Knee Deep in NightMoves Awards XXX: Celebrating the 30th Annual Show

Not only is the NightMoves awards a time-honored awards ceremony but it is also becoming a tradition for me. This magazine stands out as a staple in the local Tampa area where I travel from Orlando yearly. A region of Florida that includes a bevy of different strip clubs that are eligible to win awards from this long-running magazine alongside other adult industry luminaries.  A periodical that has covered that side of the industry for over thirty years is a celebration within itself.  The sequence of events had a kick-off on Thursday, October, 6^th. The entirety of the four-day festival concluded with the 30^th annual NightMoves awards show taking place on October 9^th, a Sunday night, at an establishment called Mojitos.

I’ve been attending as a fan since 2015 and I always thought I fit the Fan Fest part of NightMoves like a glove. Even more so as a writer and I was shown this appreciation when they handed me my first award ever signifying gratitude in tangible form. I was just a visitor to Fan Fest up until the year 2017 before I came on board in 2018 as a columnist and reviewer. Fan Fest is a mini-convention for those who love adult entertainment, gathering under one roof to meet stars and buy their wares. Fan Fest went into a state of dormancy for a few years and finally came back into play during this year’s awards show weekend at a strip club called Chicas Cabaret on Saturday. In the past, Fan Fest was normally held at the host hotel’s convention hall but this year it was a welcome change of scenery. It was a great idea to have Fan Fest at an adult establishment like Chicas Cabaret. A selection of dancers filed on the stage for a contest during a dance-off. They were competing for prize money displaying impromptu stripper moves in front of attendees. The audience even participated with their cheers to decide which showgirls took the cash prizes home. As these beauties graced the stage to display their talent on a stripper pole something dawned upon me. Watching these dancers is magnetic as it is entrancing, I’ve been to all kinds of concerts and have seen wonders of the world so  I have to admit that seeing exotic dancers on stage doing their acts is just as magical to me.

I didn’t arrive until Friday missing the kick-off event on Thursday night but there was still fun to be had the day I rolled into town. We went to 4-Play’s Gentlemen Lounge on the Friday  I arrived which counted as a kick-off event for me. Especially since I've been to that particular club almost every year I've been doing this. Going to that club on Friday night is where the traditional part of the weekend shows itself. 4-Play is a cozy club and I’m happy to keep it a tradition. 4-Play visits like that reminded me that I can receive a whole year’s worth of memories in one night.

Throughout the weekend the troupe of talents dancing at the many incredible adult establishments in the Tampa area, known as the ‘caravan of stars’ finally arrived at the big awards show on Sunday night. An alliance of XXX performers like the legend Ryan Conner, NightMoves staple Jillian Janson, hardcore trailblazer Avery Jane, and stalwart-sweety Carmela Clutch traveled along with the dancers from club to club. The dancers had all weekend to flash their talents until some of them finally the first-ever duos' competition for the respective prize money to be handed out.   The variety of clubs that spiced this trail matched the range of different dancers that graced each stage that was offered before the big stripdown showdown. It ranged from full nude establishments like 2001 Odyssey in Hillsborough County to a strip club that was decked out in Halloween decorations called Silk’s Adult Entertainment in Pinellas County. Both of those venues were awarded Sunday night in some capacity with a trophy. Kamden T. Rage was one of the MCs for the entire awards show keeping the mood alight with sarcastic humor as jovial presenters handed out trophies. Flynt Dominick, who is also like family to the show, was on stage moving things along like the pro that he is.

In the pro porno side of the show, Wicked Pictures cleaned house with multiple awards as the iconic Black Widow XXX starring Lacy Lennon as the lead of Wicked Pictures' sexy superhero flick won best Best Feature Film. Both Seth Gamble and Kenzie Taylor showed up to accept awards for each of the respective Wicked Pictures films they starred in. Seth took Best Actor for Black Widow XXX and Kenzie Taylor was awarded Best Actress for Deranged which was directed by Seth. Axel Braun a close friend of the show was present as well representing team Wicked while picking up trophies for his works on movies like  Dark Is the Night which won the First Choice Award. I joked as I presented the award for Black Widow XXX that Axel is a godsend to porn fans that also happen to be comic book nerds. To further add to an epic night I witnessed the adult film legend  Rachel Starr be inducted into the Hall of Fame along with veteran exotic dancer Janine Jericho, the best of both worlds being recognized. Kleio Valentien took the Miss Congeniality nod after putting smiles on faces the entire time.  Miles Long was there to rightfully acquire a Lifetime Achievement award on the same stage.

If you’re in love with the adult industry, like I am, then NightMoves was the place to be that first weekend of October 2022 in Tampa, Florida. Paul and Tracy Allen are the power couple of ringmasters that wrangle in adult stars from across the country while making sure we all stay entertained for an entire weekend. I have a ringside seat to the amazing work that they both do every year that I attend. Running an award show revolving around the porn industry isn’t easy just imagine doing one that focuses on both porn and strip clubs!

I'd like to personally thank Tracy and Paul along with the entirety of the staff and crew that I consider my Tampa family (they know who they are). I'm so appreciative of each and every one of the entertainers that showed up. Whether a dancer or a porn performer I was in awe at the display of talent and cordiality.  Witnessing stars that I write about and adore during this yearly pilgrimage to a porno festival is just icing on the cake to my love affair with adult movies. I hope to see this process repeat itself for many more years to come.

Written by,

Moutasem "mutantmo" Seyam