Any new talent seeking a role model should look no further than Scarlett Alexis. Both in front of the camera and away from it, she’s the type of porn star everyone should aspire to be. Alexis shot more than 100 studio scenes in 2024. If anyone should feel “snubbed” by being left off the AVN and XBIZ Performer of the Year lists, it’s this girl. Alexis’ sexual prowess—she does anal and DP—is only half the reason studios book her over and over and over again, or the reason Hustler decided to make her an ambassador. She’s also in high demand because of her professionalism, her upbeat energy and the way she carries herself. Alexis is warm and kind in nature, the type who calls friends on their birthday and shows up to parties with a bottle of wine and a box of macaroons. But she also won’t allow herself to bullied, exploited or walked over. It’s a headstrong presence that has earned Alexis, 25, a ton of respect. Alexis is also determined to not let her career interfere with outside passions, as she recognizes the importance of having a healthy balance between work and her personal life. An aspiring musical artist who performs under the name Echo Blu, Alexis spends tons of time in the recording studio and has multiple songs available on Spotify. “Uptown Girl” is a PornCrush favorite. She’s also a gym addict and finds time to hang out with friends both inside and outside the industry. Alexis’ path is one that others should learn from and follow.

A Loyalfans ambassador, Banksie has quickly become the most popular red carpet host in the industry. Awards shows, noms parties, fundraisers and conventions … Banksie is seemingly at every adult event, looking every bit as beautiful as the porn stars she interviews. Still, the reasons for Banksie’s soaring popularity extend far beyond her physical appearance. Her interview questions are original and have depth—a refreshing reprieve from the cliche, clickbait topics topics that “journalists” love to heap onto adult stars. Banksie’s energy and positive vibes enhance the interviews, too, because she puts her subject at ease. Banksie had developed a following long before she began popping up on red carpets. The Austin native was so successful as a cam girl that she became known as the “Queen of Cams.” She also has her own Fleshlight. Loyalfans signed Banksie to an exclusive contract in February. A few months later her image was featured on a billboard just outside of Las Vegas. Most of Banksie’s interviews can be found on her YouTube channel or on her website, BanksieTV.com

In an industry where sexual health is of the utmost importance, performers need someone they can trust when issues arise. Bell has become that person. Bell is the Medical Director at at the LGBT Center of Los Angeles, Whether it’s via a DM on Twitter or with a simple phone call, performers (and sometimes even journalists) know they can always turn to Bell for questions or advice. Sometimes the conversations occur in person, as Bell makes it a point to attend almost every major industry event. For Bell, this is more than a job. It’s a passion. Bell genuinely cares about the well-being of adult performers, and that’s something they can sense. More recently, Bell was named the Medical Director at PASS, further enhancing an already impressive resume. In November, Bell was announced as finalist for XBIZ’s “Community Figure of the Year” award—a fitting way to recognize someone who is a huge asset to this industry.

Here are some traits that make an elite adult star: consistency, versatility, professionalism, and low drama. Lilly Bell checks all of these boxes. For the past four years, the Oregon native has approached her career with tunnel vision, blocking out all potential distractions while focusing solely on improving and surging forward. This mindset helped Bell ascend to the very top of the adult industry. She is one of six models to be nominated for AVN’s Female Performer of the Year award for a third straight year. She boasts five AVN nominations overall and 16 over the past three years. Bell is also regarded as one of the top five actresses in porn, and her scenes with females are every bit as hot as the ones she films with men. What’s admirable about Bell is that she’s always done things her way. She never let an agent or a studio pressure her into doing anal, as she waited four years before finally allowing backdoor access in 2024. She also worked with a trans performer (Emma Rose) for the first time this year and has never hesitated to take a break from shooting when her body is screaming for a rest. Bell is also a strong mentor for new performers, and she’s good about staying away from toxicity on social media. Bell is someone who does things that right way. She is a great face for porn.

In just four short years, Demure has established herself as one of the top trans performers in the history of porn. The former high school homecoming queen and professional hairdresser has tallied 17 AVN award nominations during that span and hasn’t shown signs of slowing down anytime soon. In the fall of 2023 Demure wrote, produced and starred in “Gorgons and Goddesses,” a 12-person trans gangbang that’s believed to be the largest of its kind in adult history. Also an accomplished seamstress, Demure designed and made all the costumes for the scene. The most impressive thing about Demure, however, has nothing to do with anything that’s occurred on camera. Instead it’s been her advocacy for her community and her outspokenness during times when trans performers feel marginalized that has earned Demure the most respect. The level-headedness Demure exhibits during moments of turmoil should be a lesson to everyone. She doesn’t unleash profanity-laced, name-calling rants on Twitter. She doesn’t threaten to boycott award shows or to quit the industry altogether. Instead Demure focuses on solutions. She has conversations with higher-ups in attempts to educate and spark changes and advance things forward. No one can deny that the industry has become more trans-inclusive in recent years, and Demure has been at the forefront of that movement.

Adult Time announced in February that Lovings had signed on as a brand ambassador for the studio. To say she’s represented the company well in the past year would be an understatement. Lovings cares deeply about the industry and her fellow performers, and she’s proven it through her actions. Once a month, Lovings hosts a free and anonymous Zoom meeting that offers mental health services to performers who may be struggling. Lovings uses her own money to hire certified counselors to lead the hourlong sessions. “You don’t have to go through the stress of this year alone,” Lovings wrote in an ad for the latest meeting. Lovings has also played a huge role in Adult Time’s mission to enhance consent practices throughout the industry. She’s featured prominently in a video that chronicles the consent meetings Adult Time directors conduct with performers before every scene—an activity that needs to become a standard for every studio. Lovings’ extracurricular efforts haven’t distracted from her high-level performances on screen. Among her 2025 award nominations is Best Supporting Actress nod for her role in Adult Time’s “Birth”.

With 502,000 subscribers and 662 million views, Luna is the 13th-ranked model on PornHub, making the 35-year-old the most popular MILF on the mammoth website. Still, throughout the industry, the ninth-year porn veteran is known as much for her warmth and supportive nature as she is for her performances. Luna is a strong, vocal advocate for the safety and wellness of her colleagues. She stands up for her beliefs and isn’t afraid to be vocal with things don’t feel right, even if she’s not involved in the situation. Luna has served as a mentor to Octavia Red and scores of other younger performers. They know they can call her for advice. If an outsider of civilian ever asks you to name something good about the adult industry, point them toward Luna.

If 100 models were asked to name their favorite male talent, Isiah Maxwell would probably be the answer 80 percent of the time. Female performers absolutely love working with Maxwell, and while his sexual prowess is one of the things that keeps him at the top of the list, it’s not the only reason. Maxwell goes out of his way to create chemistry and make co-stars feel comfortable. If he’s working with a new girl—or maybe one of his old favorites—it’s not uncommon for Maxwell to arrive on set with a bouquet of flowers. When he schedules OnlyFans shoots, he hires a female production assistant so that his partner will feel safe and relaxed. The little things go a long way. When Maxwell was named Male Performer of the Year at the AVN Awards in January, the crowd erupted with its loudest roar of the night. It was a moving moment, and a telling one. Isiah Maxwell has the respect and admiration of the entire adult industry. It’s safe to say he’s not on any “no” lists.

Relentless drive and passion are attractive qualities. There’s something really beautiful about watching someone stand up, time and time again, on a public stage, for a cause they believe in. Even if you don’t agree with all of their principles, those people are hard not to admire and respect. In the months leading up to November’s presidential election, Siouxsie Q—a high-level director and performer—did everything she could to educate members of the adult community on the candidates, their platforms and how the industry could be impacted depending on the outcome. Q’s posts on Instagram and Twitter were well-researched and informative. She was one of the leaders of the #HandsOffMyPorn campaign that spent more than $200,000 on ads that ran on adult websites, warning users of what could potentially happen if Donald Trump returned to the White House. She also attended industry parties, handed out stickers and encouraged people to vote. Even though the election didn’t turn out the way Q had hoped, the passion and concern she showed for the adult industry and its performers through her actions is something everyone should remember and be thankful for.

At last count there were 8,392 podcasts focusing on the adult industry. OK, maybe not that many. But the market is definitely getting a bit over-saturated, as more and more industry types launch their own platforms. It’ll be tough for anyone of them, though, to produce something better than Randall’s “Unfiltered.” The OG of porn podcasts, “Unfiltered” debuted in 2017 and has been on a rapid ascension ever since. Performers consider it an honor to be interviewed by Randall, who humanizes them in a way that other podcast journalist can't. Sure, there are fun discussions about crazy stories from set and and about sexual likes and dislikes. But the majority of Randall’s questions focus on the performers as people. She asks about their journey, about overcoming adversity, about surviving in and flourishing in a tough industry and about their goals moving forward. After an hour, as a listener, you truly feel like you’ve gotten to know Randall’s interview subject, which means she accomplished her goal. Randall’s skills as an interviewer have continued to improve over the years and she’s now at the top of her game. And she’s doing it all while still thriving as one of the industry’s top photographers/videographers and red carpet hosts—and also as a new mom.

Imagine going to school for nearly 12 hours a day, every Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday—and then working a physically-demanding job Friday through Monday, while still trying to mix in time for a personal life, while also up-keeping your house and caring for your dogs. Now imagine doing all of that as a 23-year-old. That’s been Rocket’s existence since March, when the perennial AVN award nominee enrolled in cosmetology school. More than a few people predicted Rocket wouldn’t last more than a month or two, that the demands of juggling school, work and a personal life would be too grueling for the fun-loving Puerto Rican. But here we are, 10 months later, and Rocket is thriving. The discipline and work ethic Rocket has shown in 2024 has been nothing short of remarkable. But perhaps we shouldn’t be all that surprised, considering Rocket was managing a Chick-Fil-A in Florida at age 17. “I enjoy hard labor,” Rocket told PornCrush. “I’ve never been afraid of hard work. I embrace it.” Rocket hopes to open her own salon one day, but not until she’s accomplished all of her goals in porn. Now represented by Mark Spiegler, the feeling is that 2025 could be Rocket’s best year yet. With school ending in April, Rocket—an underrated actress—will have a wide open schedule that will make her available for the feature roles that eluded her early in her career. Spiegler also hopes to book Rocket for some overseas shoots, perhaps with Dorcel. “She’s one of the most naturally-beautiful girls we’ve ever had,” Spiegler said. “There’s no limit to what she can accomplish.”

An A-list performer, Stratton was thrust into the mainstream spotlight in February when it was revealed she was dating “Hot Ones” host Sean Evans. But Evans couldn’t handle the heat from the public when his relationship with Stratton went viral, so he dumped the buxom brunette on Valentine’s Day. Over the phone, no less. Editor’s note: Seriously, what a pussy. And a dumbass. Anyway, as one might imagine, the whole celebrity-dates-porn-star topic is the perfect story for gossip blogs, and they gobbled this one up. But when TMZ interviewed Stratton on an LA sidewalk in March, she conducted herself in a manner that dispelled the “dumb bimbo” tag that the general public so often places on porn stars. Instead, Stratton was calm, cool and collected—and well-spoken—when she answered questions about her failed relationship with Evans. She sounded disappointed, but not bitter or vindictive. It was a mature and level-headed approach that probably changed a lot of people’s opinions about porn stars, while also earning Stratton thousands of new fans. By the end of the interview, the same people who said Evans was an idiot for dating a porn star were probably calling him an idiot for breaking up with her.