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==Awards and Nominations==
==Awards and Nominations==
*2010 [[XBIZ Award]] Nominee: GLBT Company of the Year <ref>[http://www.xbiz.com/news/115720 XBIZ Announces Finalist Nominees for 2010 XBIZ Awards], ''[[XBIZ]]'', Wednesday, Dec 16, 2009</ref>
*2010 [[XBIZ Award]] Nominee: GLBT Company of the Year <ref>[http://www.xbiz.com/news/115720 XBIZ Announces Finalist Nominees for 2010 XBIZ Awards], ''[[XBIZ]]'', Wednesday, Dec 16, 2009</ref>
*2012 XBIZ Award: Transsexual Studio of the Year<ref name=xbizwinners2012>[http://www.xbizawards.com/winners.php XBIZ Award Winners], ''[[XBIZ]]'', January, 2012</ref>


==References==
==References==

Revision as of 07:23, 19 March 2012

Grooby Productions
Company typePrivate
IndustryPornography
Founded1996
Headquarters
Los Angeles, CA
,
USA
Area served
Worldwide
Key people
Steve Grooby (owner)
ProductsPornographic films, Pornographic websites
Websitegrooby.com

Grooby Productions is a company founded in 1996 and based in Honolulu, producing transgender online adult entertainment. It established itself as one of the pioneer companies of online adult transgender entertainment[1] with its website Shemale Yum, "the first transsexual pay site with original content".[2]

The company owns a number of transsexual adult websites and produces its own DVD line as well as having other interests in forums, blogs and social networking within the transsexual niche genre including the Tranny Awards.[3]

It has been called as "one of the most popular adult industry companies in the world"[4] and according to AVN Business, the company "has established itself among the Net's foremost purveyors of transgender erotica".[5]

Company history

Grooby traces its roots back to websites started up in 1996 in the UK by owner Steve Grooby, a film school graduate and former staff member at BBC.[6] The most prominent of them was his transgender site Shemale Yum[7] which became an Adult Verification site and eventually a pay site. The term "shemale" is considered pejorative by the transgender community but Grooby says that at the time the site was named he didn't know any better and the site became too well branded to change the name.[4] Other websites followed including Ladyboy-Ladyboy in 1998 which was the first website to specifically go to Thailand to photograph ladyboys and number of other sites featuring Brazilian, black and Hawai'ian transsexuals.[5]

For a time Grooby operated the official websites for Joey Silvera[6] and Gia Darling but due to creative differences these were dissolved amicably. In 2007 the company celebrated its 10 year anniversary, which included a party thrown by Allanah Starr in New York City.[2]

In 2008 Grooby opened the SheMaleJapan.com website to focus on Japanese "newhalf" (ニューハーフ) transsexual models. The concept for the website dated back to 2000 but it took eight years to find an appropriate producer in Japan.[8] The site was formed in partnership with a Japanese producer, Hiro, and all video is shot in Japan. Models have included adult video (AV) stars Miki Mizuasa and Hime Tsukino.[9] The site is in English but in mid-2009 almost half of the users of the site were from Japan.[10]

By late 2008 the company hosted 12 websites and employed 7 full-time employees at its Honolulu, Hawaii headquarters and 25 people worldwide.[1] Grooby Productions produces over 2000 photo/video sets a year for web only release and about 8 DVD releases.[3] In Late 2009, the company relocated its offices to Los Angeles, California.

Producers and directors

Grooby Productions works exclusively with a number of producers, photographers and directors specific to the transsexual niche. Tony Vee has been with the company for over 10 years and is one of the more celebrated photographers of transgender women, being the first to discover Allanah Starr and inaugural Tranny Awards winner Chrissy.[11] Buddy Wood has produced all his titles under Grooby Productions including AVN Nominated "Shemale Superstars", "Shemale Cuties Who Love It Up Their Booties" & "Shemale Email",[12] starring transsexual porn actresses including Vicki Richter, Danielle Foxxx, Alexis Saige, Yasmin Lee & Khloe Hart. His latest release is "Hazel Does Hollywood" starring his prodigy and muse, Hazel Tucker. Other notable producers include Frank, Louie Damazo and PK Vegas. The Commander, now semi-retired, was the first photographer to produce original content for the site.

Tranny Awards

In 2008, Grooby sponsored the Tranny Awards to correct "the lack of recognition that the transgender erotica industry gets".[13] Some comic confusion arose when the California Transportation Foundation, a nonprofit associated with Caltrans, also decided to call its 20th annual awards ceremony to celebrate "transportation achievement" the TRANNY Awards.[14] The first winner of The Tranny Awards Lifetime Achievement Award was given to Transsexual Adult Film Icon Meghan Chavalier.

Market Opinion

In an email sent to a Grooby Marketing Affiliate, Steven said "It's a contracting market already and many people have got out of it recently because the time and costs involved haven't been rewarding enough to make it worthwhile." Alluding to the contraction of the transsexual pornographic business model.

The 2009 and 2010 awards were live events in North Hollywood. The 2010, awards were held in Feb 2011 with the main winners being Bailey-Jay Granger, Domino Presley and Morgan Bailey's Bad Day with Lifetime Achievement Awards given to photographer Tony Vee and model/producer and industry veteran, Joanna Jet.[15]

Awards and Nominations

  • 2010 XBIZ Award Nominee: GLBT Company of the Year [16]
  • 2012 XBIZ Award: Transsexual Studio of the Year[17]

References

  1. ^ a b Stuart, John (September 22, 2008). "Shemale Niche Gains Popularity". XBIZ. Retrieved 2009-07-13. {{cite web}}: External link in |publisher= (help)
  2. ^ a b Fox, Bianca (July 31, 2007). "Shemale Yum Celebrates a Decade of Decadence". AVN Business. Retrieved 2009-07-13. {{cite web}}: External link in |publisher= (help)
  3. ^ a b "Executive Suites : Steven Grooby". AVN Business. Retrieved 2010-10-15. {{cite web}}: External link in |publisher= (help)
  4. ^ a b Chavalier, Meghan (May 7, 2009). "Exclusive Interview Steve Grooby". Stopping the Hate. Retrieved 2009-06-11. {{cite web}}: External link in |publisher= (help)
  5. ^ a b Magnani, Messalina (June 1, 2001). "Feelin Grooby". AVN Business. Retrieved 2009-07-13. {{cite web}}: External link in |publisher= (help)
  6. ^ a b Lim, Gerrie (January 1, 2003). "Bring On the Tsunami: The Rising Tide of Asian Porn". AVN Business. Retrieved 2010-10-16. {{cite web}}: External link in |publisher= (help)
  7. ^ Meyer, Frank (July 7, 2004). "ShemaleYum.com, Ladyboy-Ladyboy.com Run Fahrenheit 9/11 Promo". AVN Business. Retrieved 2010-10-16. {{cite web}}: External link in |publisher= (help)
  8. ^ Bourne, Justin (October 29, 2008). "Grooby Productions Introduces SheMale-Japan.com". AVN Business. Retrieved 2010-10-16. {{cite web}}: External link in |publisher= (help)
  9. ^ Berton, Peter (December 1, 2008). "Turning Japanese: Grooby's Steve Grooby Talks About His New Site, SheMaleJapan.com". YNOT. Retrieved 2009-07-13. {{cite web}}: External link in |publisher= (help)
  10. ^ "shemalejapan.com Traffic Stats". Alexa. Retrieved 2009-07-13. {{cite web}}: External link in |publisher= (help)
  11. ^ "2008 Tranny Awards Winners". www.trannyawards.com. Retrieved 2009-07-13. {{cite web}}: External link in |publisher= (help)
  12. ^ "AVN Nominees 2008". www.avnawards.com. Retrieved 2009-06-11. {{cite web}}: External link in |publisher= (help)
  13. ^ "Tranny Awards". www.trannyawards.com. Retrieved 2009-07-13. {{cite web}}: External link in |publisher= (help)
  14. ^ Farooq, Sajid (May 5, 2009). "TRANNY Awards Reveals Major Surprise". NBC Bay Area Around Town. Retrieved 2009-06-11. {{cite web}}: External link in |publisher= (help)
  15. ^ "Tranny Awards". www.trannyawards.com. Retrieved 2010-05-16. {{cite web}}: External link in |publisher= (help)
  16. ^ XBIZ Announces Finalist Nominees for 2010 XBIZ Awards, XBIZ, Wednesday, Dec 16, 2009
  17. ^ XBIZ Award Winners, XBIZ, January, 2012
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