Last week, the X-Rated Critics Organization held its 27th annual XRCO Awards at Highlands in Hollywood. Hosted by Tom Byron and Inari Vachs, the boozy gala awarded prizes in 28 categories and inducted RayVeness, Tricia Devereaux, Jessica Drake, Lynn LeMay, Juli Ashton, Aurora Snow, Dave Cummings, Manuel Ferrara, and Peter Van Aarle into their Hall of Fame. more ›

With the ongoing recession and continued threat of piracy, 2009 may have been tough for the multi-billion dollar adult industry, but it was also Sasha Grey's most prominent thus far. With the leading role in Steven Soderbergh's labeled her "The Dirtiest Girl in the World" and Fleshbot included her in their Top Ten Crush Objects of 2009 (NSFW). So it's no surprise that she will be honored with The Jenna Jameson Crossover Star of the Year at the AVN Awards this Saturday at the Pearl Theater inside the Palms Casino Resort in Las Vegas. more ›

As mentioned earlier this month, pornstar-directors Belladonna and Kimberly Kane organized the "Winter Wonderland" fundraiser, benefiting the besieged Adult Industry Medical Health Care Foundation, at Busbys East. more ›

Last Wednesday, the nominations for the AVN Awards, considered the Oscars of the adult industry, were announced. Hosted by Digital Playground's Kayden Kross and Wicked Pictures' Kirsten Price, the 2010 edition will take place on January 9th inside the Palms Casino Resort at the Pearl Theater in Las Vegas. As in previous years, it will be held the week of the AVN Adult Entertainment Expo, which will be on January 7th-10th at the Sands Expo and Convention Center. more ›

Last Wednesday, the inaugural edition of "Sex, Drinks, and Rock 'N Roll Freedomfest," hosted by Hustler Hollywood and benefiting the Free Speech Coalition, took place at the Whisky a Go Go in West Hollywood. While it's easy for recent punching bag Perez Hilton to snark that "...porn stars want to be able to say what they want in and out of the filmed orgies," the reality is that the adult industry has been targeted by the federal government, with XRCO Hall of Fame inductee Max Hardcore currently serving a 46 month prison sentence and Evil Angel founder John Stagliano indicted last year. more ›

When Tori Black, whom LAist first met last March, walked the red carpet at the XRCO Awards, she almost broke into tears when confiding to a nearby photographer friend about how hard she's worked this past year. And while she again lost to Stoya for New Starlet, her excitement at winning Cream Dream, against an impressive lineup that included Lexi Belle, Dakoda Brookes, Alexis Love, and Faye Reagan, was widely apparent. more ›

LAist has been fortunate to run into pornstar and mainstream crossover artist Sasha Grey (MySpace) already a few times this year -- at AVN's Adult Entertainment Expo and Adult Movie Awards as well as Vivid-Alt's release party. more ›

Joanna Angel, nominated for 14 AVN Adult Movie Awards, including Jenna Jameson Crossover Star of the Year, blogged (NSFW) about her experience: more ›

So what's the Adult Entertainment Expo like? Scenester photographer Igor from Driven By Boredom explained that "This is just a huge room filled with booth after booth of sex related things. Mostly porn companies in the front, but towards the back there are booths for hookers, strippers, sex toys and a lot of ugly clothes that only the biggest manor of scum bag would wear. (Discounting the rad kids at the I <3 Vagina booth)... I met a bunch of people and saw a lot of friends." It should be noted that while Igor didn't mention the marketplace on the lower level, his description of the upper level is mainly accurate. more ›

As mentioned last Friday, the adult industry has gathered this week for AVN's annual Adult Entertainment Expo and Adult Movie Awards in Las Vegas, with the convention running through Sunday at the Sands Expo and Convention Center, and the awards show on Saturday at the Mandalay Bay Events Center. And while Thursday, the first day of the convention, was only open to members of the adult industry and press, it will be open to the public from today onward. more ›