ED Publications, producers of the Annual ED EXPO and the Annual ED “Honors” Awards Show, is proud to announce the list of adult nightclub nominees for 2026 (see below). The nominees for the feature entertainer categories will be revealed in a separate press release later today (Thursday, July 9). Voting for the Final ED’s Awards Ballot will be live from Friday, July 10, through July 24, and votes will only be accepted at www.theEDawards.com.
The ED Honors Awards Show — the ONLY national awards show for the billion-dollar adult nightclub industry — is slated for August 25, 2026, at the famed Penn & Teller Theater inside the Rio Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas. The ED’s Awards Show will be hosted by top comedian Matt Richards (CBS, HBO Max, Showtime, TBS, VH1 and more!). The ED Awards Show reception is 7:30-9 pm, while the ED Awards Show is 9-11 pm.
The nominees for this year’s ED Awards were selected in part via the ED Awards Pre-Nomination voting process. The ED Awards website accepted “pre-nomination” suggestions for the clubs, entertainers and industry pros who voters felt deserved to make the final ballot. Pre-nomination votes were accepted for one full month from mid-May to mid-June.
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 adult nightclub industry since its inception in 1993. The 2026 ED EXPO will be held August 23-26 at the Rio Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas, and rooms are just $69 per night (the EXPO room block expires on July 31).
Honors Awards return for 2026: The ED “Honors” Awards will once again acknowledge specific individuals who have made a significant contribution to the industry at large. The nominees of these awards will be announced via our websites (ExoticDancer.com and theEDexpocom), and 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. These “Honors” Awards will be presented in 2026:
Industry Innovator of the Year
Progressive Leader (GM/Regional) of the Year
Outstanding Employee of the Year
Businesswoman of the Year
In 2025, the ED Honors Board consisted of these voting members; each has been invited to return as an Honors Board voter in 2026: David “Slim” Baucom, owner, MAL Entertainment; Joey Bien, owner, The Treasure Clubs, Shon Bolden, owner, Devil’s Point and The Lucky Devil; Joe Carouba, owner, BSC Management; Jeb Jarrell, PANDA President and DJ; Larry Kaplan, ED legal correspondent; John Kirkendoll, owner, Penthouse Clubs/Kirkendoll Management; Don Kleinhans, owner, 2001 Odyssey; Danny Meyers, veteran DJ/MC; Thom Naylor, GM, Archibalds, DC; Dave Peacock, GM, Platinum 84; Dawn Rizos, owner, The Lodge; Jenn Shamy, owner, Delilah’s; Jim St. John, Spearmint Rhino; Jeremy Sweigert, DJ, Michael’s Men’s Club; Kathy Vercher, President & CEO, Spearmint Rhino; Jerry Westlund, owner, The Pony Clubs; Curtis Wise, owner, Bucks clubs.
The 2026 Club Award Nominees
The following list includes all of the club award categories and nominees for the 2026 ED’s Awards Show.
“Overall Club of the Year” Nominees
Note: This is a “national” club award, celebrating the top club in the US.
Diamond Cabaret, Denver, CO
Mons Venus, Tampa, FL
Rachel’s Palm Beach, West Palm Beach, FL
Spearmint Rhino, Minneapolis, MN
Scores Gentlemen’s Club, Mooresville, NC
The Admiral Theatre, Chicago, IL
The Gold Club, San Francisco, CA
Thee Dollhouse, Myrtle Beach, SC
Overall “Small” Club of the Year Nominees
Note: This award celebrates nominees from across the U.S. that are either in smaller club markets or are venues that are not “mega-clubs” (i.e., less substantial square footage).
Bucks Platinum, Columbus, OH
Deja Vu, Stockton, CA
Jumbo’s Clown Room, Los Angeles, CA
Lust Gentlemen’s Club, Myrtle Beach, SC
Mouse’s Ear, Johnson City, TN
Savannah’s on Hannah, Harrisburg, PA
Snooty Foxx, Colorado Springs, CO
Treasure Club, Greensboro, NC
“Club of the Year” East Region Nominees
East Region includes: New England, New York, Pennsylvania, Ohio, West Virginia, Virginia, Kentucky, Washington DC, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Alabama and Florida.
Booby Trap on the River, Miami, FL
Rick’s Cabaret, Portland, ME
Cheetah Premiere Gentlemen’s Club, Raleigh, NC
The Furnace, Birmingham, AL
The Pony, Pensacola, FL
Thee Dollhouse, Tampa, FL
Treasure Club, Myrtle Beach, SC
Vixens, Davie, FL
Wonderland, NYC, NY
Rick’s Cabaret, Raleigh, NC
“Small Club of the Year” East Region Nominees
This award celebrates nominees from this region that are either in smaller club markets or are venues that are not “mega-clubs” (i.e., less substantial square footage).
Just Enuff Lounge, King of Prussia, PA
Making Your Place Hour Place, Jay, ME
Norma Jean’s, Baltimore, MD
Pure Gold, Greensboro, NC
Red Leopard, Satellite Beach, FL
Rhode Island Dolls, Woonsocket, RI
Secrets, Charleston, SC
Tally-Ho, Rochester, NY
Teasers, Key West, FL
Uncle Buck’s Boobie Bungalow, Huntsville, AL
“Club of the Year” Central Region Nominees
Central Region includes: Michigan, Wisconsin, Indiana, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, North Dakota, South Dakota, Kansas, Nebraska, Iowa, Missouri, Oklahoma, Ohio, Minnesota, Louisiana, Mississippi
Cheyenne Gentlemen’s Club, Roland, OK
Christie’s Cabaret, Canton, OH
Club 327, New Orleans, LA
Deja Vu, Lansing, MI
Flight Club, Detroit
Heartbreakers, Milwaukee, WI
Michael’s Men’s Club, Broussard, LA
Playhouse, Council Bluffs, IA
Spearmint Rhino, Lexington, KY
The Penthouse Club, New Orleans, LA
“Small Club of the Year” Central Region Nominees
This award celebrates nominees from this region that are either in smaller club markets or are venues that are not “mega-clubs” (i.e., less substantial square footage).
Belle Starr Gentlemen’s Club, Box Elder, SD
Club Omaha, Omaha, NE
Executive Lounge, Wichita, KS
Just Enuff Cabaret, Rockford, IL
Michelle’s Beach House, Wichita, KS
Oval Office, Green Bay, WI
Peppermint Hippo, Fort Wayne, IN
PT’s Showclub, Indianapolis, IN
The Godfather Bourbon & Burlesque Club, Louisville, KY
Whispers, Basehor, KS
“Club of the Year” West Region Nominees
West Region includes: Texas, Nevada, New Mexico, Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, Utah, Oregon, Washington, California, Alaska, Hawaii
Airstrip Gentlemen’s Club, Las Vegas, NV
Bucks Houston South, Houston, TX
Club Rouge, Portland, OR
Great Alaskan Bush Co, Anchorage, AK
Jaguars, Phoenix, AZ
Spearmint Rhino, Las Vegas, NV
The Men’s Club, Dallas, TX
The Red Rose, Austin, TX
The Ritz, Houston, TX
Vanity, San Francisco, CA
“Small Club of the Year” West Region Nominees
This award celebrates nominees from this region that are either in smaller club markets or are venues that are not “mega-clubs” (i.e., less substantial square footage).
4Play, Los Angeles, CA
Angelwitch Cabaret, Lubbock, TX
Bare Back Saloon, Rock Springs, WY
Dimes Cabaret, Tempe, AZ
Eclipse, Boise, ID
Fox Club, Missoula, MT
Kit Kat Club, Portland, OR
Kittens Cabaret, Seattle, WA
Lucky Devil Lounge, Portland, OR
Scarlett O’Haras, Sioux Falls, SD
“Feature Club of the Year”Nominees
This is a national award for clubs that book feature entertainers at least once per month.
Aladdin’s, Laredo, TX
Archibald’s, Washington DC
Deja Vu, Kalamazoo, MI
Fantasy’s, Traverse City, MI
Lickity Splitz, Wausau, WI
Minx Show Palace, Des Moines, IA
Platinum 84, Denver, CO
Pony Bama, Huntsville, AL
Scarlett’s Cabaret, Sulphur, LA
The Filly Gentlemen’s Club, Smithton, PA
