LOS ANGELES — Longtime Grooby Creative and Editorial Director Kristel Penn is celebrating her 2021 XBIZ Exec Awards win as "Community Figure of the Year."
Winners were announced Wednesday evening during an exclusive virtual ceremony on XBIZ.net hosted by Charlotte Stokely and XBIZ Managing Editor of Digital Media Alejandro Freixes.
Penn previously earned "Brand Ambassador of the Year" honors in 2017.
"This win holds personal significance to me because the ‘Community Figure of the Year’ category feels like an acknowledgment for being myself,” said Penn. “I spent most of my adolescence and early adulthood trying to hide my authentic self because the people around me made me feel like there was something wrong with me. As I mentioned last night, I was the weird kid, and then I was the closeted gay weird kid."
"At Grooby, and for the last 12 years working in the adult industry, I get to be exactly who I am," Penn added. "I know there is great privilege in that, and I’m honored that I get to use my privilege, my voice, and my platform through Grooby to support and uplift the trans adult community."
Grooby Founder Steven Grooby offered his praise.
"Congratulations to Kristel on her XBIZ win,” he said. “I don't believe most people really know how much goes on behind the scenes and what she does to try and reach out, and make sure that people in the trans adult community and the wider adult community are doing well, or helping them if they're struggling. She's brought a number of initiatives to the table that Grooby has acted on, and more than she does personally and through her other platforms. We look forward to continuing to encourage and support her where and when we can."
"Thank you to XBIZ for honoring someone who very much deserves a win this year," he added.
Penn is also the Executive Producer of the Transgender Erotica Awards, and in 2016 she founded the boutique marketing firm Ikigai Marketing, whose roster includes many top performers in trans adult.
Recently, Penn established the Sad But Rad Club, an initiative to change the narrative of mental health and wellness; find additional details here.
"I want to extend my sincere gratitude to XBIZ and my colleagues who voted for me this past year. I also want to thank Steven Grooby for taking a chance on me 12 years ago and for giving me the guidance and space to make a place for myself in our industry," she continued. "I also want to dedicate my win to my Grooby partner-in-crime, Sparky Snakeden, who passed away last year from cancer. He believed in me as ‘Kristel Penn’ long before I did. If I felt like I wasn’t important enough or cool enough to be at a work function, he’d assure me I was and he’d accompany me with a confidence that I simply did not have. His support throughout our friendship has helped shape me into the person I am today in this industry."
Click here for a complete list of XBIZ Exec Awards winners.
Follow Kristel Penn on Twitter.
Thank you, @XBIZ for honoring me with the “Community Figure of the Year” award. ??
— Kristel (she/they) (@thekristelpenn) January 14, 2021
This is for all the little weird kids like me ???https://t.co/P0GS7tSUbE pic.twitter.com/orFUOu8eoW