LOS ANGELES — XBIZ is pleased to announce adult film superstar James Deen as the host of the industry awards event of the year, the 2015 XBIZ Awards.
Deen will make XBIZ Awards history in January when he becomes the first male performer to ever host the red-carpet ceremony which will be entering its 13th year honoring the best of the best from the industry.
“I am both excited and honored to be asked to be the first male host of the XBIZ Awards show,” Deen said. “This event already holds a very special place in my career and now that I’ll actually be hosting the next one, I couldn’t be more thrilled about it.”
Now 10 years into what has become a history-making porn career, the 28-year-old native of Pasadena, Calif., already is regarded as one of the top male performers of all time.
Deen has performed in more than 3,400 sex scenes since 2004, capturing the XBIZ Male Performer of the Year award a record three times, including the past two years. He also has won XBIZ Crossover Star of the Year for two straight years for his ongoing impact in mainstream circles.
Last year Deen’s starring role in “The Canyons” film placed him in the international spotlight. He played the lead character opposite Hollywood bad girl Lindsay Lohan in the movie that was directed by Paul Schrader (“Taxi Driver,” “American Gigolo”) and written by Brett Easton Ellis (“Less Than Zero,” “American Psycho”).
While “The Canyons” was his most talked-about mainstream crossover to date, it is only part of the unprecedented media attention he’s received.
In what will go down as a historic run of publicity, Deen since 2012 has been profiled by GQ, Rolling Stone, Esquire UK, New York Observer, San Francisco Bay Guardian, Glamour, Buzzfeed and ABC’s “Nightline,” among numerous others. In October, he was the subject of the iconic “20 Questions” interview in Playboy magazine.
Deen and his girlfriend Stoya graced the cover of the London-based men’s fashion magazine Arena-Homme for its Autumn 2013 issue.
In 2013, he also starred alongside Andy San Dimas in the first Google Glass porn video, which was jointly produced by XBIZ and MiKandi and received 1 million YouTube views within 24 hours of its release.
“What James has achieved already is nothing short of remarkable,” said Alec Helmy, founder and publisher of XBIZ. “When we thought about who would make a one-of-a-kind host, James was the obvious choice and the fact that he is the first male to host the show makes this that much more special.”
Even though Deen has juggled numerous mainstream media requests in recent years, he has not slowed down doing what he does best — making porn.
He regularly blogs about his on-set adventures at JamesDeen.com, where he currently receives more than 10,000 unique visitors a day. Last summer he closed an exclusive distribution deal with Evil Angel to join its elite roster of directors/producers. And his 2013 sex tape with Farrah Abraham, the star of MTV’s “Teen Mom,” became national news.
Deen also has become a regular draw on the college lecture circuit, speaking at the University of Wisconsin, Washington University in St. Louis and Pasadena City College among others in recent years.
“The way James has progressively driven his brand both within and outside of the industry while at the same time stayed passionately devoted and accessible to his global fan base is brilliant,” said Moe Helmy, executive producer of the XBIZ Awards. “We couldn’t be more pleased to be working with him.”
The XBIZ Awards earlier this year made industry history when the Los Angeles Times covered the 12th annual event with a feature story on its front page and photo essay online. Every year the biggest stars and most accomplished business figures in adult entertainment have made the XBIZ Awards the most prestigious symbol of industry success. The annual ceremony attracts an elite gathering of movers and shakers of the multibillion-dollar business for one grand celebration.
The XBIZ Awards coincides with the industry’s trade events series of the year, XBIZ 360°, which annually features an unprecedented lineup of special guest speakers and events dedicated to exploring the future of digital adult entertainment, movie production, pleasure products and retail.
