HOLLYWOOD—On most nights it takes about 45 seconds to walk from the VIP seats near the Hollywood Palladium stage to the venue’s exit on Sunset Boulevard.

For Anna Claire Clouds, the trek lasted 15 minutes.

Dressed in a skimpy black ensemble that completely exposed her bare booty, Clouds couldn’t advance more than a few steps before stopping to hug someone after being crowned Female Performer of the Year at the XMA Awards late Sunday night.

And these weren’t just normal, one-armed, good-to-see you hugs. They were squeezes that meant something—heartfelt, tender embraces with an inner circle that Clouds credits for catapulting her to the zenith of her career.

Agents George Jiries and Mark Spiegler, who fought back tears as he congratulated the most-prolific performer in his stable … close friend Chloe Surreal, a confidant and sounding board during a 12-month stretch when Clouds often shot five scenes per week … performer Ricky Johnson, who has long ranked near the top of Clouds’ list of favorite male talents.

All of them shared a moment with Clouds.

“I called that shit,” Johnson told Clouds. “Eaaasssyyy call! That might have been one of the easiest calls I’ve ever seen in my life.”

Indeed, Johnson’s prediction that Clouds would win was hardly bold. While there were certainly other nominees worthy of XBIZ’s top trophy, Clouds’ 2024 resume had no equal.

There was the showcase for Jules Jordan that stretched Clouds’ holes to their limits. She flexed her acting muscles in Erika Lust’s “Deep Splash.” Often pigeonholed for step-sister or college co-ed roles early in her career, Clouds transformed into a sultry seductress in 2024, shining in steamy, plot-driven scenes for A-list studios such as Vixen and Adult Time.

As Sunday’s XMA gala inched closer, the question wasn’t whether Clouds could win the event’s most-coveted trophy. Instead, it was, ‘How could she not?

“I was so nervous,” Clouds—who shot more than 100 scenes in 2024—toward PornCrush. “So many people believed in me and gave me these great opportunities, and I felt like if I didn’t win I’d be letting them down. I’m glad I was able to pull through.”

While Cloud’s victory came in the most-anticipated category, it was far from the only highlight of an awards show filled with good vibes, with audience members cheering—and often screaming—in support of their colleagues, not just when winners were announced, but also when video clips of each nominee played on two large screens on each side of the venue.

Alex Jones certainly felt the love when his name was called for Male Performer of the Year, which was easily the highest honor to date for the wildly popular pipe layer.

Jones told PornCrush that becoming a Brazzers contract star has helped elevate his performance.

“Before Brazzers, I was working every day and really pushing myself,” Jones said. “I was like, ‘Step back, take a little break, and recover.’ Having this contact has really changed things for me and finally put me in the spotlight.

“Instead of working every single day, I’m able to save myself a little bit and really put more effort into the scenes.”

Still, when Jones glanced at the list of his fellow nominees, he assumed his chances of victory were slim. I thought, ‘It’s going to be Mick (Blue). Or maybe Ricky (Johnson). When they called my name I thought it was a mistake. I still can’t believe it. Like, wow, dude. I wanna call my mom.”

Gal Ritchie also experienced a surreal moment when she accepted her trophy for Best New Performer, edging out a high-end list of nominees that included viral superstar Dan Dangler and surging bombshell Rissa May.

Still, much like Clouds, Ritchie’s resume had no equal. A professional dominatrix before entering porn, Ritchie has appeared in more than 200 scenes and worked with every major studio in porn since debuting in the summer of 2023. She’s appeared in features for Adult Time, Dorcel, and others and has quickly become a favorite of executives at Brazzers, which chose to include her in its 20th-anniversary orgy last summer.

Speaking in a British accent that would melt a frozen tundra, Ritchie couldn’t help but marvel at how quickly her life has changed since joining the industry.

“It’s insane,” Ritchie told PornCrush. “I still can’t believe I’m standing in this room, to be honest, coming from a little village near London. I was shaking on stage. I didn’t know what to say. I’m unbelievably happy.”

The best speech of the night unquestionably—and also not surprisingly—came from Ariel Demure, who has become one of the best ambassadors for the trans community that the industry has ever seen. Demure came across as both thankful and humble while accepting her award for Trans Performer of the Year, delivering a message that resonated with the entire crowd.

“I wanna say a quote that means a lot to me,” Demure said. “It’s gotten me through a lot of years. ‘You’re never going to be the prettiest in the room, you’re never going to be the most talented in the room, you’re never going to be the smartest in the room. But you’re special.’

“We’ve had to work so hard as a community. This has been a hard year for all of us. We’ve had to work so much harder as trans women in this community. I’m so proud of all of us. This award is as much mine as it is all of ours. We deserve this. We deserve to be here. We deserve to be in the front row. To everyone who has made this year possible for me and not given me a bunch of bullshit, I love you endlessly.”

Demure paused.

“And to everyone who belittled me and looked down on me, suck my cock from the back.”

The crowd roared.

Another popular choice was Lilly Bell for Girl/Girl Performer of the Year. Bell has been one of the industry’s most consistent performers since her debut in 2019—and also one of the most likable, as she’s often praised for her professionalism and kindness.

“I thought I might win something but I wasn’t sure what it would be,” Bell told PornCrush. “This was one that I really didn’t expect.

“There are so many amazing women on that list. I guess I didn’t realize that other people who watched my girl-girl performances in the last year would’ve thought I earned it. But I also understand that my five years in the industry probably earned it, so that’s really special.”

The MILF Performer of the Year award went to Penny Barber, the svelte Adult Time ambassador whose popularity continues to soar. Barber, a brunette, noted that redheaded MILF Lauren Phillips won the trophy a year ago.

“Next year I want a blonde up here so we can have MILF power puff girls,” Barber joked.

Jewelz Blu fought back tears as she addressed the audience following the announcement that “Broken Butterfly: The Perfect Shade of Blu” was the winner for Best Featurette. Blu said the film—which was brought to life by Holly Randall Productions—holds a special place in her heart.

“This film (mirrored) real-life things that were happening to me,” Blu said. “So I felt like I was definitely method acting a lot. I cried on camera for this movie and now I’m crying for real on stage.”

The sci-fi thriller “Project X”–which features Cherie Deville in a leading role—was named Feature Movie of the Year. The Digital Playground film was directed by Ricky Greenwood, who was also named Director of the Year.

The most touching moment of the show came when Jennifer White’s scorching Deeper scene with Kendra Sunderland and Jason Luv won for Best Sex Scene (Vignette). Somehow, the highly-regarded White had never won a trophy during her 16-year career in the industry.

White’s agents and colleagues with Hussie Models erupted into cheers when White’s name was announced and poured celebratory shots of tequila when she returned to the table.

“I'm exploding inside,” White told PornCrush. “I’m ecstatic. I don’t even know what to say. Everyone thought I should’ve gotten at least something in the last 16 years. I feel like this is a win for everybody, not just me.”

Like many other performers, White was greeted by well-wishers as she exited the Palladium at the show’s conclusion. But no one was swarmed quite like Clouds, who was still in shock as she made her way toward the exit.

“It hasn’t hit me yet,” she said. “I’m still standing here and I”m like, ‘Wow, this is really what’s happening?’ I would never be here without all the people who were behind me.”

Clouds smiled.

“And without all the people who fucked me.”