The 14th AVN Awards ceremony, organized by Adult Video News (AVN), 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 (the industry's equivalent of the Academy 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.
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 ().
Best Film Best Shot-on-Video Feature Bobby Sox Dangerous Games Dreams of Desire Expose Me Again Gangland Bangers Gregory Dark's Sex Freaks Lust and Desire Oral Addiction The Palace of Pleasure Penetrator 2: Grudge Day The Show Shock Car Wash Angels Conquest Gregory Dark's Flesh Head Trip Hollywood Boulevard Kink 3 Police Chronicles My Surrender Pristine The Pyramid 1 through 3 Silver Screen Confidential Temple of Poon Virgin Dreams XXX Best New Starlet Missy
Farrah Houston Kristy Myst Julie Rage Ruby
Jasmin St. Claire Stephanie Swift Tatiana Nikki Tyler Stacy Valentine Male Performer of the Year Female Performer of the Year T. T. Boy Tom Byron Mark Davis Sean Michaels Rodney Moore Jonathan Morgan Ed Powers Steven St. Croix Alex Sanders Rocco Siffredi Jake Steed Max Steiner Vince Vouyer Missy Juli Ashton Alex Dane Jeanna Fine Melissa Hill Jenna Jameson Jill Kelly Christi Lake Shayla LaVeaux Caressa Savage Nici Sterling Nikki Tyler Best Actor—Film Best Actress—Film Jamie Gillis, Bobby Sox Buck Adams, Sexual Healing Christoph Clark, Hamlet Mark Davis, Oral Addiction Mike Horner, Lust and Desire Steven St. Croix, Gangland Bangers Steven St. Croix, The Show Tony Tedeschi, Party House Randy West, Expose Me Again Melissa Hill, Penetrator 2: Grudge Day Kaitlyn Ashley, Penetrator 2: Grudge Day Christy Canyon, Oral Addiction Christy Canyon, The Show Melissa Hill, Dangerous Games Melissa Hill, Dreams of Desire Nicole London, Lust and Desire Jenteal, Dangerous Games Nikki Tyler, Bobby Sox Stacy Valentine, Expose Me Again Best Actor—Video Best Actress—Video Jon Dough, Shock Tom Byron, Gregory Dark's Flesh Jonathan Morgan, Silver Screen Confidential Alex Sanders, Stacked Deck Carter Stone, Whackers Tony Tedeschi, Heinie's Heroes Tony Tedeschi, Sue Vince Vouyer, Hard Evidence T. T. Boy, NYDP Blue Jeanna Fine, My Surrender Lisa Ann, Entangled Kaitlyn Ashley, Anal Inquisition Juli Ashton, Nightshift Nurses 2 Sindee Cox, Pristine Melissa Hill, Mindset Kylie Ireland, Twist of Fate Jenna Jameson, Silver Screen Confidential Jill Kelly, This Year's Model Christi Lake, Director's Wet Dreams Dyanna Lauren, Hard Feelings Shayla LaVeaux, Head Trip Tiffany Million, Shock Best Supporting Actor—Film Best Supporting Actress—Film Tony Tedeschi, The Show T. T. Boy, Lust and Desire Jamie Gillis, Goldenrod Tony Montana, Gangland Bangers Jonathan Morgan, Penetrator 2: Grudge Day Alex Sanders, Dangerous Games Shanna McCullough, Bobby Sox Kaitlyn Ashley, Penetrator 2: Grudge Day Chelsea Blue, Bobby Sox Jeanna Fine, Dreams Tracy Love, The Show Lovette, Gregory Dark's Sex Freaks Best Supporting Actor—Video Best Supporting Actress—Video Tony Tedeschi, Silver Screen Confidential Brad Armstrong, Conquest Steve Hatcher, Stacked Deck Jonathan Morgan, Anal Inquisition Jonathan Morgan, Heinie's Heroes Alex Sanders, Valentina Joey Silvera, Nightshift Nurses 2 Jake Steed, Valentina Juli Ashton, Head Trip Davia Ardell, Silver Screen Confidential Juli Ashton, Twist of Fate Sindee Coxx, XXX Jenna Jameson, Hard Evidence Kiss, Sue Best Director—Film Best Director—Video Paul Thomas, Bobby Sox Andrew Blake, Unleashed Stuart Canterbury, Dreams Nic Cramer, Penetrator 2: Grudge Day Joe D’Amato, Gangland Bangers Greg Dark, Gregory Dark's Sex Freaks Mike Horner, Dreams of Desire Robert McCallum, Lust and Desire Ralph Parfait, Oral Addiction Michael Santangelo, The Palace of Pleasure Paul Thomas, The Show Michael Zen, Expose Me Again T. T. Boy, NYDP Blue Tom Byron, Gregory Dark's Flesh Michael Ninn, Shock Nic Cramer, Pristine Gregory Dark, Gregory Dark's Flesh Alex de Renzy, Virgin Dreams Teri Diver, Generation Sex Veronica Hart, The Right Connection Jim Holliday, Car Wash Angels Kris Kramski, SexHibition 3 John Leslie, Fresh Meat 3 Candida Royalle, My Surrender Joey Silvera, Kink 3 Police Chronicles Greg Steel and Brad Armstrong, Conquest Justin Sterling, Head Trip Pierre Woodman, The Pyramid 1–3 Best Sex Comedy Best All-Sex Video The Show Best Butt in the West 2 Car Wash Angels Gangbusters Heinie's Heroes Nightshift Nurses 2 Silver Screen Confidential Fresh Meat 3 Beyond Reality Dirty Tricks 2 Fresh Meat 2 Friends in Sex SexHibition 2 Best Selling Tape of the Year Best Renting Tape of the Year Shock World's Biggest Gang Bang 2 (tie) Shock Best Gonzo Tape Best Gonzo Series Buttman's Bend Over Babes 4 American Tushy Anabolic World Sex Tour Ben Dover's Alley Cats Ben Dover's Fresh Cheeks Butt Row Anabolic World Sex Tour Ben Dover Buttman Tom Byron's Cumback Pussy Best Couples Sex Scene—Film Best Couples Sex Scene—Video Jenna Jameson, Rocco Siffredi; Jenna Loves Rocco Nikki Tyler, Steven St. Croix; Bobby Sox Jeanna Fine, Vince Vouyer; Dreams Melissa Hill, Mike Horner; Dreams Infidel Lethal Affairs Jenna Jameson, Vince Vouyer; Conquest Ben Dover's Different Strokes Ben Dover's Little Big Girls Blue Saloon Buttman's Bend Over Babes #4 Fresh Meat #2 Best All-Girl Sex Scene—Film Best All-Girl Sex Scene—Video Jill Kelly, Melissa Hill; Dreams of Desire Lethal Affairs Lunachick Nightclub Party House Return Engagement The Show Caressa Savage, Missy, Misty Rain; Buttslammers: The Thirteenth Anal Aristocrats Buttslammers 12: Anal Madness Everybody Wants Some Frendz 2: Friendlier
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 Missy Best All-Sex Film: Unleashed Best Anal Sex Scene—Film: Lovette and the Six Skeletons (John Decker, Michael J. Cox, Nick East, three others), Gregory Dark's Sex Freaks Best Anal Sex Scene—Video: Rocco Siffredi, Laura Turner, Danielle Louise Kelson; Buttman's Bend Over Babes 4 Best Continuing Video Series: The Voyeur Best Director—Gay Video: Jerry Douglas, Flesh and Blood Best European Release (the Hot Video Award): Torero (Italy) Best Gangbang Tape: Gangbang Girl 17
Best Gay Video: Flesh and Blood Best Group Sex Scene—Film: Christy Canyon, Tony Tedeschi, Vince Vouyer, Steven St. Croix; The Show Best Group Sex Scene—Video: (tie) 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 4 Best Tease Performance: Janine Lindemulder, Extreme Close-Up Gay Video Performer of the Year: Kurt Young Most 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, Vivid Best Alternative Adult Feature Film: Scoring Best Alternative Adult Film Featurette or Specialty Tape: The Best of Anna Nicole Smith Best Alternative Adult Video: Buttman at Nudes ‘a Poppin 3 Best Amateur Series: Filthy First Timers Best Amateur Tape: Southern Belles 4 Best Anal Tape: American Tushy! Best Art Direction—Film: Unleashed Best Art Direction—Video: Shock Best Bisexual Video: Switchhitters VIII Best Box Cover Concept: Russian Model Magazine Best Box Cover Concept—Gay Video: Night Walk Best CD-ROM Graphics/Art Direction: Latex Best CD-ROM Photo Disk: Eric Kroll: Fetish Best Cinematography: Andrew Blake, Unleashed Best Compilation Tape: Sodomania: Smokin' Sextions Best Director—Bisexual Video: Gino Colbert, Switchhitters VIII Best Editing—Film: Barry Rose, Bobby Sox Best Editing—Gay Video: Michael Ninn, Night Walk Best Editing—Video: Michael Ninn, Shock Best Ethnic-Themed Video: Inner City Black Cheerleader Search 6 Best Explicit Series: Amazing Hard Best Featurette Tape: Sodomania 16 Best Foreign Release: The Pyramid 1–3 Best Foreign Featurette Tape: Prague by Night Best Gay Alternative Video Release: Nighthawken Best Gay Solo Video: Brad Posey's Hot Sessions 3 Best Gay Specialty Release: Orgy Boys 1 & 2 Best Interactive CD-ROM (Game): 2069: Oriental Sex Odyssey Best Interactive CD-ROM (Non-Game): FantaScenes
Best Music: Dino and Earl Ninn, Shock Best Music—Gay Video: Sharon Kane, Idol in the Sky Best Newcomer—Gay Video: Kurt Young Best Non-Sex Performance, Film or Video: Scotty Schwartz, Silver Screen Confidential Best Non-Sexual Role—Bi, Gay or Trans Video: Jeanna Fine, Flesh and Blood Best Original CD-ROM Concept: NetErotique Best Overall Marketing Campaign for an Individual Title or Series: Conquest, Wicked Pictures Best Overall Marketing Campaign for Company Image: Vivid Girl campaign, Vivid Video Best Packaging—Film: Chasey Saves the World Best Packaging—Gay Video: Idol in the Sky Best Packaging—Specialty: Wheel of Obsession Best Packaging—Video: XXX Best Performer—Gay Video: Kurt Young, Flesh and Blood Best Pro-Am Series: Cumm Brothers Best Pro-Am Tape: Up and Cummers 33 Best Screenplay—Film: Raven Touchstone, Bobby Sox Best Screenplay—Gay Video: Jerry Douglas, Flesh and Blood Best Screenplay—Video: Jace Rocker, Silver Screen Confidential Best Sex Scene—Gay Video: Derek Cameron, Kurt Young, Tradewinds Best Special Effects: Shock Best Specialty Tape—Big Bust: The Duke of Knockers 2 Best Specialty Tape—Bondage: Kym Wilde's on the Edge 33 Best Specialty Tape—Other Genre: High Heeled and Horny 4 Best Specialty Tape—Spanking: Hot Young Asses Best Supporting Performer—Gay Video: Dino Phillips, Happily Ever After Best Trailer: Conquest Best Trans Video: Red Riding She-Male Best Videography: Barry Harley, Shock Best 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 (posthumously), Victoria Paris, Jeannie Pepper, John Stagliano, Joey Stefano (posthumously), John Travis, Dick Witte
Multiple nominations and awards