Quite the January for me!   After receiving that lovely Pineapple Award and the words that went with it, I found out I was getting inducted into the AVN Hall of Fame – Founders.

Starting in the industry in 1996, AVN was the big name in media and their show attached to CES (Consumer Electronics Show … one of Las Vegas’s biggest Expos) was legendary, but the time I attended wasn’t the happiest of experience.  We were trying to get a distributor for our VHS tapes (remember them?) and everyone we talked to, just looked down on us and laughed when we said we were a successful internet business, with returns of  “Internet, passing phased, never going to last, I’ll give you $1 a piece”.   It was disheartening and irritating for the first few days, but luckily we got introduced to Gigi and Mimi from Avalon Media who took us under their wing, and were fantastic to work with.

Returning a few years later, those who had laughed at us, were well gone (the dinosaurs had became extinct) and companies like Grooby were growing.   I’ve seen many people get the AVN Hall of Fame – but I think it’s especially poignant to wait for our 30th Anniversary for AVN to honour the company, via myself.   This induction and honour is shared with the many producers who have worked for us over the years, the 1000s of models – and the Grooby team, including Neil, Russ, Alexander, Alex, Shannon, Kristel, Mike some who have been with us since the start.

I’m the dinosaur at the show now – yet I still feel Grooby is more relevant than ever, and we’ve always tried to move with the times so hopefully we avoid an extinction event.  We’ve just had our best ever AVN Expo show with dozens of models signing, and a lot of love from the industry towards us, as trans models are more normalized within this space than ever before.

I’d like to extend a huge thanks to AVN and those who selected me for this honour.  My name being alongside Larry Flynt, Al Goldstein, David Sullivan, John Staliano and others, isn’t something I take lightly or could have guessed that I’d be there from those first days 30 years ago.

Grooby and its sister companies, FHM and Blue xxx, had a mega booth in the ElevatedX Suite at the 2026 AVN Expo, with nearly 50 performers signing throughout the week. Grooby also hosted performers Aubrey Kate, Foxxy, Avery Lust, and Chanel Chance for a “Trans Superstars Q&A: Celebrating Grooby’s 30th Anniversary” panel moderated by Kristel Penn. The four stars shared their experiences with Grooby and how it shaped their successful careers, many giving thanks to Steven Grooby for his support.

Steven Grooby has a long history as an outspoken advocate of the trans adult industry. He joined the Free Speech Coalition board in April of 2022 and continues to use his voice to speak on numerous issues integral to the progress of the industry.

Founded in 1996, Grooby is widely recognized as the leading producer of trans erotica, with nearly three decades of experience pioneering inclusive and affirming adult content. The company has built a global reputation for its commitment to diversity, authenticity, and ethical production practices—centering trans performers and pushing the industry toward greater representation.