Grabbys Co-Founder Mark Nagel Passes Away

LOS ANGELES—Mark Nagel, the co-founder of the Grabby Awards for gay adult entertainment, passed away Monday, his close friend and business partner confirmed today. He was 57. The Chicago native Nagel co-founded the Grabbys with partner Stacy Bridges in 1999. The annual show in Chicago is dedicated to highlighting the top talent and performances in the gay erotic film industry. He also co-published Grab Magazine, a bi-weekly LGBTQ publication for Chicago. “We believe right now that he had a seizure and fell in his bathroom,” Bridges told AVN. “When we found him he was face down and we’re not sure if the seizure killed him or if he hit his head and that killed him.” Bridges said he had been friends with Nagel for 20 years. “We started Grab magazine 10 years ago and he was just a great friend and great business partner,” he said. Bridges met Nagel, who worked in the hair care product industry before his work in gay porn, when both were salesmen at Gay Chicago magazine. “I owned part of it, and I sold my share and Mark was our sales manager,” Bridges said. “I sold my share and then me and Mark both left the company and started Grab as a competing magazine [in June 2009]; Gay Chicago closed a year later.” Bridges said the Grabbys will go on as planned with the 20th annual show on May 25 in Chicago. “Yes, absolutely,” he said. “Mark would’ve wanted it that way.” Numerous adult industry members shared remembrances of Nagel as the news circulated.“He was a wonderful guy that loved the industry,” iconic producer/director ChiChi LaRue told AVN. “He loved everybody in the industry. He loved bringing everybody together for the Grabby Awards. “Getting everybody together in Chicago meant at a lot to Mark. He was a huge supportive unit. … He supported the Cybersocket’s, the GayVN’s, the Str8Up’s—and all the performers and performances. Whenever there were any porn stars that would come to Chicago he was always right there to support them.” Performer Bruce Beckham tweeted, “So sorry to see that Mark Nagel has passed. He was so welcoming and sweet to me when I re-entered the biz. I’ll never forget when he called me his “Pornstar Boyfriend” for 2016. Thanks for supporting all of us in this difficult industry. RIP Mark.?” Performer Trenton Ducati said via Twitter, “I am so thankful for all the great times we had together. I appreciate all the inspiring conversations. Thank you for keeping our industry strong. I am proud to call you my friend. I will never forget you. Rip my dear friend Mark Nagel. I love you.” Performer Nick Capra tweeted, “I met Mark Nagel in 2003 at my first @Grabbys. His contribution to the industry through #GrabMagazine and the annual awards was unparalleled. May your soul transition peacefully, my friend. ❤️ #RIP @StacyABridges” Performer Jack Hunter also remembered Nagel via Twitter. “Such a sad day for the industry, we lost a great supporter and advocate to the gay adult industry. Mark Nagel of @GRABChicago and @Grabbys is no longer with us. He was so sweet and kind and I owe all my awards to him. We’ll miss you Mark!” Screenwriter D.P. Welles added, “Just woke to learn about the passing of Mark Nagel. So glad we got to catch up last month. A great friend and supporter. He was such a force for good in my beloved hometown of Chicago, and it still hasn’t sunk in that we won’t ever talk again. Crushed. @GRABChicago @Grabbys” Nagel is survived by his father, stepmother and three sisters, Stacy Bridges said. “He loved to go on vacation,” Bridges continued. “He just got back from the GayVN’s out in Vegas. He loved the beach. And he was really good at trivia—like useless facts—and he was proud of that.” Nagel also dabbled in acting, appearing as an extra in various movies; he recently had screen time on an episode of Empire as a background character.