YNOT EUROPE – On 8 January, it is time again for the AVN Awards. For the 28th year, the American “Oscars of Adult” will be awarded to the best and brightest in the adult industry during a glamorous celebration in Las Vegas. In more than 150 categories, there will be winners and “losers.” If you look closely at the nominees, a “loser” has been evident for many years: German porn makers and toy manufacturers hardly ever are nominated.

Granted, many nations are not represented among the AVN Award nominees, and in that Germany is not worse off than some other European countries. But given that the U.S. is considered by Germany as the second most important market for porn and erotic products, the question about the dearth of German nominations remains relevant.

“It is a pity that it represents almost no German companies in the nominations for the AVN Awards,” said Jan Otzen, managing director of Beate Uhse New Media GmbH. “The quality of the productions cannot explain the oversight, because there are perfectly good German productions. I represent more the position that the nominations are skewed; they’re only for the American market. The judges are all American, and I don’t think they look at the market abroad. Conversely, German judges always look at the American market. Finally, U.S. companies produce by far the most movies. For German companies, it is difficult to enter the U.S. market because it is very mature.”

Otzen is probably right. The American market a stand-alone market, which, in terms of “sex” means it doesn’t need to look outside its own shores for content. While the numbers are not foolproof, according to Erotik-Mark, the USA generates about 85-90 percent of the global revenue derived from erotic products. In Germany, allegedly the second most active erotic market, porn revenues account for only about 4-5 percent of the global trade.

With such figures, the importance of first and second place is irrelevant. What counts is the one that is on top: the U.S.

“In my view, the Germans are naturally neglected, but to be honest, who and what was to come into question in order to compete with things from Vivid, Wicked, Digital Playground?” asked Tom Berger of German-Adult-News. “In the gonzo area, we can see it is not better when German productions compete with those of Evil Angel. Moreover, not a single German film resides in the U.S. Sales and Rental charts. German products do not stack up well to compete in the American market, even if the Germans do not want to believe that. American consumers want to consume little or no German porn! So it seems at least for the German suppliers that previously tried to break into this market.”

Yet many German producers attend the annual AVN Adult Entertainment Expo in Las Vegas, the most important erotic show in the USA. A manager of one of the most important German porn studios, who asked not to be named, said he has been amused by numerous discussions with the Americans.

“We sell their products, just like they all wanted,” he said. “But when it came to a mutual business, it was almost always: ‘This product is exactly what I’m not looking for. We have brought some of your products into our market, but they were never a big hit.'”

Even Peter Buebele, organizer of the Venus fair, knows about the difficulties of German sales across the pond.

“I think the marketing of films from the U.S. in Europe works much better than vice versa,” he said. “This is certainly due to the fact that the taste of customers in the USA is different than that in Europe. On the other hand, the American market is so flooded with products that an acquisition of European products makes little sense. That’s why there are no AVN Awards for German companies.”

According to Uli Esau of Esau Medienvertrieb, money also may play a role. A good investment can do wonders.

“What are the criteria for the AVN Awards is not entirely clear,” he said. “A German award, however, is quickly realized with a certain commercial engagement.”

But that no German companies receive AVN Award nominations is not entirely true. Bochumer Produktions and DJ Label Rockford Kabine received 2010 AVN Awards for Best Soundtrack and the alt-porn studio XERO is nominated for three 2011 AVN Awards: Best All Girl Release, Best Art Direction and Best Music/Soundtrack.

One thing seems clear: German music appeals to the Americans as much as ever.