For what it’s worth, I’ve been here in the Netherlands for the past three years working for a mail order/internet DVD retailer that caters to the U.K., so I’m pretty familiar with the territory.

Actually, the U.K. does need a more consolidated award show. Unfortunately, this probably isn’t going to be that.

Unlike the U.S., the U.K. porn scene is severely fragmented geographically. You have heavy hitters that primarily film across Europe but often use British talent, lots of one-man-shows that shoot in their own backyard (and it is a rather large island), and a small handful of studios headquartered in the larger cities.

The result is that it’s difficult to get people together in one location to actually talk shop and recognize one another’s work. And it is to the detriment of the business.

There have been awards in the past, all of which have had problems. The UK Adult Film Awards took place in 2006 and 2007 if I remember, but ended up being rigged by shady characters. The SHAFTAs (a take off on the British Academy of Film and Television Arts or BAFTAs) really only recognized those working for Television X when it was still in production, and the UK Adult Producers Awards (put on by the well-meaning, but largely disorganized trade association of the same name) we’re ignored by many.

There’s the Xbiz conference, but that rarely brings out the smaller content creators and seems to be fill of ad networks and billing people.

So yeah. We could use a good award show back by the likes of Paul Raymond. I’m just not so sure it will be as universally attended due to it’s exclusive nature. I mean really. Bluebird movie of the year? Pfft. I didn’t even think they were still producing anything new to speak of. I’m pretty sure they’re just releasing out of the vault.