation again provided by Dillon Press. Awards added to the year's gathering were surprise awards "Hottest Cock", "Hottest Ass", "Hottest Versatile Performer", and "Hottest Cum Shots". The Editor's Choice Award for the year was for "Hot New Directors".
Jason Sechrest was in attendance again to present the basket of lube and was joined by the previous year's recipient, Bret Wolfe. The basket was presented to the individual they felt was "most likely to use this entire basket" in the very near future. The recipient, Michael Knight
, was called to the stage and the popular bottom thanked "the endless number of inches who have entered me".
A return to the Park West for the 2004 awards brought Honey West and Chi Chi LaRue together with co-hosts Tag Adams
, Michael Brandon
, and Zak Spears
for host / hostess duties. The "Best Video" award was apparently renamed "Best Gay Video"; the "Hottest" awards from the previous year remained, and the "Maleflixx.tv Peoples Choice Award" was added. There were no Editor's Choice Awards.
On May 27, 2006, the 2005 Erotic Gay Video Awards—the "Grabbys"—were presented at The Vic Theatre. Chi Chi LaRue and Honey West once again led the ceremonies; their male co-hosts for the event were Rod Barry
, Brad Benton, and Chad Hunt
. This was the last Grabbys attended by "Big Daddy" Ferguson, the founder of Gay Chicago Magazine and the Grabbys; Ralph Paul "Big Daddy" died in June 2006 a couple of days after his 72nd Birthday.
On January 5, 2009, for the first time ever, the Grabbys allowed fans the chance to vote for their preferred porn star co-host. On February 2, 2009, the top ten nominees to join Chi Chi LaRue
, Honey West, Blake Riley
and Brent Corrigan
as co-host were announced. The finalists were: Steve Cruz, R.J. Danvers, Wolf Hudson
, Trevor Knight, Nash Lawler
, Collin O’Neal, Erik Rhodes, Jason Ridge
, Giovanni Summers and Jackson Wild. Soon afterwards, Knight dropped out of the race due to having co-hosted the previous year, as well as Wild for undisclosed reasons. On March 10, 2009, Hudson won the competition, becoming the first ever fan-selected co-host of the Grabbys Awards and the last of the 2000s decade. Jeremy Bilding was the second selected co-host in 2010 and the first of the 2010s decade. 2009 also marked the first year the Grabbys had an official host hotel.
and Honey West have hosted the awards every year since 1999. Afterwards, they hosted alongside other porn stars.
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
to honor work done in the gay pornography
Gay pornography
Gay pornography is the representation of sexual intercourse between men with the primary goal of sexual arousal in its audience. There is also a tradition, and continuing considerable output, of lesbian pornography....
industry. The awards are sponsored by Grab Magazine, a free weekly that describes itself as "Chicago's premier LGBT publication." The Grabby Awards and Grab Magazine are owned and operated by Grabbys, LLC. The awards were owned until 2009 by Gay Chicago Magazine
Gay Chicago Magazine
Gay Chicago is a LGBT online news organization in Chicago, Illinois which ceased publishing in print form on Sept. 21, 2011. Gay Chicago replaced the now defunct Gay Chicago Magazine which was founded in 1976 by Ralph Paul Gernhardt and published under the former Gernhardt Publications. It was a...
.
Beginnings
The first Grabby Awards (formally known as Adult Erotic Gay Video Awards) were given in 1991, when the awards were listed in the year-end issue of Gay Chicago MagazineGay Chicago Magazine
Gay Chicago is a LGBT online news organization in Chicago, Illinois which ceased publishing in print form on Sept. 21, 2011. Gay Chicago replaced the now defunct Gay Chicago Magazine which was founded in 1976 by Ralph Paul Gernhardt and published under the former Gernhardt Publications. It was a...
. Award's given that year included "Burnout of the Year", "Comeback of the Year", "Fresh Surprise of the Year", "Best Supporting Actor", "Best Newcomer", and "Best Overall Performer". According to "Big Daddy" Ferguson, founder of Gay Chicago Magazine and creator of the awards, the Grabbys are "...our way of highlingting
The awards have evolved as they have matured; the second year, 1992, saw the addition of some more traditional award categories, such as "Best Video of the Year" and "Best Screenplay"; "Best Overall Performer" was shortened to "Best Performer". The unique awards continued, however, with the presentation of the "Pull-Lister Prize", given to Gay Sex: A Manual for Men Who Love Men.
In 1993, the third annual awards included "Best Ethnic Performer" and "Best Cum Shot", and saw the first tie for an award, that of Falcon Studios and Kristen Bjorn
Kristen Bjorn
Kristen Bjorn is the stage name of a British director and producer of gay pornographic movies and a former gay pornographic actor....
Productions for "Best Video of the Year".
"Best Director" was added in 1994, along with "Best International Video", "Best Cinematography", "Best Sex Scene", "Best Bisexual Video", and the "Whopper Award", presented to Canadian
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
performer Conor Finlay.
"Best Cum Shot" was renamed "Hot Shots", the only change in award categories for 1995. The 1996 awards included the addition of "Best Non-Sexual Role", and "Promising New Performers"; there were no additions or name changes for the 1997 awards.
First award ceremony
Held on Saturday, May 29, 1999, the 1998 Grabbys were presented during an awards ceremony for the first time during the Memorial DayMemorial Day
Memorial Day is a United States federal holiday observed on the last Monday of May. Formerly known as Decoration Day, it originated after the American Civil War to commemorate the fallen Union soldiers of the Civil War...
weekend. Chicago had been home to the International Mister Leather Contest
International Mister Leather
International Mister Leather is an international conference and contest of leathermen held annually in May since 1979 in Chicago, Illinois....
(IML) for 20 years, and the founder of IML, Chuck Renslow, suggested that the Grabbys be added to the weekend's activities to provide additional entertainment
Entertainment
Entertainment consists of any activity which provides a diversion or permits people to amuse themselves in their leisure time. Entertainment is generally passive, such as watching opera or a movie. Active forms of amusement, such as sports, are more often considered to be recreation...
for the thousands of IML attendees.
The ceremony was a fundraiser
Fundraiser
A fundraiser is an event or campaign whose primary purpose is to raise money for a cause. See also: fundraising. A fundraiser can also be an individual or company whose primary job is to raise money for a specific charity or non-profit organization...
for the Reimer Foundation, "a nonprofit corporation
Nonprofit organization
Nonprofit organization is neither a legal nor technical definition but generally refers to an organization that uses surplus revenues to achieve its goals, rather than distributing them as profit or dividends...
that promotes safer sexual behavior through education
Education
Education in its broadest, general sense is the means through which the aims and habits of a group of people lives on from one generation to the next. Generally, it occurs through any experience that has a formative effect on the way one thinks, feels, or acts...
and public
Public
In public relations and communication science, publics are groups of individuals, and the public is the totality of such groupings. This is a different concept to the sociological concept of the Öffentlichkeit or public sphere. The concept of a public has also been defined in political science,...
awareness
Awareness
Awareness is the state or ability to perceive, to feel, or to be conscious of events, objects or sensory patterns. In this level of consciousness, sense data can be confirmed by an observer without necessarily implying understanding. More broadly, it is the state or quality of being aware of...
campaigns
Advertising campaign
An advertising campaign is a series of advertisement messages that share a single idea and theme which make up an integrated marketing communication...
. The organization provides information
Information
Information in its most restricted technical sense is a message or collection of messages that consists of an ordered sequence of symbols, or it is the meaning that can be interpreted from such a message or collection of messages. Information can be recorded or transmitted. It can be recorded as...
resources
Resource (project management)
In project management terminology, resources are required to carry out the project tasks. They can be people, equipment, facilities, funding, or anything else capable of definition required for the completion of a project activity. The lack of a resource will therefore be a constraint on the...
and produces videos and other materials on safer sex. Outreach services
Public services
Public services is a term usually used to mean services provided by government to its citizens, either directly or by financing private provision of services. The term is associated with a social consensus that certain services should be available to all, regardless of income...
include free condom
Condom
A condom is a barrier device most commonly used during sexual intercourse to reduce the probability of pregnancy and spreading sexually transmitted diseases . It is put on a man's erect penis and physically blocks ejaculated semen from entering the body of a sexual partner...
distribution; services are available internationally."
The first live show took place in the Music Hall of Man's Country, a gay bathhouse
Gay bathhouse
Gay bathhouses, also known as gay saunas or steam baths, are commercial bathhouses for men to have sex with other men. In gay slang in some regions these venues are also known colloquially as "the baths" or "the tubs," and should not be confused with public bathing.Not all men who visit gay...
in Chicago's Andersonville neighborhood. The event drew a capacity crowd. Fans, gay "adult male erotic performers", directors, other industry people, and national media came from all over the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
to attend. Well-known Chicago performer Honey West and prominent porn
Pornographic movie
Pornographic films are motion pictures with the purpose of promoting sexual arousal in the viewer, often featuring depictions of sexual activity. They are sold and rented out on DVD, shown through Internet and special channels and pay-per-view on cable and satellite, and in adult...
director Chi Chi LaRue
Chi Chi LaRue
Larry David Paciotti is an American film director of gay, bisexual and straight pornography. He is best known in his drag persona as Chi Chi LaRue and has also directed under the names Lawrence David and Taylor Hudson.- Career :...
served as co-hostesses for the evening's festivities.
Ferguson, (sometimes referred to as the "godfather" of the Grabbys) welcomed the crowd to the first live presentation of the awards. Ferguson was inspired and urged by his porn friend Mickey Skee, of AVN Magazine, to start an awards show in the Midwest that would rival the shows Mickey puts on in the West, but also be different enough to encourage stars to go to all of them. Award categories were once again expanded with the addition of new categories or subdivisions of previous ones. Changes included "Best Video: Romance", "Best Video: All Sex", "Best Video: Fantasy", "Best Actor: Dramatic", "Best Actor: Action Hero", "Best Duo Sex Scene", "Best Group Scene", "Best Ethnic Video", "Best Fetish Video", and "Best Leather Video".
Unlike the similar Gay Video News (GayVN) Awards
GayVN Awards
The GAYVN Awards are presented annually to honor work done in the gay pornography industry. The awards are sponsored by AVN Magazine, the parent publication of GAYVN Magazine, and continue the recognition for gay pornography which was part of the AVN Awards from 1986–1998.The award recipients...
, which are open only by invitation to participants and journalist
Journalist
A journalist collects and distributes news and other information. A journalist's work is referred to as journalism.A reporter is a type of journalist who researchs, writes, and reports on information to be presented in mass media, including print media , electronic media , and digital media A...
s, tickets for the Grabbys are available for public purchase, allowing fans and performers
Performing arts
The performing arts are those forms art which differ from the plastic arts insofar as the former uses the artist's own body, face, and presence as a medium, and the latter uses materials such as clay, metal or paint which can be molded or transformed to create some physical art object...
to mingle and network
Social network
A social network is a social structure made up of individuals called "nodes", which are tied by one or more specific types of interdependency, such as friendship, kinship, common interest, financial exchange, dislike, sexual relationships, or relationships of beliefs, knowledge or prestige.Social...
directly. The event also includes a "People's Choice" category
Categorization
Categorization is the process in which ideas and objects are recognized, differentiated and understood. Categorization implies that objects are grouped into categories, usually for some specific purpose. Ideally, a category illuminates a relationship between the subjects and objects of knowledge...
, though other awards are given by a committee
Committee
A committee is a type of small deliberative assembly that is usually intended to remain subordinate to another, larger deliberative assembly—which when organized so that action on committee requires a vote by all its entitled members, is called the "Committee of the Whole"...
selected by the magazine
Magazine
Magazines, periodicals, glossies or serials are publications, generally published on a regular schedule, containing a variety of articles. They are generally financed by advertising, by a purchase price, by pre-paid magazine subscriptions, or all three...
.
Additionally, the Grabbys show x-rated
X-rated
In some countries, X is or has been a motion picture rating reserved for the most explicit films. Films rated X are intended only for viewing by adults, usually legally defined as people over the age of 17.-United Kingdom:...
video clips of the nominations, while the GayVN Awards don't.
The show also saw the creation of a "Wall of Fame" to honor industry legends, awarded for their impact on the industry rather than the length of time they had been involved in it. Relative newcomers to the industry Ken Ryker
Ken Ryker
Ken Ryker, born August 17, 1972, in Jeonju, Korea, is the stage name of an American pornographic actor who appeared in gay, straight and bisexual pornographic movies. He was raised in Texas, but now resides in California.-Life and career:...
, performer, industry critic and author Mickey Skee from Adult Video News and Bob East, the Executive Director of the Men of Odyssey Studio, were inducted alongside long-time directors Jim Steel
Jim Steel (director)
Jim Steel is an award-winning American director, writer, production manager and producer of pornographic films. He is an inductee of the Grabby Awards Hall of Fame and the GayVN Awards Hall of Fame.-Porn career:Steel's career dates back to the late 1980s...
, Toby Ross
Toby Ross
Toby Ross is an American film director who made gay hardcore films in the 1970s and 80s. Before Ross made feature films he made loops which were shot on silent 8mm or 16mm. His earliest feature films were partially composed of some of his loops with added soundtracks.Some of his later films were...
, and co-hostess Chi Chi LaRue. Ferguson" was also inducted into the "Wall of Fame" despite his protests; his staff insisted that he be honored as the creator of the awards.
LaRue also won awards for "Best Ethnic Video" and tied with Kristen Bjorn
Kristen Bjorn
Kristen Bjorn is the stage name of a British director and producer of gay pornographic movies and a former gay pornographic actor....
for "Best Videos". Commenting on the award for "Best Ethnic Video", LaRue remarked, "With 10 hot black studs and a white bottom boy, how can you miss?"
"Trophy Studs", very scantily-clad men, were on hand to hand the awards to the presenters. The inaugural year's Trophy Studs were Peter Dixon and Robby Taylor. During the evening, porn performer Mitch Allmond performed a rap piece, Happiness is a Big Cock, the title song from a video by Toby Ross
Toby Ross
Toby Ross is an American film director who made gay hardcore films in the 1970s and 80s. Before Ross made feature films he made loops which were shot on silent 8mm or 16mm. His earliest feature films were partially composed of some of his loops with added soundtracks.Some of his later films were...
. During the performance, former Falcon Studios exclusive Christopher Scott joined Dixon and Taylor onstage for explicit oral sex
Oral sex
Oral sex is sexual activity involving the stimulation of the genitalia of a sex partner by the use of the mouth, tongue, teeth or throat. Cunnilingus refers to oral sex performed on females while fellatio refer to oral sex performed on males. Anilingus refers to oral stimulation of a person's anus...
to prove the point—Dixon is noted for having a large penis
Penis
The penis is a biological feature of male animals including both vertebrates and invertebrates...
. That wasn't the only explicit activity during the show; the Trophy Studs were joined at one point by award-winning porn performers Tony Acosta and Dr. Feel Good for additional sexual activity
Human sexual behavior
Human sexual activities or human sexual practices or human sexual behavior refers to the manner in which humans experience and express their sexuality. People engage in a variety of sexual acts from time to time, and for a wide variety of reasons...
; and the closing number quickly morphed into a group sex
Group sex
Group sex is sexual behavior involving more than two participants. Group sex can occur amongst people of all sexual orientations and genders...
scene involving many of the performers and even some of the fans.
For the 1999 Grabbys, additional awards for "Best Actor: Fantasy
Fantasy
Fantasy is a genre of fiction that commonly uses magic and other supernatural phenomena as a primary element of plot, theme, or setting. Many works within the genre take place in imaginary worlds where magic is common...
", "Best Actor: Romance
Romance film
Romance films are love stories that focus on passion, emotion, and the affectionate involvement of the main characters and the journey that their love takes through courtship or marriage. Romance films make the love story or the search for love the main plot focus...
", "Best Screenplay: Fantasy", "Best Screenplay: Romance"; "Best Solo
Masturbation
Masturbation refers to sexual stimulation of a person's own genitals, usually to the point of orgasm. The stimulation can be performed manually, by use of objects or tools, or by some combination of these methods. Masturbation is a common form of autoeroticism...
Scene", "Best Threeway
Ménage à trois
Ménage à trois is a French term which originally described a domestic arrangement in which three people having sexual relations occupy the same household – the phrase literally translates as "household of three"...
Sex Scene", and "Best Twink
Twink (gay slang)
"Twink" is a gay slang term describing a young or young-looking gay man with a slender, ectomorph build, little or no body hair, and no facial hair. In some societies, the term chick or chicken is preferred. The related term twinkle-toes, which implies that a man is effeminate, tends to be used in...
Video" were added. Once again, LaRue and West were the co-hostesses. The award ceremony, held over the Memorial Day Weekend of 2000, also included a surprise appearance by comedienne Judy Tenuta
Judy Tenuta
Judy Tenuta is an American entertainer, actress, comedienne, author, producer and accordionist.-Early life:...
, in town doing promotional work. She delighted the crowd and, as Ferguson remarked in his report on the event, "it was a great treat to have her come out to support the gay porn industry. People like that have a lot of class, because they risk a lot to come to these events, and God love 'em, if they're gonna support us, I'm gonna support them!" Other highlights from the show included the use of a dildo
Dildo
A dildo is a sex toy, often explicitly phallic in appearance, intended for bodily penetration during masturbation or sex with partners.- Description and uses :...
on stage on Trophy Stud Robby Taylor (who wasn't expecting it), and a closing orgy
Orgy
In modern usage, an orgy is a sex party where guests engage in promiscuous or multifarious sexual activity or group sex. An orgy is similar to debauchery, which refers to excessive indulgence in sensual pleasures....
with porn performer Spike ejaculating
Ejaculation
Ejaculation is the ejecting of semen from the male reproductory tract, and is usually accompanied by orgasm. It is usually the final stage and natural objective of male sexual stimulation, and an essential component of natural conception. In rare cases ejaculation occurs because of prostatic disease...
off the stage onto the audience
Audience
An audience is a group of people who participate in a show or encounter a work of art, literature , theatre, music or academics in any medium...
.
Evolution
For the 2000 awards, Zak SpearsZak Spears
Zak Spears is a gay pornographic actor who performs in adult films.Spears appeared in the 1995 feature film The Doom Generation using the name Khristofor Rossianov, and in the 2006 black comedy feature film Forgiving the Franklins under the name Khris Scaramanga.- Adult Erotic Gay Video Awards :Zak...
and Addison Scott were added as co-hosts with Honey and Chi Chi. The awards moved from the prior shows' location, Man's Country, to the Circuit nightclub in the heart of the Lakeview, Chicago
Lakeview, Chicago
Lake View, or Lakeview, is one of the 77 community area of the Chicago, Illinois, located in the city's North Side. It is bordered by West Diversey Parkway on the south, West Irving Park Road on the north, North Ravenswood Avenue on the west, and the shore of Lake Michigan on the east...
Northalsted district, fondly known as Chicago's "Boystown"
Boystown, Chicago
Boystown is the popular name of a district within Chicago, Illinois. Situated within the neighborhood of Lakeview, it was the first officially recognized gay village in the United States, as well as the cultural center of one of the largest lesbian-gay-bisexual-transgender communities in the nation...
. Award title changes / additions included "Best Actor" (with no other qualifiers), "Best Comedy
Comedy
Comedy , as a popular meaning, is any humorous discourse or work generally intended to amuse by creating laughter, especially in television, film, and stand-up comedy. This must be carefully distinguished from its academic definition, namely the comic theatre, whose Western origins are found in...
Video", "Best Newcomer: Director", "Best Video of the Year" simplified to "Best Video", "Best Videography", and the debut of Editor's
Editing
Editing is the process of selecting and preparing written, visual, audible, and film media used to convey information through the processes of correction, condensation, organization, and other modifications performed with an intention of producing a correct, consistent, accurate, and complete...
Choice Awards: "Documentary
Documentary film
Documentary films constitute a broad category of nonfictional motion pictures intended to document some aspect of reality, primarily for the purposes of instruction or maintaining a historical record...
", "DVD
DVD
A DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....
—Classic", and "DVD—Extras".
Due to the change in location, there was more clothing visible than in past years and the closing orgy was omitted. However, Jeff Stryker
Jeff Stryker
Jeff Stryker is an American porn star who has starred in bisexual, gay, and straight adult films...
, on his way to sign the "Wall of Fame", managed to "lose" his bathrobe
Robe
A robe is a loose-fitting outer garment. A robe is distinguished from a cape or cloak by the fact that it usually has sleeves. The English word robe derives from Middle English robe , borrowed from Old French robe , itself taken from the Frankish word *rouba , and is related to the word rob...
and strut across the stage naked
Nudity
Nudity is the state of wearing no clothing. The wearing of clothing is exclusively a human characteristic. The amount of clothing worn depends on functional considerations and social considerations...
—his body well-oiled— and proceeded to stroke
Handjob
Handjob is a slang or informal word referring to an act of manual stimulation of a male's penis by a sexual partner, whether female or male, usually to the point of orgasm and ejaculation. The act is similar to male masturbation, though the latter is performed by a male on himself...
his erection
Erection
Penile erection is a physiological phenomenon where the penis becomes enlarged and firm. Penile erection is the result of a complex interaction of psychological, neural, vascular and endocrine factors, and is usually, though not exclusively, associated with sexual arousal...
for the appreciative crowd. Chi Chi LaRue exclaimed, "OK, we're all going to jail!"
For the first time, the Trophy Studs for the 2001 awards were selected during the previous few months at events at Chicago's Lucky Horseshoe nightclub. The evening's ceremony, held again at the Circuit nightclub, included Editor's Choice Awards for "Classic Movie Remake
Remake
A remake is a piece of media based primarily on an earlier work of the same medium.-Film:The term "remake" is generally used in reference to a movie which uses an earlier movie as the main source material, rather than in reference to a second, later movie based on the same source...
", "Best International Screenplay", "Best International Actor", and "Best International Director". Addison Scott returned as a co-host, along with Jacob Manthy, both joining Chi Chi LaRue and Honey West, veteran co-hostesses. Unlike previous years, there were no outrageous occurrences.
The award titles continued to change for the 2002 awards: "Best Solo Scene" became "Best Solo Performance"; "Best DVD Extras" (previously an Editor's Choice Award) was added to the regular list of awards along with "Best Classic DVD". The Editor's Choice Awards for the year were "Best Bisexual Video", "Best Review
Review
A review is an evaluation of a publication, a product or a service, such as a movie , video game, musical composition , book ; a piece of hardware like a car, home appliance, or computer; or an event or performance, such as a live music concert, a play, musical theater show or dance show...
er Promo
Promotion (marketing)
Promotion is one of the four elements of marketing mix . It is the communication link between sellers and buyers for the purpose of influencing, informing, or persuading a potential buyer's purchasing decision....
Package", and "Special Achievement
Achievement
An achievement is similar to an accomplishment.Achievement may refer to:*Armorial achievement or coat of arms, a design belonging to a particular person or group of people...
Award", presented to Bob East, Executive Director of the by-then defunct Men of Odyssey Studio. The event took place on May 24, 2003, at the Circuit nightclub for the third year in a row, and was once again hosted by Chi Chi LaRue and Honey West. They were joined by Kelly Love and their male co-hosts Matthew Rush and Kyle Kennedy. The show was interpreted for the hearing impaired by porn newcomer Dillon Press. Jason Sechrest
Jason Sechrest
Jason Sechrest is an on-screen personality and writer in the adult industry. He has starred in numerous adult films, straight and gay, but only in non-sexual roles...
, of JasonCurious.com, was on hand to present a gift basket of several types of sexual lubricant to super-bottom performer Bret Wolfe
Bret Wolfe
Bret Wolfe is an American porn star and actor.He has won ten porn industry awards, including the "People's Choice" for Rookie of the Year at the 2002 Gay Entertainment Awards, and the 2003 GayVN and Grabby "Newcomer of the Year" awards....
.
The 2003 award ceremony was held at the Park West theater on May 29, 2004, moving to a well-known professional concert / event venue. This was further evidence of the growing prominence of the Grabbys and their significance within the gay porn industry. The perennial Chi Chi LaRue and Honey West were joined in co-hosting duties by Chris Steele, Michael Brandon
Michael Brandon (porn star)
Michael Brandon is an American community activist, pornographic actor and director formerly exclusive to Raging Stallion who specializes in gay pornography...
, and Bret Wolfe
Bret Wolfe
Bret Wolfe is an American porn star and actor.He has won ten porn industry awards, including the "People's Choice" for Rookie of the Year at the 2002 Gay Entertainment Awards, and the 2003 GayVN and Grabby "Newcomer of the Year" awards....
, with sign language interpretation again provided by Dillon Press. Awards added to the year's gathering were surprise awards "Hottest Cock", "Hottest Ass", "Hottest Versatile Performer", and "Hottest Cum Shots". The Editor's Choice Award for the year was for "Hot New Directors".
Jason Sechrest was in attendance again to present the basket of lube and was joined by the previous year's recipient, Bret Wolfe. The basket was presented to the individual they felt was "most likely to use this entire basket" in the very near future. The recipient, Michael Knight
Michael Knight
Michael Knight is the name of:*Michael E. Knight , American actor known for work in daytime soap operas*Michael Knight , former Australian politician...
, was called to the stage and the popular bottom thanked "the endless number of inches who have entered me".
A return to the Park West for the 2004 awards brought Honey West and Chi Chi LaRue together with co-hosts Tag Adams
Tag Adams
Tag Adams , is the stage name of a pornographic actor appearing in gay pornography.- Awards :...
, Michael Brandon
Michael Brandon (porn star)
Michael Brandon is an American community activist, pornographic actor and director formerly exclusive to Raging Stallion who specializes in gay pornography...
, and Zak Spears
Zak Spears
Zak Spears is a gay pornographic actor who performs in adult films.Spears appeared in the 1995 feature film The Doom Generation using the name Khristofor Rossianov, and in the 2006 black comedy feature film Forgiving the Franklins under the name Khris Scaramanga.- Adult Erotic Gay Video Awards :Zak...
for host / hostess duties. The "Best Video" award was apparently renamed "Best Gay Video"; the "Hottest" awards from the previous year remained, and the "Maleflixx.tv Peoples Choice Award" was added. There were no Editor's Choice Awards.
On May 27, 2006, the 2005 Erotic Gay Video Awards—the "Grabbys"—were presented at The Vic Theatre. Chi Chi LaRue and Honey West once again led the ceremonies; their male co-hosts for the event were Rod Barry
Rod Barry
Rod Barry is the stage name of a pornographic actor from the United States who has been credited in more than 150 pornographic films and internet-based shows since entering the industry in 1996...
, Brad Benton, and Chad Hunt
Chad Hunt
Chad Hunt is a former gay porn star who performs in pornographic movies. He has also appeared on the cover of Badpuppy, Jock, Honcho, All Man and Unzipped magazines....
. This was the last Grabbys attended by "Big Daddy" Ferguson, the founder of Gay Chicago Magazine and the Grabbys; Ralph Paul "Big Daddy" died in June 2006 a couple of days after his 72nd Birthday.
Transition in 2009
In 2009 Gay Chicago Magazine decided to stop reviewing gay porn videos and dropped the Grabbys. Former Gay Chicago publisher Stacy Bridges, in a deal to sell his portion of the magazine, took ownership of the awards show along with former Gay Chicago Sales Manager Mark Nagel. Bridges and Nagel also founded Grab Magazine in Chicago.On January 5, 2009, for the first time ever, the Grabbys allowed fans the chance to vote for their preferred porn star co-host. On February 2, 2009, the top ten nominees to join Chi Chi LaRue
Chi Chi LaRue
Larry David Paciotti is an American film director of gay, bisexual and straight pornography. He is best known in his drag persona as Chi Chi LaRue and has also directed under the names Lawrence David and Taylor Hudson.- Career :...
, Honey West, Blake Riley
Blake Riley
Blake Riley is a former American pornographic actor who appeared in gay and bisexual pornographic films and magazines-Career:...
and Brent Corrigan
Brent Corrigan
Sean Paul Lockhart is a model, actor and gay pornographic actor best known under his stage name Brent Corrigan or his pseudonym Fox Ryder. He is best known for his roles in Schoolboy Crush with Brent Everett and Velvet Mafia with Erik Rhodes...
as co-host were announced. The finalists were: Steve Cruz, R.J. Danvers, Wolf Hudson
Wolf Hudson
Wolf Hudson is a Dominican-American male pornographic actor, director and street dancer.-Early life:Wolf Hudson was born on November 24, 1984, in New York, New York, and is of mixed ancestry: French, Afro-Latin American/Dominican descent. Hudson briefly lived in the Dominican Republic in his early...
, Trevor Knight, Nash Lawler
Nash Lawler
Nash Lawler is an American pornographic actor who has appeared in gay, heterosexual and bisexual pornographic films and magazines. He is notable for topping noted top man Chad Hunt in the film Endgame, for which he won a Grabby Award....
, Collin O’Neal, Erik Rhodes, Jason Ridge
Jason Ridge
Jason Ridge is a former American porn star who appeared in gay porn with about 50 films and in one bisexual porn video and gay skin magazines. He launched his own porn company in 2007 named RIDGELINE FILMS and made quite a success with 3 movies so far...
, Giovanni Summers and Jackson Wild. Soon afterwards, Knight dropped out of the race due to having co-hosted the previous year, as well as Wild for undisclosed reasons. On March 10, 2009, Hudson won the competition, becoming the first ever fan-selected co-host of the Grabbys Awards and the last of the 2000s decade. Jeremy Bilding was the second selected co-host in 2010 and the first of the 2010s decade. 2009 also marked the first year the Grabbys had an official host hotel.
List of previous co-hosts
Chi Chi LaRueChi Chi LaRue
Larry David Paciotti is an American film director of gay, bisexual and straight pornography. He is best known in his drag persona as Chi Chi LaRue and has also directed under the names Lawrence David and Taylor Hudson.- Career :...
and Honey West have hosted the awards every year since 1999. Afterwards, they hosted alongside other porn stars.
- 2000
- Andrew Lennox
- Cole TuckerCole TuckerCole Tucker is an actor in gay pornography. He started making appearances in gay pornography in 1996 at the age of 43, previously working as a realtor...
- 2001
- Addison Scott
- Zak SpearsZak SpearsZak Spears is a gay pornographic actor who performs in adult films.Spears appeared in the 1995 feature film The Doom Generation using the name Khristofor Rossianov, and in the 2006 black comedy feature film Forgiving the Franklins under the name Khris Scaramanga.- Adult Erotic Gay Video Awards :Zak...
- 2002
- Addison Scott
- Christian TaylorChristian Taylor (pornographic actor)-Awards and nominations:*2002 Grabby Awards nominee for Best Group Sex Scene with Chad Hunt, Jimmy McGuire, Brian McClaine, Josh Harting & Daniel Sinclair in "Deception" .*2003 Grabby Awards Wall of Fame.-Selected videography:...
- 2003
- Kyle Kennedy
- Matthew RushMatthew Rush (porn star)Matthew Rush is a retired bi-racial American pornographic actor who appeared in gay pornographic films and magazines. He is also a bodybuilder and personal trainer under his real name...
- 2004
- Michael BrandonMichael BrandonMichael Brandon is an American actor who resides in the United Kingdom and United States.-Life and career:Brandon was born Michael Feldman in Brooklyn, New York to Miriam and Sol Feldman...
- Chris Steele
- Bret WolfeBret WolfeBret Wolfe is an American porn star and actor.He has won ten porn industry awards, including the "People's Choice" for Rookie of the Year at the 2002 Gay Entertainment Awards, and the 2003 GayVN and Grabby "Newcomer of the Year" awards....
- 2005
- Tag AdamsTag AdamsTag Adams , is the stage name of a pornographic actor appearing in gay pornography.- Awards :...
- Michael Brandon
- Zak Spears
- 2006
- Rod BarryRod BarryRod Barry is the stage name of a pornographic actor from the United States who has been credited in more than 150 pornographic films and internet-based shows since entering the industry in 1996...
- Brad BentonDylan VoxDylan Vox is an American actor who has appeared in television film and theatre.-Early life:Vox was a competitive ice skater and received bachelor's degrees in Political Science and Journalism before attending and graduating from law school.-Acting career:Vox starred in the Los Angeles premiere of...
- Chad HuntChad HuntChad Hunt is a former gay porn star who performs in pornographic movies. He has also appeared on the cover of Badpuppy, Jock, Honcho, All Man and Unzipped magazines....
- 2007
- Johnny HazzardJohnny HazzardJohnny Hazzard is an American pornographic actor, model, and recording artist who performs in gay and bisexual pornographic films for a number of studios, mainly Rascal Video. Most of these videos are directed by Chi Chi LaRue...
- Kent NorthKent NorthKent North was a gay male pornographic actor who appeared in gay adult films and videos. His real name was Ben Grey....
- Matthew RushMatthew RushMatthew Rush may refer to:*Matthew Rush *Matthew Rush...
- 2008
- Jake DeckardJake DeckardJake Deckard is an American gay pornographic actor who appears in gay pornographic films and magazines. In April 2006, a shakeup between Titan Media and Raging Stallion ended in a swap himself and François Sagat . Deckard has been named Raging Stallion 2007 Man of the Year. Deckard has also...
- Dean Flynn
- Trevor Knight
- 2009
- Blake RileyBlake RileyBlake Riley is a former American pornographic actor who appeared in gay and bisexual pornographic films and magazines-Career:...
- Brent CorriganBrent CorriganSean Paul Lockhart is a model, actor and gay pornographic actor best known under his stage name Brent Corrigan or his pseudonym Fox Ryder. He is best known for his roles in Schoolboy Crush with Brent Everett and Velvet Mafia with Erik Rhodes...
- Wolf HudsonWolf HudsonWolf Hudson is a Dominican-American male pornographic actor, director and street dancer.-Early life:Wolf Hudson was born on November 24, 1984, in New York, New York, and is of mixed ancestry: French, Afro-Latin American/Dominican descent. Hudson briefly lived in the Dominican Republic in his early...
(fan-selected)- 2010
- Diesel WashingtonDiesel WashingtonDiesel Washington is an African American pornographic actor and male escort best known as a dominant top in gay adult films. He was previously a Titan Men exclusive model...
- Roman Heart
- Jeremy Bilding (fan-selected)
- 2011
- Dean Monroe
- Tony Buff
- Shane Frost (fan-selected)
See also
- Grabby recipientsGrabby recipientsThis is a listing of the winners of the Adult Erotic Gay Video Awards . The awards are given annually by Gay Chicago Magazine and were first given in 1991; the first live awards ceremony was in 1999 and presented awards for work done in 1998.-----1992: [Top]-----1993: [Top]-----1994:...
- GayVN AwardsGayVN AwardsThe GAYVN Awards are presented annually to honor work done in the gay pornography industry. The awards are sponsored by AVN Magazine, the parent publication of GAYVN Magazine, and continue the recognition for gay pornography which was part of the AVN Awards from 1986–1998.The award recipients...
- Discontinued gay pornography awardsDiscontinued gay pornography awardsThe following are awards for gay pornography including ones that are no longer given. The list is organized by award and by year for each award.-GayVN Awards:The GAYVN Awards are presented annually to honor work done in the gay pornography industry...
- Gay Erotic Video AwardsGay Erotic Video AwardsThe Gay Erotic Video Awards were awarded annually for gay and bisexual pornography by the Gay Video Guide , a pocket-sized newsstand magazine that catered primarily to fans...
- List of male performers in gay porn films