This is the third consecutive year we've reflected upon the past twelve months in the adult industry, headquartered in the San Fernando Valley, and again the statistics speak for themselves -- we traveled thousands of miles for a whopping 26 set visits, four award shows, two conventions, two collegiate visits, a recording studio visit, a movie premiere, and one benefit. more ›

Earlier this month, the local adult business publication XBIZ held its ninth annual XBIZ Awards at the Hollywood Palladium. Hosted by Jesse Jane and comedian Whitney Cummings, the show awarded 106 prizes in five categories (Movies & Production, Web & Tech, Pleasure Products, Retail & Distribution, and Special Recognitions). more ›

Earlier this month, the Free Speech Coalition -- the adult association responsible for the recent anti-piracy PSAs -- threw its second annual benefit in conjunction with Hustler Hollywood, titled "The Freedom Party" and hosted by Tony Batman and Heather Chadwell, at the Whisky a Go Go in West Hollywood. more ›

Earlier this month, pornstar, director, and entrepreneur Joanna Angel oversaw the production of ). 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 ›

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 ›

You've probably seen the billboards and other advertising promoting this weekend's Erotica LA at the LA Convention Center. While smaller in scale than AVN's Adult Entertainment Expo, the 13th annual incarnation is still the city's largest yearly adult consumer exposition, with predictions of over 40,000 people in attendance, many of whom will be women and couples. more ›

If the AVN Adult Movie Awards are the Oscars of the adult industry, then the X-Rated Critics Organization (XRCO) Awards would be the equivalent of the New York Film Critics Circle Awards. more ›

LAist has been a longtime fan of Vivid-Alt (MySpace). Since its creation in 2006, the Vivid Entertainment imprint has released 18 movies and utilized an all-star roster of directors that includes Vivid-Alt head Eon McKai (MySpace), photographers Octavio "Winkytiki" Arizala (MySpace) and Dave Naz (MySpace), artist Vena Virago (MySpace), and pornstar Kimberly Kane (MySpace). 2009 looks to be its biggest year to date, with 30 nominations at last month's 2009 AVN Adult Movie Awards, the release earlier this month of Kane's , and ambitious plans by McKai to expand the Vivid-Alt brand online. more ›

When visibly-shaken Digital Playground contract girl Stoya walked onstage to accept her AVN Adult Movie Award for Best New Starlet -- against a formidable lineup that included Lexi Belle, Tori Black, Faye Reagan, and Ryder Skye -- she concluded her speech with, "And thank you to just about everyone that jerks off to my smut." more ›

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

As mentioned previously, AVN's annual Adult Entertainment Expo and Adult Movie Awards took place earlier this month in Las Vegas, with the convention running for four days at the Sands Expo and Convention Center and the awards show taking place at the Mandalay Bay Events Center. 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 ›

Longtime Adult Entertainment Expo patrons such as Dan Kartz also noticed the decline in business, stating that "'My girlfriend is Czech, so I really like European women, and because it has become so expensive to fly internationally, you don't have nearly as many international women here... Before, you could fly women over from the Czech Republic, from Germany, England, Spain, but it has gotten so expensive that it's mostly an American crowd. There are a lot less foreigners, a lot less foreign companies, too... There used to be a lot more free DVDs and free publications, but they've gotten pretty stingy. There are not a lot of quality giveaways this year.'" more ›

As mentioned previously, AVN's annual Adult Entertainment Expo and Adult Movie Awards took place earlier this month in Las Vegas, with the convention running for four days at the Sands Expo and Convention Center and the awards show taking place at the Mandalay Bay Events Center. 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 ›

Even though Southern California is the nexus of the adult industry, next week the industry and its fans will convene in Las Vegas for AVN's annual Adult Entertainment Expo and Adult Movie Awards. more ›

NOTE: See LAist's coverage of world premiere and UC Irvine's Sociology 69: Sociology of Sexuality. more ›