14th AVN Awards

The 14th AVN Awards ceremony, organized by Adult Video News, took place January 11, 1997 at Riviera Hotel & Casino, Winchester, Nevada, beginning at 7:45 p.m. PST / 10:45 p.m. EST. During the show, AVN presented AVN Awards in 41 categories honoring the best pornographic films released between Oct. 1, 1995 and Sept. 30, 1996. The ceremony was produced by Gary Miller and directed by Mark Stone. Comedian Bobby Slayton returned as host, with actresses Nici Sterling and Kylie Ireland as co-hosts. At a pre-awards event held the previous evening, 60 more AVN Awards, mostly for technical achievements, were given out by hostess Dyanna Lauren and comedy ventriloquist Otto of Otto & George, however, the pre-awards event was neither televised nor distributed on VHS tapes as was the main evening's ceremony.
Shock won the most awards with 11, however, Bobby Sox, an "off-beat period piece comedy" that received six statuettes, won for best film. Flesh and Blood was next with five awards including best gay feature.

WWW avnawards.com

Winners and nominees

The winners were announced during the awards ceremony on January 11, 1997. Missy was the first actress to win both Starlet of the Year and the AVN Female Performer of the Year Award in the same year. Kurt Young, however, was second to win the major gay awards in the same year, taking Gay Video Performer of the Year and Best Newcomer.

Major awards

Winners are listed first, highlighted in boldface, and indicated with a double dagger.

Additional award winners

These awards were also announced at the awards show, most in a winners-only segment read by Kylie Ireland during the event:Best All-Girl Feature: The Violation of MissyBest All-Sex Film: UnleashedBest Anal Sex Scene—Film: Lovette and the Six Skeletons, Gregory Dark's Sex FreaksBest Anal Sex Scene—Video: Rocco Siffredi, Laura Turner, Danielle Louise Kelson; Buttman's Bend Over Babes 4Best Continuing Video Series: The VoyeurBest Director—Gay Video: Jerry Douglas, Flesh and BloodBest European Release : Torero Best Gangbang Tape: Gangbang Girl 17Best Gay Video: Flesh and BloodBest Group Sex Scene—Film: Christy Canyon, Tony Tedeschi, Vince Vouyer, Steven St. Croix; The ShowBest Group Sex Scene—Video: Hakan, Missy, Taren and Alex Sanders, Squirting Anal Orgy scene in American Tushy!; Ruby, Christi Lake, Rocco Siffredi, John Stagliano, Buttman's Bend Over Babes 4Best Tease Performance: Janine Lindemulder, Extreme Close-UpGay Video Performer of the Year: Kurt YoungMost Outrageous Sex Scene: Shayla LaVeaux, T. T. Boy and Vince Vouyer, gargoyle scene in Shock
The previous night, January 10, 1997, during AVN's pre-awards cocktail reception, hostess adult film actress hostess Dyanna Lauren and comedy ventriloquist Otto of Otto & George handed out these awards, mostly for technical excellence:Best Advertisement: Changing the Face of Adult, VividBest Alternative Adult Feature Film: ScoringBest Alternative Adult Film Featurette or Specialty Tape: The Best of Anna Nicole SmithBest Alternative Adult Video: Buttman at Nudes ‘a Poppin 3Best Amateur Series: Filthy First TimersBest Amateur Tape: Southern Belles 4Best Anal Tape: American Tushy!Best Art Direction—Film: UnleashedBest Art Direction—Video: ShockBest Bisexual Video: Switchhitters VIIIBest Box Cover Concept: Russian Model MagazineBest Box Cover Concept—Gay Video: Night WalkBest CD-ROM Graphics/Art Direction: LatexBest CD-ROM Photo Disk: Eric Kroll: FetishBest Cinematography: Andrew Blake, UnleashedBest Compilation Tape: Sodomania: Smokin' SextionsBest Director—Bisexual Video: Gino Colbert, Switchhitters VIIIBest Editing—Film: Barry Rose, Bobby SoxBest Editing—Gay Video: Michael Ninn, Night WalkBest Editing—Video: Michael Ninn, ShockBest Ethnic-Themed Video: Inner City Black Cheerleader Search 6Best Explicit Series: Amazing HardBest Featurette Tape: Sodomania 16Best Foreign Release: The Pyramid 1–3Best Foreign Featurette Tape: Prague by NightBest Gay Alternative Video Release: NighthawkenBest Gay Solo Video: Brad Posey's Hot Sessions 3Best Gay Specialty Release: Orgy Boys 1 & 2Best Interactive CD-ROM : 2069: Oriental Sex OdysseyBest Interactive CD-ROM : FantaScenesBest Music: Dino and Earl Ninn, ShockBest Music—Gay Video: Sharon Kane, Idol in the SkyBest Newcomer—Gay Video: Kurt YoungBest Non-Sex Performance, Film or Video: Scotty Schwartz, Silver Screen ConfidentialBest Non-Sexual Role—Bi, Gay or Trans Video: Jeanna Fine, Flesh and BloodBest Original CD-ROM Concept: NetErotiqueBest Overall Marketing Campaign for an Individual Title or Series: Conquest, Wicked PicturesBest Overall Marketing Campaign for Company Image: Vivid Girl campaign, Vivid VideoBest Packaging—Film: Chasey Saves the WorldBest Packaging—Gay Video: Idol in the SkyBest Packaging—Specialty: Wheel of ObsessionBest Packaging—Video: XXXBest Performer—Gay Video: Kurt Young, Flesh and BloodBest Pro-Am Series: Cumm BrothersBest Pro-Am Tape: Up and Cummers 33Best Screenplay—Film: Raven Touchstone, Bobby SoxBest Screenplay—Gay Video: Jerry Douglas, Flesh and BloodBest Screenplay—Video: Jace Rocker, Silver Screen ConfidentialBest Sex Scene—Gay Video: Derek Cameron, Kurt Young, TradewindsBest Special Effects: ShockBest Specialty Tape—Big Bust: The Duke of Knockers 2Best Specialty Tape—Bondage: Kym Wilde's on the Edge 33Best Specialty Tape—Other Genre: High Heeled and Horny 4Best Specialty Tape—Spanking: Hot Young AssesBest Supporting Performer—Gay Video: Dino Phillips, Happily Ever AfterBest Trailer: ConquestBest Trans Video: Red Riding She-MaleBest Videography: Barry Harley, ShockBest Videography—Gay Video: Bruce Cam, ''Desert Train''

Honorary AVN Awards

Special Achievement Awards

Mark Stone and Gary Miller on their 10th anniversary producing the AVN Awards Show
Berth Milton Jr. and Robert Tremont for their success with Private Video

AVN Breakthrough Award

Presented to Steve Perry for Ben Dover series

Hall of Fame

AVN Hall of Fame inductees for 1997, announced during AVN's pre-awards event, were: Bunny Bleu, R. Bolla, Michael Carpenter, Desiree Cousteau, Duck Dumont, Jeanna Fine, Gail Force, Ken Gibb, Victoria Paris, Jeannie Pepper, John Stagliano, Joey Stefano, John Travis, Dick Witte

Multiple nominations and awards

Shock won the most awards with 11; Bobby Sox was next with six, followed by gay video Flesh and Blood with five. Buttman's Bend Over Babes 4, Conquest, The Show, Silver Screen Confidential and Unleashed had three apiece. American Tushy! ''Idol in the Sky, Night Walk and Switchhitters VIII'' had two each.

Presenters and performers

The following individuals, in order of appearance, presented awards or performed musical numbers or comedy. The show's trophy girls were Midori and Stephanie Swift.

Presenters

Name	Role
Sasha Vinni Laura Palmer Lori Michaels Gina LaMarca Bionca Sahara Sands	Presenters of the awards for Best Couples Sex Scene—Film and Best Couples Sex Scene—Video
Angel Hart Jasmin St. Claire	Presenters of the awards for Best Supporting Actor—Film and Best Supporting Actress—Film
Barbie Angel Shyla Foxxx Morgan Fairlane	Presenters of the award for Best All-Girl Sex Scene—Video
Chi Chi LaRue Richard Williams Steve Hatcher Sunset Thomas Zach Thomas Missy	Presenters of the award for Best All-Girl Sex Scene—Film
Gene Ross Jill Kelly Taylor Hayes	Presenters of the AVN Breakthrough Award, Best Renting Tape of the Year and Best Selling Tape of the Year
Lea Martini Vicka	Presenters of the Hot Video Award
Stacy Valentine Randy West Tricia Devereaux Coral Sands Felicia	Presenters of the awards for Best Supporting Actor—Video and Best Supporting Actress—Video
Rocki Roads Wet Man	Presenters of the award for Most Outrageous Sex Scene
Shane Yvonne Rayveness Felicia	Presenters of the awards for Male Performer of the Year and Female Performer of the Year
	Presenter of the AVN Special Achievement Awards
	Announces winners in the winners-only segment
	Presenter of the award for Best New Starlet
Shayla LaVeaux Carolyn Monroe Colt Steel Jon Dough Jenteal	Presenters of the awards for Best Director—Video and Best Director—Film
Mark Davis Helen Duval Kobe Tai Shanna McCullough Porsche Lynn	Presenters of the awards for Best Actor—Video and Best Actress—Video
Kelly O'Dell Juli Ashton Jake Steed Heather Hunter T. T. Boy Janine Lindemulder	Presenters of the awards for Best Actress—Film and Best Actor—Film
Nicole London Brittany O'Neill Sean Ryder Shelby Stevens	Presenters of the awards for Best Gonzo Series and Best Gonzo Tape
Micky Lynn Sindee Cox Melissa Hill Jonathan Morgan	Presenters of the awards for Best Sex Comedy and Best All-Sex Video
Houston Steven St. Croix Serenity Nikki Tyler	Presenters of the awards for Best Shot-on-Video Feature and Best Film

Performers

Name	Role	Performed
Serenity and Her Dancers	Performer	Opening number: “The World Sex Suite”
	Host	Standup comedy
	Performers	Bill Clinton impersonation
	Performer	Standup comedy segment
Serenity and Her Dancers The Stingers	Performer	Musical number: “Thank Heaven for Grown-Up Girls”
Serenity and Her Dancers The Stingers	Performer	Macarena spoof: “Cockeranal”

Ceremony information

Comedian Bobby Slayton made a return engagement as host of the show. This year the show was centered around an international theme, “the world of adult,” with added emphasis on European presenters and awards. This was the first year the awards ceremony was split over two nights, with a pre-awards event held January 10, 1997, where awards for technical achievements were distributed, while the main awards were presented January 11, 1997.
Several other people were also involved with the production of the ceremony. Serenity was responsible for choreography and Mark Stone was musical director with original songs by Mark J. Miller.
The top selling and renting tape of the year was Shock, although it was tied in the best-selling category with World's Biggest Gang Bang 2. There were several new awards categories this year including Best Advertisement and the AVN Breakthrough Award to acknowledge "those who were carving new niches and forging new territories in the adult business."
The ceremonies were published on VHS tape by VCA Pictures.

Critical response

The show received a negative reception from Hustler magazine, which said, “Long-winded speeches from several award winners threatened to bore everyone to death.” It went on to add that since AVN is a trade publication paid for by ads "from the same adult video companies it bestows awards upon, the critical value of such honors is subject to debate." Swank Video World magazine was a bit more positive, calling the show "the most glamorous night in the adult industry."