6th Annual Tranny Awards Sees Glamour, Growth

GLENDALE, Calif. — The sixth annual Tranny Awards, presented by Grooby Productions, blazed bright last night at the Beyond the Stars Palace in Glendale, Calif., where the niche industry’s luminaries gathered to celebrate a year’s worth of achievements. (photo gallery)

“The Tranny Awards started as a joke, now it’s a nice event,” Grooby Productions owner Steven Grooby said without a trace of sarcasm.

Beyond nice, the event has been steadily growing over the years. Grooby predicts that last night’s award show attracted about 25 percent more people than last year; and, according to veteran TS performer Joanna Jet, this year’s attendance rose from 500-600 people to around 800 (Grooby tempered her estimate in an email, suggesting a total of 370 attendees, up from last year's 300).   

“We’re a niche that’s constantly expanding, whilst others are contracting, finding it more and more difficult to make a living in porn,” U.K.-based Jet explained to XBIZ. “So hopefully instead of having to join the mainstream, the mainstream will come and join us.”

Jet’s hopes, however, may already be in the process of gradual realization.

Starlets, directors, producers and fans alike packed the former classic movie theatre. LA Weekly, Vice and Laist all sent press emissaries to cover what is considered one of the dwindling yet-taboo adult niches and mainstream porn superstars, such as Jenna Jameson and Jessica Drake, showed up for the festivities. Amidst perfectly coiffed wigs and bejeweled dresses, shoes and basically anything bejewelable, was an air of cultural triumph.  

“I love doing porn because I’m on my back all day. I don’t want to work in a cubicle — fuck that!” a TS starlet who went by Bianca said.   

“We’re trying to get the name Grooby out. We’re also looking at trying to work on normalizing transsexuals, within the adult industry and the mainstream industry,” Grooby said, echoing Jet. “That’s why we have the female-to-male, transmen as part of our event. And next year we’ll have more transmen categories.”

The Best FTM Performer award category, added only recently, generated quite a bit of buzz at the event. James Darling took home this year’s award for Best FTM Performer, before participating in one of the evening’s entertainment acts in which he was fed a variety of vegetables by a woman channeling the spirit of Jessica Rabbit.   

“It’s like a lot of people haven’t even heard of trans guys,” said Jaques LeFemme, one of the Best FTM Performer nominees, “I didn’t even know that it was a thing, that you could be a transman, and then I was like ‘Oh great. Thank you.’”

“I’m just happy to be here, and I’m happy that they asked me to be on stage with a microphone announcing someone’s name. That’s winning for me,” added LeFemme, who was wearing a deconstructed Tuxedo that he said showed off his cleavage and his six-pack.   

Onstage, Jujubee, best known for her participation in “Ru Paul’s Drag Race Season 2” hosted with gusto, and rolled with technical difficulties. She quipped, “I’m so tucked. There’s bound to be testicular difficulties.”

Surprise seemed to define the evening. “I wasn’t expecting this,” said Sienna Grace, accepting the award for Shemale Yum Model of the Year. “When I got into porn, I just wanted to have some fun.”

The evening concluded with the crowning of Venus Lux as Best Hardcore Model. Lux also picked up Best Solo Site for Venus-Lux.com and Best Scene for "Asian Nail Salon," co-starring Foxxy.

"She's Asian, so of course we wanted to do a nail salon scene," Foxxy said of Lux when they co-accepted the award for Best Scene. "So she does my nails, then gives me a happy ending  — it was the best."

Tranny Award Winners:    

Best DVD - "The Tranny Chaser" 

Best Scene - "Asian Nail Salon" starring Venus Lux and Foxxy

Shemale Yum Model of the Year -  Sienna Grace 

Best Alt. Model - Chelsea Marie

Best Scene Producer - Buddy Wood 

Best Foreign Performer - Bruna Castro

Best FTM Performer - James Darling 

Best Solo Site - Venus-Lux.com

Black Tgirls Model of the Year - Kandii Redd 

Best DVD Director - Joey Silvera

Bob's Tgirls Model of the Year - Eva Cassini 

Best Internet Personality - Wendy Summers

Best Photographer - Blackula 

Voluptuous Diva - Michelle Austin

Lifetime Achievement Award: In Front of the Camera - Danny Evangelista

Lifetime Achievement Award: Behind the Camera - Bob Maveri

Best Non-TS Performer - Christian XXX

Shemale Strokers Model of the Year - A tie between Gina Hart and Penny Tyler

Best New Face - Kim Bella

Fan Choice Award - Khloe Hart

Best Solo Model - Sarina Valentina

Best Hardcore Model - Venus Lux

Photo of Venus Lux by Gia Jordan.

Related:  

Copyright © 2024 Adnet Media. All Rights Reserved. XBIZ is a trademark of Adnet Media.
Reproduction in whole or in part in any form or medium without express written permission is prohibited.

More News

Fleshy to Launch Interactive Cam Site 'Eremote'

Male pleasure brand Fleshy has announced that it will launch an interactive, bidirectional cam site next month called Eremote.

Rae Lil Black, Rikako Katayama Star in Latest From Vored

Rae Lil Black and Rikako Katayama star in the latest release from Hentaied.pro studio brand Vored, titled "Sinful Taste."

XBIZ LA Show Introduces New 'Crib Crawl' Feature

XBIZ is pleased to announce that the 2025 edition of its flagship conference, the XBIZ Show, will debut a brand-new feature: Crib Crawl, offering attendees the chance to meet and greet representatives from leading brands and organizations in dedicated suites at the host venue.

Sage Hunter Makes Her Hookup Hotshot Debut

Sage Hunter has made her Hookup Hotshot (HUHS) debut alongside studio honcho Bryan Gozzling.

Gal Ritchie: From British Dominatrix to Rising L.A. Starlet

Gal Ritchie left her home in the U.K. and arrived in Los Angeles on Aug. 12, 2023. She remembers the exact date because it was such a key moment in her life.

Pre-Nominations Now Open for 2025 TEAs

The pre-nomination period for the 2025 Trans Erotica Awards (TEAs) is now open.

May Hashira Is Twistys' November 'Treat of the Month'

May Hashira is Twistys’ Treat of the Month for November and will be highlighted online throughout the month.

Lilly Bell, Eve Sweet Star in Latest From Slayed

Lilly Bell and Eve Sweet star in the latest release from Vixen Media Group (VMG) studio imprint Slayed.

Byborg Invests $22.35M in PLBY Group

Luxembourg-based Byborg Enterprises SA is investing $22.35 million in Playboy parent company PLBY Group.

Ariel Demure, Maya Woulfe Star in 'Library Scavenger Hunt' From Transfixed

Ariel Demure stars with Maya Woulfe in the latest release from Transfixed, titled “Library Scavenger Hunt.”

Show More