Jessica Drake Named New Host for The Sex Awards

LOS ANGELES—Wicked Pictures director/performer Jessica Drake has been tapped to step in for adult star Kayden Kross as host of The Sex Awards, the adult industry’s first consumer-voted award show to be broadcast on national television. The inaugural event takes place at Avalon Hollywood on Wednesday, October 9. “I’m happy to be hosting The Sex Awards,” Drake said. “We’re breaking new ground as the first consumer-voted awards show on a national network. Live hosting is one of my favorite things in this business, and I’m really looking forward to bringing my personal touch to the stage.” Drake, an AVN and XRCO Hall of Fame inductee, brings with her a wealth of hosting experience, having co-hosted the 2007 AVN Awards with comedian Jim Norton, the 2009 XRCO Awards with Kayden Kross and the 2010 F.A.M.E. Awards with Sunny Leone. Drake is also an accomplished sexual wellness speaker and educator who lectures at universities and teaches seminars and workshops globally. “From the action onstage, the excitement of the winners backstage, and the reality component, the show has so many different elements, and I’m looking forward to watching the finished product in January,” Drake added. “I am grateful to Wicked and Paul [Fishbein] for this wonderful opportunity.” The Sex Awards are presented by HotMovies.com and produced by X3Sixty Network and AVN Media Network. "It's great to have Jessica Drake as Sex Awards host and to know that in a pinch, she will always do a great, professional job," X3Sixty co-founder Paul Fishbein said. "It's as if Kayden Kross is Peyton Manning, but you have Tom Brady (Drake) waiting on the bench. What a luxury. We look forward to Jessica hosting the first Sex Awards show, and if we get lucky, Kayden Kross will want to host the second." Kross was named host of The Sex Awards in July, but announced via her blog last week that she was stepping down to focus on the baby girl she's expecting with significant other Manuel Ferrara. "Thank you Paul Fishbein and everyone at The Sex Awards for being so understanding,” Kross said. “And congratulations to the new host!" The Sex Awards is an invitation-only event and is open only to adult talent and industry personnel. All aspects of the adult industry are represented in The Sex Awards’ categories, including talent, producers, pleasure products, websites, production and distribution companies. To see a complete list of nominees, visit www.thesexawards.com. The Sex Awards is sponsored by HotMovies.com (Presenting Sponsor), CougarLife.com (Red Carpet Sponsor), Baci Lingerie (Winners Circle & Trophy Girl Sponsor) and OVO (Pleasure Product Sponsor). Verifiable industry members must RSVP for The Sex Awards via thesexawards.com/rsvp to attend. Nomination categories, as well as press and media inquiries, can be found at thesexawards.com/info. Fans and industry members may also follow The Sex Awards on Twitter and Facebook to stay up to date with the landmark event.