LOS ANGELES — Best New Starlet winner Carter Cruise was practically in tears when being awarded with one of Thursday evening's most esteemed honors at the 2015 XBIZ Awards. (photo galleries)
Unable to contain her excitement, Carter sighed, “I'm so excited. This is crazy. The girls in this category were simply amazing and I've had the pleasure of working with many of them. When I first got into the industry, I made a list of goals I hoped to achieve, being nominated for Best New Starlet was one of those goals. The fact that I won has surpassed my dreams. This is truly an honor and a night I'll never forget.”
Cruise left the J.W. Marriott at L.A. Live as one of the night’s big winners. She also received the Best Actress-Feature Movie award for her heart-warming work in "Second Chances" for New Sensations, as well as Best Actress-All-Girl Release for her spirited role in "Lesbian Vampire Academy" for Hustler Video.
In addition to Cruise's win for "Second Chances,” Jessa Rhodes and Chad White also earned trophies for their supporting roles in that couples-themed release, written and directed by 2015 Director of the Year-Body of Work recipient Jacky St. James.
Moreover, St. James' heartfelt and provocative work hit even higher notes when the respected auteur took home the gold for Couples-Themed Release of the Year with "The Sexual Liberation of Anna Lee" for New Sensations. Consequently, that movie also provided Best Acting trophies for its stars, Maddy O'Reilly and Xander Corvus.
The evening started with three-time XBIZ Director of the Year - Body of Work recipient, Axel Braun striking gold with the third installment to his epic fairytale franchise for Wicked Pictures with "Cinderella: An Axel Braun Parody.”
“‘Cinderella’ was a lot of fun to shoot, Samantha was simply perfect in the titular role, and Veronica Avluv brought an extraordinarily sexy, evil intensity to the part of Lady Tremaine, while Julia Ann as the Fairy Godmother definitely gave a new meaning to 'Bibbidi-Bobbidi-Boo,'" Braun said backstage after accepting the Parody Release of the Year-Drama, alongside Samantha Saint (Cinderella) and Seth Gamble (Prince Edward).
Adding to the pomp and circumstance of the evening, Saint gushed, "This was my first time working for Axel, and it was the perfect introduction to his world. His movies are the crème de la crème when it comes to showcasing what this industry can produce."
Later in the evening, Braun's inaugural fairytale, "Snow White,” pushed forward to capture an award for Jessica Drake, whose spot-on performance as the Evil Queen won her the title of Best Actress-Parody Release.
Director Will Ryder was equally thrilled. He also secured a number of trophies for his work in "Not the Jersey Boys XXX," including the 2015 XBIZ Parody Release of the Year-Comedy award, as well as Director of the Year- Parody for his tremendous effort.
Ryder's lead actor Tommy Pistol was also honored, receiving the Best Actor-Parody award for his charismatic, high-energy portrayal of the legendary Frankie Valli.
"This was a surprising win," Ryder said. "I didn't expect this one. Many times, I expect it, but I didn't with this movie. This makes the win that much sweeter and more wonderful. Long live old classic music. If we can turn it around into a winning porn parody then the world is a better place."
It was also a night to remember for Anikka Albrite, who went on to win the coveted Female Performer of the Year honor and Best Scene-Couples-Themed Release, alongside her co-star Tommy Gunn, for her work in Adam & Eve's "Untamed Heart.”
Twirling around backstage like a jewelry-box ballerina at her Performer of the Year win, Anikka gushed, "All the women in my category are amazing and so deserving of this award. Fortunately, I've had the privilege of working with most of them. I'm incredibly honored that I was chosen. My heart is overflowing."
As the evening pushed forward, James Deen, the esteemed host for the star-studded event, was named Male Performer of the Year 2015 for the fourth time in his career.
Later he also earned an award for All-Sex Series of the Year for his critically acclaimed project, "James Deen's 7 Sins,” as well as an award for Best Scene-Vignette Release for his jaw-dropping sex scene alongside Ava Dalush in New Sensations' "I Love My Hot Wife.”
When asked what being named Performer of the Year means to him, Deen smiled, "Winning this award is hands down my favorite thing. It makes me feel as if I've done the best job that I can do. This has truly been an incredible night for me. I am beyond honored."
Kendra Lust's heart was all a-flutter when she was awarded with the title of MILF Performer of the Year. Her sentiment was equally matched by Adriana Chechik who took home an award for Best Scene-Non-Feature Release for her triple-anal trifecta in "Gangbang Me" for Hard X.
"There was so much raw emotion generated from that scene,” Chechik said. “That's what made it great. After that scene, I feel as though I've graduated to the next level.”
Equally enthused was Kayden Kross who won the award for Best Scene-All-Girl for her work with Misha Cross in "Misha Cross Wide Open” for Manuel Ferrara Productions/Evil Angel, joyfully accepting the award for both.
"Manuel Ferrara thought up the entire project,” Kross said. “We directed it together. It was our special little project. He picked Misha out specifically for me. It was a true collaborative effort that really paid off tonight."
The evening of fun and festivities concluded on a high note with Eli Cross scoring major accolades for his feature production "Wetwork" for Vivid Entertainment. By evening's end, "Wetwork" nabbed several awards for the talented director and his cast, including Feature Movie of the Year, Best Actor-Feature Movie for Steven St. Croix, Screenplay of the Year, Best Cinematography, Best Art Direction, Best Editing and Director of the Year- Feature Release for Cross.
For the complete list of winners, click here.
