Traditionally, AVN’s highly-coveted Best New Starlet trophy is awarded to a young, college-aged model who started her adult industry career in mainstream porn.

Judging by this year’s nominees, things appear to be trending in a different direction.

Consider these statistics.

In the last 10 years (2016-25), the average age of the Best New Starlet winner was 21.7 years old. Holly Hendrix (19) was the youngest winner during that span, while Charly Summer (26) was the oldest. Seven of the 10 winners were 22 or younger.

This year, however, things are significantly different.

The average age of the 2026 nominees is 28. Three candidates (Ivy Ireland, Megan Mistakes, and Cubbi Thompson) are in their 30s. Linda Lan is 40. Only two nominees (Stella Luxx and Tessa Thomas) are under 24.

Industry insiders say the reason for the shift is simple.

Rather than using mainstream porn to build their brand, as has been the tradition, many models are entering the industry after spending years building up their name on other platforms.

Cubbi Thompson—who on Sunday won the Best New Performer award at the XMAs—is a famous Twitch streamer with 625,000 Instagram followers. Elly Clutch (27), who boasts nearly 500,000 followers on X, made a name for herself on Twitch and OnlyFans before shooting her first studio scene last summer. Violet Voss (27) and Cheerleader Kait (28) were wildly successful on other platforms and have social media followings well into the six figures.

Other recent nominees who entered the industry in a similar fashion include Dan Dangler, Hayley Davies, Sinatra Monroe, and Kenzie Anne.

The profile is very different from that of past winners such as Abella Danger, Blake Blossom, and Chanel Camryn, who were shooting scenes at high volume well before their 21st birthdays.

Another glaring discrepancy is workload.

According to the Internet Adult Film Database, the past 10 Best New Starlet winners had shot an average of 152 scenes by the time they were awarded the trophy. Abella Danger (212), Gianna Dior (174), and Chanel Camryn (170) had particularly high numbers.

The average for 2026 nominees is 57 scenes. Elly Clutch is credited with 23, and only 10 were for major studios.

Once again, the reason for the discrepancy is simple: performers are channeling more energy toward making content for their individual platforms, which takes away from their studio shoots.

Taken together, the data points to an awards category that’s quietly redefining what “new” means. For a long time, Best New Starlet rewarded a very specific kind of breakout: a fast-moving studio newcomer who piled up scenes, seized the spotlight, and became undeniable in a short window. That profile still exists, but it’s no longer the default path to a nomination.