BERLIN — Saturday night marked the much-anticipated grand return of the XBIZ Europa Awards, presented by Satisfyer, marking the event’s first in-person ceremony since 2019 following two virtual editions during the pandemic era.
And grand it was.
The venue chosen for, as the announcer proclaimed, ”adult entertainment’s biggest night in Europe,” could not have been more majestic: the Metropol Berlin, in the posh Schoneberg district, is a historical landmark built in 1906 that has witnessed theatrical and musical performances — from Shakespeare to German Expressionism to techno — for well over a century, and an extremely eventful one at that.
The step-and-repeat for the 2022 XBIZ Europa Awards red carpet was set up right in front of the early modernist building, an official state monument with Art Nouveau influences. Larger-than-life relief sculptures on the facade, representing the debauchery of Dionysian rituals, loomed over the serpentine queue of adult performers and business leaders waiting to be memorialized by flash-wielding photographers, while a throng of curious passersby began congregating as the locals realized that the stars of their favorite adult scenes and movies were right there, in the flesh.
The hallowed entrance once trod by Berlin art and theater giants like Erwin Piscator, George Grosz and Bertolt Brecht now gave way to a who’s who of Europe’s top adult talent, who struck sensual poses for the cameras before being interviewed by red carpet host Zaawaadi.
Resplendent in a shimmering, multicolor mini gown and elevated on stylish gold pleasers with a flower motif, the stunning African German model known for her bare scalp and traffic-stopping looks and figure — quite literally traffic-stopping on this occasion — greeted the arriving nominees, who were ready to cap off the 2022 XBIZ Berlin international conference with a merry soiree honoring their colleagues and peers.
The attendees entered the Metropol foyer, restored in the 2000s in a vintage style reminiscent of its Weimar-era glory days, and headed upstairs. There, the main stage area had been arranged with tables in the manner of a traditional Berlin cabaret or nightclub, and guests lined up at the classic bar or enjoyed bottle service at the VIP tables.
As the lights dimmed, co-hosts Cherry Kiss and Vince Karter welcomed everyone back, declaring how amazing it felt “to come together again for adult’s biggest night in Europe.”
“I’m very happy to share the stage with Vince Karter, my one true love,” Cherry Kiss told the audience, hailing her “partner in crime” before remarking on how the tightly-knit community of Euro performers gathered in the historic hall liked to “share everything,” orgiastically speaking.
“Guys. Everybody here has fucked each other!” the gold-gowned Kiss exclaimed, clearly revealing no spoilers. “We are one big porno family! I mean, look at us. We are elegant and sexy. Who the fuck would not want to get sexy with each other, right?”
“Sharing is caring!” Karter — also elegant, in a fitted grey vest — told the applauding crowd. Both hosts then acknowledged that the Euro community had “been through the shit” during COVID, leading chants of “Fuck the pandemic” and “Fuck the war” and praising the assembled guests’ hardy knack for surviving and thriving.
The first award, for Best Glamcore Scene, was presented by Brit stars Danny D. and Kiki Minaj, the latter in a form-fitting, dramatically back-baring green dress. The winners were Catherine Knight and Erik Everhard, for Private’s “Friends With Benefits.” The brunette head-turner took to the stage in a tight flesh-colored dress and thanked everyone and XBIZ for the accolade, only to return mere moments later to receive her second award of the evening, for Best Lesbian Sex Scene, a prize she shared with Scarlett Jones for Sex Art’s “Sirens.”
Cheered on with “U.K., let’s go!” by the Brit presenters, Jones — in a stunning green gown that complemented her signature red hair and showcased her equally signature bountiful physique — thanked her and Knight’s agent, Julmodels’ Julia Grandi and “all my fans.”
Statuesque Harmony Films contract star Amber-Jayne announced the award for Performer/Director Site of the Year, which went to LittleCaprice-Dreams.com. Joined by her partner, Marcello Bravo, returning award winner Little Caprice, in a shoulderless black gown, said she had not prepared a speech because she “did not expect to receive this award for the second time in a row,” before squealing in delight. “We love sex and we make the world more happy, right?” Bravo added. “And we have the best job in the world!”
Amber-Jayne then announced Scottish powerhouse Lana Wolf as the Premium Social Media Star of the Year. Taking to the stage in an ultrashort, ultratight blue number with distinctive diagonal-striped stockings, Wolf made sure to vocally represent Scotland, Glasgow and her beloved Rangers soccer team.
Lotte Magne, in a distinctive hip, white lace tradwife-style gown, and Sybil, in a shockingly lime-green suit and purple shirt, presented the awards for Best Innovative Sex Toy of the Year to the Tease Us Kit by We-Vibe/Wow Tech, and for Sex Lubricant Company of the Year to Pjur. Pjur’s Marco Castor accepted on behalf of his company.
Magne and Sybil then presented the award for Fetish Product/Line of the Year, which went to Lovehoney’s Fifty Shades of Grey Sweet Anticipation, a tie-in with the literary sensation and film franchise. Lovehoney’s Anna Fragale accepted the award.
Content creator couple extraordinaire MySweetApple, in matching red hues, jointly presented the Emerging Web Brand of the Year award to LiveUnicorns and Virtual Reality Site of the Year to VRBangers.com. VR Bangers’ Mike Henigan, aka The Guy, thanked XBIZ for “bringing us here today and everyone in the industry because we wouldn’t be who we are without you.”
Zaawaadi and Amira Adarah, — in red trousers and a black halter top, topped by a black fedora — presented the awards for Gonzo Movie of the Year, to “Rocco’s Sex Clinic: Treatment 1” (Rocco Siffredi Films/Evil Angel) and Glamcore Movie of the Year to Tushy’s “Views 2.”
Director Julia Grandi — clad in festive all green — accepted the award for “Views 2,” telling the crowd, “I love you all.”
After a brief intermission, event co-hosts Kiss and Karter returned, commending the various honorees’ “all natural” and unprepared thank-you speeches.
“I’m super ready to see more sex videos on our beautiful screen!” Cherry Kiss announced, kicking off the second half of the show.
Lorenzo Viota and Mariska announced Zaawaadi and Maximo Garcia as the winners for Best Sex Scene — Gonzo, for Rocco Siffredi Films/Evil Angel’s “The Spanish Stallion: Zaawaadi’s Power of Wild Beauty.” A visibly moved Zaawaadi returned to the stage to accept the award and express her appreciation for the win.
Viota and Mariska also announced that the Best Sex Scene — Feature Movie award went to Sonya Blaze, Jia Lissa and Manuel Ferrara, for Vixen’s “Jia” showcase. Lissa accepted the honor and declared herself “speechless” before announcing, “I have one statement to make.” She then turned around in her backless, shimmering mini dress and raised her arms in victory, displaying, in marker on her bare back, the words “Porn is Art.”
Little Caprice announced the award for Sex Toy Product of the Year — Powered (Vibrating), bestowed upon Adrien Lastic’s Inspiration. Adrian Lastic’s Gene Bebeshko enthused about the “beautiful people” in the room, thanking them for the accolade.
Little Caprice also presented the award for Pleasure Products Company of the Year to a brand she confided was her personal favorite: Satisfyer. Irina Krämer, in a stunning, leg-baring pink gown, stated how pleased she was to represent Satisfyer and acknowledged her colleagues “for all the work they do every single day by creating new, amazing products, and by promoting our brand.”
Always a sartorial highlight, Kink.com contract director and alt-model Sabien DeMonia, in an off-white gown that admirably displayed her signature tattoos, announced the award for Best Acting.
“And the winner is…” DeMonia celebrated, “the biggest dick in fucking Europe. Danny D!”
Accepting the award for his sci-fi opus, “Deeper Space” (Digital Playground), the slender British industry stalwart, smart in a tailored suit, said he appreciated the award, especially “in a difficult time” and told the crowd he was so glad they “came through” for the ceremony.
DeMonia then announced the Director of the Year award, which went to Julia Grandi. The multi-hyphenate powerhouse returned to the stage to accept it, cheered on by her company’s models, and expressed gratitude for her win.
Cam stars Callum and Cole, in jacketless formal attire with suspenders, teamed up with turquoise-haired Goddess Lilith, in a virtually transparent gown, to announce redheaded, purple-clad Brit Lola Rose as the Best Clip Artist of the Year, and Cara Vega as Cam Model of the Year. Vega thanked her mother “for the genetics” as well as “my fans for always voting, and my raging ADHD for always keeping me entertaining.”
The dream team of Valentina Nappi, in a Jean-Paul Gaultier-inspired gender-bending dress, and Anna de Ville in her signature award-show Gothic-chic finery, presented Feature Movie of the Year to Lust Cinema’s “The Listener.”
“The Listener” co-star Romeo, who plays a “Twin Peaks”-inspired detective in the cinematic work by Italian auteur Lidia Ravviso, took to the stage to call the film “the best movie I’ve ever been involved in, and I’m super happy you guys feel the exact same way. This is a piece of fucking art, and all of you guys need to go see it because it is beautiful.”
Nappi and de Ville then returned to announce the Best New Performer accolade, which went to bodacious redhead stunner Scarlett Jones. Jones thanked her fans and, once again, Julia Grandi.
The final awards of the night were announced by Misha Cross, in a self-styled, cowboy-inspired ensemble in pink and black. The Male Performer of the Year award went to event co-host Vince Karter, who expressed his immense gratitude, yelling out a celebratory “Finally!”
Female Performer of the Year was lithe blonde sensation Tiffany Tatum, who screamed her thanks in a sparkling flapper-style mini dress.
The newly anointed Male POTY and his partner in crime returned one last time as co-hosts, to close the show and officially declare it the best XBIZ Europa Awards ever.
“All of us are winners,” Cherry Kiss declared, ushering the crowds out of the historic Metropol and off into the legendary Berlin night. “And now it’s time to celebrate and go out for one good party!”
