Las Vegas- It was Ashley Blue, a woman who could make her fist disappear up her ass faster than you can say David Copperfield, who had the last laugh Saturday night and, in the process, left former boyfriend Trent Tesoro at the starting gate.

Blue, whose celebrated break up with Tesoro was aired all over KSEX last week won Female Performer of the year at the 2004 AVN Awards. Then, in a long overdue nod, Michael Stefano, who once starred in divorce settlements with both Extreme Associates and, later, Jewel De’Nyle, was named Male Performer of the Year.

Then, in the guys who don’t speak English that well but fuck really good categories, Mandy Bright was named Female Foreign Performer of the Year while Manuel Ferrera was named Male Foreign Performer of the Year. And, in an award that not too many people can justifiably lay claim to, Vanity won Transsexual Performer of the Year.

But in the evening’s biggest shocker, L.A. Direct Models owner Ben English beat out the heavily favored Kurt Lockwood for Best New Male Performer. Obviously, porn star karaoke appearances were not a deciding factor in this selection.

Meanwhile, Stormy whose juicy comments about Katie Morgan’s intelligence level in a behind the scenes segment of Space Nuts probably earned her more publicity than any actual project she did this year, won Best New Starlet. And Space Nuts, if nothing else, certainly the longest porno comedy ever made, apparently got some of the Stormy vibe, earning a Best Sex Comedy award.

There’s only ties in hockey games and those hanging in your dad’s closet. But the prevailing wisdom is there should NEVER be one for any award much less the most prestigious of the evening. Again, as in year’s past, that went over someone’s head, as Rawhide from Adam & Eve and Beautiful from Wicked Pictures finished in a dead heat. But it was Beautiful’s Michael Raven, not Rawhide’s director Nicholas Steele, who took home the award for Best Director.

The issue of Apocalypse Now aside for the moment, famed author Joseph Conrad is probably rolling over in his grave, considering the fact that the title of his most celebrated work was also used in a porn flick.

Heart of Darkness, from Vivid Video won the award for Best Film with its director Paul Thomas winning the award in that category. Randy Spears also took the award for Best Actor, Film for Heart of Darkness. Which might have been considered another shocking development in some circles since the Elegant Angel’s highly touted Compulsion was rated an inside favorite to take Best Film, and Kurt Lockwood, at one point, was considered a reasonable shoe-in for Best Actor in that project.

In the other acting categories, Savanna Samson who was on the Howard Stern show earlier in the week won Best Actress, Film for Looking in from Vivid. Julia Ann won Best Actress in a video for Beautiful from Wicked Pictures. Evan Stone took Best Actor, Video for Space Nuts.

It could also be argued that Dru Berrymore won not so much the Best Supporting Actress, Film award for Heart Darkness, as the process of elimination contest. Both Sunrise Adams and Ava Vincent who also appeared in the film, were nominated for the same award. Which leaves one to ponder exactly how three performers in a porn film could possibly be nominated in the same category.

Brook Ballentyne then got the award for Best Supporting Actress, video for, Rawhide. While Steven St. Croix took Best Supporting, Film for Vivid’s Looking In. Randy Spears then got his second acting award of the evening for Space Nuts in which he got the Best Supporting Actor, Video award.

And, ending all the months of speculation and nail-biting, Kick Ass Pictures won the Best Overall Marketing Campaign, Individual Project for the Mary Carey For Governor gimmick.

Inducted this year in the Hall of Fame were Julia Ann, Brad Armstrong, Kim Christy, Don Fernando, Max Hardcore, Houston, Johnny Keyes, Jim Malibu, Rhonda Jo Petty, Alicia Rio, Misty Rain and Barry Wood.