How much faith do you have in the nomination and voting process?

STUDIO HEAD:  Many people out there claim that it’s all rigged–that AVN gives its best awards to studios who buy ads. I can tell you that this is simply not true. At least one studio has swept the GayVNs, winning dozens of awards and guess what? They hadn’t taken out an ad in years! I know many of the judges and I know that they take their job very, very seriously.

JUDGE:  No one really knows how the final winners are decided. They usually have something like 30 or 40 voters but it’s never been clear who actually makes the final decision. There are no independent accountants like at the Oscars. But does anyone really care at this point?

DIRECTOR:  As much as I can.

What role do you think publicity plays in the Awards process?

DIRECTOR: Isn’t everything publicity, even these questions?

JUDGE:   Publicity plays a huge part. Like the Grammys, voters tend to lean towards nominees they already know. Making a lot of noise about your self doesn’t hurt.

PUBLICIST: I don’t think PR has nearly as much to do with the awards process as talent or, let’s be real, even money for that matter. PR can make you a superstar, but it can’t win you awards. Remember, Madonna didn’t even get a Grammy until 14 years into her career.

STUDIO HEAD:  I don’t think publicity has anything to do with the Awards process. Big movies like Other Side of the Tracks, Justice, or To the Last Man get lots of media attention and publicity because they are good films. They also win awards, but not because of publicity.  I guess one could argue that movies that are talked about in the press do command more attention from the judges. Of course, there is the “best marketing” award, and that is totally driven by publicity.

Who has the best buzz going into the Awards?

JUDGE:  We expect Raging Stallion is going to win everything, just as they did last year. No one seems terribly excited about the prospect of sitting through the show watching them win everything again, even if they deserve it, and especially when this year there are three or four hosts, plus a dozen new categories. It’s going to be a long night. I don’t know if anyone is going to be left by the end. I mean, this room full of queens got so bored a couple years ago they walked out on Kathy Griffin!

PUBLICIST: Well, Raging Stallion pretty much has it made. Not only did they make what is probably the year’s best movie, To The Last Man, but their studio was bought by.. er, “merged” with the company that is putting on The GayVN Awards. 

Do You Ever Feel Pressure As A Judge?

JUDGE:  Years ago, some studios and porn stars who were industrious made an effort to reach out to people they thought were probably judges. It wasn’t heavy pressure. More along the lines of flattery and a special favor here or there. These days, I don’t think studios really care to make that kind of an effort. The last few times I judged no one gave a shit. Maybe everyone’s just too cynical.

Who is suffering from the worst PR going into the Awards?

PUBLICIST:  The studios that aren’t going this year I’d imagine. No presence is the worst PR you can get.

Which new star you’ve met this year has the best chance of making it into the Hall of Fame in 10 years?

DIRECTOR: Blake Riley (pictured above).

JUDGE:  Ricky Sinz (pictured right) and Steve Cruz, if they don’t burn themselves out. Are they new? Let me look at the list of nominees, there are like 20 of them. From this year’s nominees, I’d say we’ll still be talking about RJ Danvers in 2019.

STUDIO HEAD: I would say that Steve Cruz has the best chance– he has gone from being a top performer and now is working as a director. He will be in the industry for years to come!

PORN STAR: I have known Nash Lawler (pictured below) for a while and I believe he has what it take to have longevity in this business. He is an incredible performer and has the potential and drive to be a porn icon.

Who was the best fuck you had this year — on or off-screen?

PORN STAR:  Jesse Santana. The boy is a REAL Bottom.
 

Which model that you don’t already have would you most like to sign?

DIRECTOR:  Ty Colt.
 

What do you think are the biggest challenges facing your models today?

DIRECTOR: Fighting off the urge to bareback on film is a challenge today. There is a lot of pressure to go to the dark side, especially as their mainstream careers wind down. Money is tight as well — model fees have fallen over the last few years. And it’s harder to become a superstar in today’s market — so many websites, so many guys! But there are lots of opportunities for models today that did not exist in the past — many of my guys have affiliate sites that generate lots of income via the sale of their movies. Sometimes, this income can be more than acting fees.

What star is most likely to have an after-party story only a publicist could cover up?

PUBLICIST:  Is there even a question that it’s not Erik Rhodes? That’s why we love him! We just hope we’re there when it happens!

(This is Part 1. We’ll share more of our focus group’s thoughts after the awards.)

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Watch the most GayVN Nominated movies in one place on NakedSword.