(Hollywood, CA) The AVN Nominations Party returned to the Avalon nightclub in Hollywood with a well-attended, industry-only, red-carpet gala. Hosts Abigaiil Morris and ItsLo, trophy girls Ava Amira and Meagan Moore, AVN CEO Tony Rios, and AVN Hall of Famer Amber Lynn hosted the party, and a handful of top categories were announced. Multi-award-winning, prolific director Jim Powers has garnered numerous AVN and GayVN Award nominations for his outstanding work across the gay, straight, and trans genres, including the coveted Best Directing Portfolio – Varied Range from AVN.
Jim Powers’ ode to Vampira, Gender X Films’ “Transpirella,” racked up quite a few AVN nominations for him for Best Trans Movie or Series, Best Trans Acting Performance for Ariel Demure, Most Outrageous Sex Scene for “Satanic Orgy and Hellish Takedown” (or “Lucifer’s Sploogenami”) with Ariel Demure, Avery Lust, Andylynne Payne, and Jack Hammer, and Best Art Direction.
Jim’s trans work also scored Best Trans Group Sex Scene for Gender X’s “My First Trans Lover – Scene 2” with Crystal Thayer, Tori Easton, and Raven Lane and “Trans Orgy” with Jade Venus, Ariel Demure, Brittney Kade, Kasey Kei, Tori Easton, Khloe Kay, Lola Morena, Cherry Kiss, Michael DelRay, Steve Rickz, Cliff Jensen, and Wolf Hudson, and Transfixed’s “Throuple’s Retreat” with Bella Jolie, Kasey Kei, and Dom Cruise, and Best Trans One-on-One Sex Scene for Transfixed’s “Creampies on the Mind” with Kasey Kei & Eva Maxim.
Jim’s work for Devil’s Film snagged him a Best Tag-Team Sex Scene for “Visiting My Anal In-Laws 2 – Scene 3” with Anna Claire Clouds, Vince Karter, and Will Pounder.
And the GayVNs also recognized Jim with nominations for his scene work. Jim is up for Best Bi Sex Scene for two from BiPhoria: “Bi Feelings” starring Aliya Brynn, Draven Navarro, Steve Rickz, and Victoria Voxxx, and Secretly Bi 2 with Cliff Jensen, Sage Roux, and Scarlet Skies.
“I think this is a record for nominations. I was so happy to bring ‘Transpirella’ to life and knew Ariel was perfect for the role. I did it exactly like I envisioned it, and the fans and critics love it, and now it’s sweeping the nominations. Thank you, Gender X, for letting me do this project, and for AVN for all these amazing nominations,” says Jim Powers.
For a complete list of AVN and GayVN nominees, visit avn.com/awards/2026_nominees and avn.com/news/gay/nominees-announced-for-2026-gayvn-awards-180664. Fan categories will be announced soon.
The 2026 GayVNs, hosted by Drake Von and Tony Genius, will honor outstanding achievements in gay porn from the past year on Wednesday, January 22 at Virgin Hotels Las Vegas. The AVN Awards are set to take place on Saturday, January 24, 2026.
To interview Jim Powers for your site, publication, or show, contact Erika Icon of The Rub PR at erika@therubpr.com.
ABOUT JIM POWERS
Jim Powers is one of the most prolific directors of our time, known for his controversial work, and once told Forbes he wants to be the Warren Buffett of porno. Growing up in the Valley in the 1970s, Jim was influenced by comic books, horror movies, fan magazines, and skateboarding, and in the 1980s, all he wanted to do was be a punk rocker and skateboarder. After graduating from Cal State Northridge, he became a stockbroker, a DVD distributor, and a part-time pornographer.
In 1992, while gambling in Bally’s in Vegas, Jim wandered into the AVN Awards and decided he could make a better movie than most people there for $5k—he and his friend put up $2500 each to make “The Hills Have Thighs.” Kevin Beachum of Midnight Pictures encouraged him to shoot amateurs on the beach, even though he had never even picked up a camera. While shooting on the beach in Malibu, his set was shut down, and he was hit with felony charges of pandering and conspiracy. He continued to shoot at private houses and swinger parties for Beachum and other companies to cover his legal bills.
In 1993, a chance meeting with Jeff Mike of JM Productions led to history when the two joined forces, regularly pushing the limits of sex while still staying out of prison. Jim helped them roll out their bukkake line and invented American Bukkake—Downtown Larry Melrose from the Howard Stern Show was frequently on his sets. Jim had his own company, Powersville, and directed for legendary adult studios Heatwave, Mayhem, Sin City, Notorious, Immoral Productions, and Smash Pictures. Currently, he directs for Gender X, Devil’s Film, BiPhoria, Dogfart, Adult Time, Transfixed, and Fantasy Massage, and averages over 300 scenes per year. In 2023, ASN Lifestyle Magazine profiled him with a 10-page feature.
With 50 performer credits and thousands of scenes as a director, Jim won Director of the Year (Body of Work) and Best Director – Non-Feature from the AVN Awards and was inducted into the AVN Hall of Fame in 2005. He’s also scored countless AVN Awards, XMAs, XRCOs, and AEBN’s VOD Awards nominations.
During the Black Flag era, Jim sported a mohawk and toured in punk rock bands. He still plays bass in the punk rock band Killroy at high-end venues like Roxy, Viper Room, and Knitting Factory. Follow his adventures on set, learn more about his upcoming scenes and features, and when he plays punk rock live on stage by checking out his X @jimpowersxxx.
