The studio received twenty-seven nominations, not including nominations for three of its exclusives for Performer of the Year (Steve Cruz, Jake Deckard and Roman Ragazzi) and one exclusive for Best Newcomer (Steve Cruz). GRUNTS, the top selling movie of 2007 which was co-produced by Naked Sword, received more nominations than any other film and dominated the major categories.
Jake Deckard was nominated for Best Actor for his portrayal of Sergeant Houle and Ricky Sinz picked up the best supporting actor nod for his work on the film. Directors Chris Ward and Ben Leon were nominated for best director (Ward also was nominated for Best Director for Mirage, a film released earlier in the year). Ricky Sinz and Roman Ragazzi were nominated for Best Sex Scene. JD Slater was nominated for best Music for Grunts, and the movie received the coveted nomination for Best Picture. In an unexpected twist, Mirage was also nominated for Best Picture.
Raging Stallion is the only studio in recent memory to have two nominations each in the Best Director, Best Sex Scene, Best Videography, and Best Picture categories. No studio has ever had three of its exclusives nominated for the top prize of Performer of the Year, although Raging Stallion exclusives have captured that award for three of the past six years.
JD Slater's Erotikus was nominated in the Best Bear category, and Ink Storm, Instinct, Faster! Faster! Fuck Me Harder!, and Fist and Shout were singled out for nominations as well. Michael Brandon's Trouser Trout received a nomination for Best Three Way.
Studio head Chris Ward was obviously pleased with the nominations. "I knew we were going to do well during this year's award season — we made some pretty good movies this year — but the number of nominations we received has blown me away. Of course being nominated is not the same as winning! We are up against some serious competition. Who knows what will happen. I can say this — I am very proud of my team and of our actors. Grunts was a once-in-a-lifetime experience for all of us and I think it is the movie that Raging Stallion will be remembered for. We did great work this year and both customers and reviewers are really responding to the Raging Stallion look. Honestly, these nominations are a high point of my career. Thank you GayVN! "
