From Chicago to Medellín: The History and Global Rise of the GRABBYS

The story of the GRABBYS began in Chicago in 1991, when *Gay Chicago Magazine* introduced the Adult Erotic Gay Video Awards. Initially announced within the magazine rather than at a public ceremony, those early awards recognised performers, productions and emerging talent at a time when the gay adult industry received little mainstream acknowledgement. With roots extending back more than three decades, the GRABBYS remain the world’s oldest continuously operating gay adult awards tradition. The first live ceremony was staged in Chicago in 1999 during International Mr. Leather weekend. Held at Man’s Country in Andersonville, it brought performers, producers and fans together while also raising funds to promote safer sex. The occasion established a formula that remains central to the GRABBYS today: celebrating talent while strengthening and supporting the wider community. [The documented history of the awards](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grabby_Awards) also reflects the enormous transformation of adult entertainment—from physical films and magazines to streaming, social media and the independent creator economy. The European story began on 14 March 2014, when the first Prowler Porn Awards took place at Manbar, a small venue on Charing Cross Road in London’s Soho. It was intimate, energetic and ambitious—the beginning of something much bigger. [Contemporary coverage of the inaugural awards](https://www.scenemag.co.uk/prowler-porn-awards-a-galaxy-of-gay-porn-stars-in-the-west-end/) captured the excitement of bringing leading gay adult performers together in the heart of London. London hosted six successive live editions between 2014 and 2019, during which the event developed an increasingly international profile. The COVID-19 pandemic forced the cancellation of the 2020 ceremony, while the 2021 awards moved online. It was a challenging period, but it also became an opportunity to reconsider what the event could become. In 2022, the team behind GRABBYS Europe made a defining decision: to leave London and relocate to Torremolinos, a Mediterranean resort town then relatively unknown to much of the international creator community. Its new home was Hotel Ritual—an LGBTQ+-focused hotel close to Bajondillo Beach and the nightlife of La Nogalera. The [first Torremolinos edition took place in April 2022](https://www.togayther.es/torremolinos/grabby-awards-2022-premios-porno-gay-torremolinos/), beginning a partnership that would transform both the scale and character of the event. Torremolinos allowed the GRABBYS to become far more than a single awards ceremony. It developed into an international destination event where creators could stay together, collaborate, learn, network, socialise and produce content throughout an entire weekend. Hotel Ritual became its iconic European home, while the impressive open-air main stage created the setting for world-class entertainment and the annual awards presentation. Since that move, engagement and international reach have grown dramatically. According to GRABBYS’ event figures, the 2026 edition broke every previous attendance record, welcoming more than 1,000 actors, creators, performers and adult-industry professionals. The event now describes itself as the world’s largest gay creator gathering and awards show, attracting everyone from newcomers taking their first steps in the industry to internationally recognised performers, studios and platforms. Its community has included guests representing every continent, together with major industry names such as Falcon | NakedSword and creator platforms including JustFor.Fans, Stripchat, CAM4 and F2F.com. GRABBYS also estimates that more adult content is created immediately before, during and after its European weekend than at any comparable event or period anywhere else in the world. That creative energy is important because the modern GRABBYS are not simply about handing out trophies. The event brings the industry together, supports careers and creates opportunities for guests to exchange knowledge, build collaborations and increase their audiences and income. Seminars, networking, entertainment and informal conversations all help creators become better informed, more confident and more empowered in their work. At its heart, however, the GRABBYS remain committed to their original mission: acknowledging, elevating and rewarding the people whose talent drives the gay adult industry. The results combine votes from fans and followers with the considered decisions of an experienced panel of Judges whose professional knowledge extends across adult entertainment. This balance ensures that popularity has a voice while achievement, creativity, professionalism and industry impact are also properly recognised. Perhaps that is the real significance of the GRABBYS. While technology, platforms and working practices have changed beyond recognition since 1991, the need for community, visibility and professional acknowledgement has not. The GRABBYS have survived and grown because they have evolved alongside the people they celebrate. Now, another historic chapter is beginning. From **1–3 October 2026**, the inaugural **GRABBYS Latin Awards** will take place at **Socialtel Medellín in Colombia**, bringing this iconic and hugely important event to Latin America for the first time. It represents far more than geographical expansion: it gives Latin creators their own international stage, recognises the extraordinary talent of the region and ensures that their work, voices and achievements receive the celebration they deserve. (https://thegrabbys.com/)