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Welcome to the Final Ballot for the 2026 ED Honors Awards!
ED Publications, producers of the Annual ED EXPO and the Annual ED 'Honors' Awards Show, is proud to announce the list of adult nightclub and feature entertainer nominees for 2026. Voting for this Final ED's Awards Ballot will be live from now through July 24, and votes will only be accepted here.
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.
If you haven't registered for EXPO yet, it's not too late! The Annual ED EXPO is open to all industry professionals: Owners, GMs, executives, entertainers, DJs, servers, bartenders, security staff, hosts/hostesses, and other industry pros. The EXPO remains the only convention in the world for the billion-dollar adult nightclub industry, and it is packed with four days that include a two-day tradeshow, evening parties and special events, two days of educational seminars, and of course, the Annual ED "Honors" Awards Show
Please note: Voters are only allowed to log in and vote once - meaning, one vote per person, no vote stacking. ALSO: We will randomly select voters to email to ensure that the account is indeed valid. If there is no response, those votes will be discounted.
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 theEDexpo.com), 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) of the Year
- Outstanding Employee of the Year
- Businesswoman of the Year
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, so be sure to book your EXPO room today!
More about show host Matt Richards
MATT RICHARDS is an NYC-based actor, host, and comedian, and writer. He's appeared on virtually every major network and streaming channel, including HBOMax, Showtime, CBS, NBC, TBS, MTV and VH1. You can catch Matt in the Comedy Central Studios feature film Run For The Money opposite Beck Bennett and Joel McHale on Paramount+, and as the host of A&E's popular food travel series Best in Chow. Matt was selected as a NEW FACE Character for the prestigious Just For Laughs Festival in Montreal, and has been a host producer for Snoop Dogg on various programming for VH1, TBS and Peacock.
Don't forget to book your room at the beautiful Rio Hotel & Casino!
If you think you know the Rio Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas, take another look: Their $340-million-dollar renovation was designed to return this iconic venue to its previous glory. In 2026, ED EXPO attendees will have their opportunity to experience the "new" Rio, as the industry's only convention lands at this luxurious property on August 23-26.
"As the strip gets more congested - and much more expensive - the Rio is the ideal destination to host the EXPO" says ED Publisher, Dave Manack, noting that though the Rio is "off the strip", it's only a five-minute Uber ride away. "The Rio property is pristine: The Ipanema Tower boasts brand-new suite-like rooms, while there are scores of dining options including the Canteen Food Hall, a gorgeous convention & tradeshow area, and perhaps the most amazing view of Las Vegas available via their rooftop Voodoo Lounge (and brand new 'High Steaks' fine dining restaurants). We can't wait for our attendees to see everything Rio has to offer.
Book your Rio room today!
Process
To vote on the 2026 ED Awards Final Ballot, you must:
1. Register
Click on the "Register" link and complete and submit the registration form. You will be emailed a confirmation of registration.
2. Login
Use your email and password to login to theedawards.com to nominate in the voting categories. In order to login, a code will be sent to your email which will be required to login to the voting portal.
3. Vote!
Tell us which clubs and entertainers are most deserving of winning their category this year. Please note, only one vote per user! No vote stacking, no 'ghost' email accounts - these votes will be discarded!
4. Submit
On completion, save your vote as FINAL. After you submit as FINAL your votes will be submitted, BUT you'll have a chance to change one or more of your votes BEFORE voting ends on July 24th.
More about ED Publications and the EXPO
ED (Exotic Dancer) Publications is the only national business magazine, national convention and national awards show serving the multi-billion-dollar adult nightclub industry. The company was established in 1991 and has faithfully served this industry for three decades! We have produced the Annual ED EXPO since its inception in 1993, and look forward to seeing all of our friends this year at the Rio Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, August 23-26.
We are ED Publications, and here's what we do!
ED Publications currently produces: ED Magazine, the bimonthly news magazine for the owners and operators of adult nightclubs; the Annual ED EXPO, the only national convention for the adult nightclub and feature entertainment industries; and the Annual Adult Nightclub & Exotic Dancer Awards Show (The ED's Awards), the only national awards show for this industry. ED Publications also operates several industry websites, including ExoticDancer.com, and digital.edpublications.com, which features online editions of the magazine. ED Publications also produces STOREROTICA Magazine and STOREROTICA.com (established in 2004), the leading national trade magazine for the owners and operators of lingerie boutiques and adult stores. The company published its first magazine - the EXOTIC DANCER Directory, which listed hundreds of adult nightclubs across America and around the world - in 1991. Two years later, in 1993, ED Publications established the Annual Gentlemen's Club EXPO, a national gathering of adult nightclub owners, exotic entertainers, vendors and industry professionals.
What is the Annual ED EXPO?
Established in 1993, the Annual ED EXPO (formerly known as the Gentlemen's Club EXPO) is the only B2B convention in the world for those who make their living in the billion-dollar adult nightclub industry. This includes club owners, operators, entertainers, DJs, bartenders, servers, club staff and other industry professionals. The EXPO is held annually (usually in Las Vegas), and features a four-day agenda that includes educational and motivational seminars, a two-day B2B Tradeshow, networking events, exclusive evening parties and the Annual ED "Honors" Awards Show. Admission is strictly limited to individuals who work in this industry or companies that have products/services that are being marketed toward adult clubs.
Here is the current agenda for the 2026 ED EXPO at the Rio in Las Vegas!
Industry professionals and entertainers only: Register to attend here!
Book your hotel room at the Rio here!
