The ED Honors Awards Show — the ONLY national awards show for the billion-dollar adult nightclub industry — is produced by ED Publications and is slated for August 25, 2026, at the Penn & Teller Theater in Las Vegas (inside the Rio). Established in 1998, the ED’s Awards Show is the marquee event of the Annual ED (EXOTIC DANCER) EXPO, the only national convention & tradeshow for the industry since its inception in 1993. The 2026 EXPO will be held August 23-26 at the Rio Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas, and rooms are just $69 per night!
How do clubs, entertainers and industry pros get nominated for ED Awards or Honors Awards?
The first step in the process of nominations for the Final ED Awards Ballot is the pre-nomination voting website, www.theEDawards.com, where industry professionals can nominate those clubs, staff members, entertainers and industry executives they feel are most deserving of an ED Award nomination.
How it works: Starting May 15, users can visit www.theEDawards.com and create a user account, which will allow them to vote for the clubs and individuals they feel deserve to make the final ballot. To ensure this is a fair process, our awards website is produced by an independent web host (RhythmQ), and includes two-factor authentication. Voters are encouraged to tell us why that club, entertainer or industry pro is deserving of this nomination! This website will be accepting nominations until June 15.
Club regions: Please see the map below, which shows the three different club award regions. The categories for clubs and entertainers have evolved over the years to keep pace with the industry’s evolution. In 2026, awards will be presented to clubs in three regions—East, Central and West. Note: There are also “Small” Club of the Year categories in each of those three regions.
The most prestigious club award is “Overall Club of the Year,” a category which typically boasts eight-to-ten nominees from across the U.S. These are clubs that have either won or were nominated in their award region multiple times. In 2022, a new award — “Overall Small Club of the Year” — was introduced that celebrates nominees from across the U.S. that represent clubs that are either in smaller club markets or are venues that are not “mega-clubs” (i.e., less substantial square footage). There is also a national club award for the “Feature Club of the Year,” honoring clubs that regularly book feature entertainers.
The ED “Honors” Awards
Voters were introduced to something new in the title of last year’s show: Honors. That’s because we introduced several ED “Honors” Awards that acknowledge specific individuals who have made a significant contribution to the industry at large. The winners of these awards will be chosen by our “ED Honors Board,” a collection of well-established industry professionals from across the country that represent several areas of club operation, from clubs both big and small.
The following four ED “Honors” Awards will be presented in 2026:
Progressive Leader (GM) of the Year – This award (formerly the General Manager of the Year Award) will honor the leaders pushing their teams forward and navigating them toward success. This award seeks to recognize the leaders who are guiding their club, and perhaps the industry, in a whole new direction.
Outstanding Employee of the Year – While general managers are often the engines that make the club move, the employees themselves are the ever-important cogs in that engine. This award seeks to honor an employee who has gone above and beyond the limitations of their title. As the nominees in this category will prove, anyone can make a difference in a club’s success, no matter what duties they perform. Be it a server, bartender, VIP hostess, security staff or DJ, the Outstanding Employee of the Year just might be your club’s MVP.
Industry Innovator of the Year – A trailblazer who pushes the boundaries of possibilities within the industry, the recipient of this award is someone whose creative thinking, groundbreaking ideas and innovative solutions are transforming the landscape. Whether through a major club renovation, a new club format, technology or new approaches, this individual is leading the charge in redefining the future, setting new standards and shaping the next generation of success.
Businesswoman of the Year – Let’s be real: Conducting business in the adult nightclub industry is not for the meek, but it’s even more challenging for women. This award signifies our appreciation for an industry professional who can easily traverse these choppy waters to excel within their club or provide a better product/service in an industry that may not recognize them as often as they should.
THIS IS VERY IMPORTANT: When nominating a club, a fellow industry professional or entertainer, please tell us why they deserve this nomination! This is especially important for the “Honors” Awards and our vetting process for these awards. So please, don’t just put down a name, tell us why they deserve this recognition!
The Entertainer Awards
The full list of entertainer awards being presented at EXPO 2026 will include: EDI 2026 Grand Champion, Feature Entertainer of the Year, Newcomer Entertainer of the Year, Club Favorite Entertainer of the Year, International Entertainer of the Year and Miss ExoticDancer.com of the Year.
Awards presented prior to the “main” show
To ensure the ED Awards Show is clean and crisp two-hour show, we hand out several awards prior to the “main” show. This year is no different, and we have five awards that will be presented in advance.
With the EDI Finals being held on the Sunday of EXPO since 2021, the first night of the convention has morphed into “feature entertainers night.” As such, it makes all the sense in the world to present several awards to features, and to honor the clubs that book feature entertainers!
Four feature entertainer awards will be presented at the 2026 EDI Finals on Sunday, August 23 from 9 pm to midnight at Spearmint Rhino Las Vegas. After our four EDI Finalists wow audience members with their electrifying performances, the following entertainer awards will be presented: Club Favorite Entertainer of the Year, International Entertainer of the Year, Newcomer Entertainer of the Year, and Miss ExoticDancer.com of the Year
To honor the clubs that book the industry’s top feature entertainers and showgirls in their clubs, we will present the ED Award for “Feature Club of the Year.” Nominees for this award will be chosen by the pre-nominations voting website which is live right now and will be accepting nominations until June 15.
The ED’s Awards Show
The 2026 ED “Honors” Awards Show will be held on Tuesday, August 25 at the Penn & Teller Theater inside the Rio. A reception will be held right outside the theater from 7:30-9 pm, immediately followed by the awards show from 9 to 11 pm. This year’s awards show will be hosted by comedian Matt Richards and feature performances by two EDI finalists. Plus, we’ll find out who wins such prestigious awards as Overall Club of the Year, Overall “Small” Club of the Year, Feature Entertainer of the Year and EDI Grand Champion!
