There are not many awards ceremonies where you can expect a red carpet full of performers, content creators, cam stars and industry legends before the night has even properly started. But the XMA Europe Awards are not exactly your average awards night.
On September 13th, the adult industry descended on Amsterdam for the 2026 XMA Europe Awards, with two very familiar faces taking charge of the evening: Amirah Adara and Ella Hughes. And while they were there to hand out the trophies, neither woman was exactly a stranger to XMA gold themselves.
Two hosts, plenty of XMA history
First up was Amirah Adara, who brought some serious awards-show credentials to the stage.
Amirah won Female Performer of the Year at the inaugural XBIZ Europa Awards in 2018, so stepping into the host role meant she was returning to an event where she had already made her mark. She also arrived in Amsterdam as a nominee herself, with nominations across several categories at this year’s awards. And she wasn’t leaving the 2026 ceremony empty-handed.
Amirah was part of the winning cast for Best Sex Scene – Feature for Clash of the Vikings, alongside Catherine Knight and Xander Corvus. She also picked up another win for Best Sex Scene – Orgy/Group (Female-Led). So that’s one way to make sure your hosting duties don’t get in the way of the celebrations.
Then there was Ella Hughes, porn royalty and former BSX performer. The iconic redhead starlet was already a familiar face at the event, having previously picked up XMA honours and returned in 2026 as both host and nominee. And, naturally, Ella managed to squeeze a trophy into her evening too. She joined Agatha Vega, Terry Banks and Shadow Dimitri to win Best Sex Scene – Orgy/Group (Mixed).
Basically, if you’re going to host an awards ceremony, you might as well leave with some silverware.
Britain was well represented
Ella Hughes wasn’t the only British name making her presence felt. There was a strong UK contingent among the 2026 nominees, with familiar faces appearing across performer, creator, directing and scene categories.
Catherine Knight was one of the biggest British names of the night. She was nominated for Female Performer of the Year and several scene categories, and went on to win the big one: Female Performer of the Year. She also took home Best Sex Scene – Feature with Amirah Adara and Xander Corvus.
Then there was Keiran Lee, who appeared in the Male Performer of the Year and Male Creator of the Year nominations, as well as the Best Sex Scene – All-Sex category. His scene with Clea Gaultier, Clea’s Classy Penthouse Fuck, took home the XMA for Best Sex Scene – All-Sex.
Lily Phillips was another British star celebrating in Amsterdam. She was nominated for Best Sex Scene – Vignette alongside Marco Bull, and the pair won the category for Insatiable Lily Can’t Resist His Massive Cock.
And we can’t forget Danny D. Danny was nominated for Director of the Year – Individual Work for Clash of the Vikings, while also appearing in several scene nominations, including alongside Ella Hughes. Zoe Grey was also on the nominee list, receiving a nomination for MILF Performer of the Year.
And yes… Babestation was there
Of course, the UK representation wasn’t limited to individual performers. Babestation was nominated for Cam Site of the Year, putting the brand alongside some of the biggest names in the European cam industry.
Babestation didn’t win the award, but being shortlisted at the XMA Europe Awards was still a pretty big moment for Babestation and the cam side of the business. And with the Babestation team making the trip to Amsterdam, the red carpet definitely had its fair share of familiar faces.
More than just a night of trophies
What makes the XMAs interesting isn’t simply who wins. It’s the fact that for one night, performers from movies, cams and creator platforms are all in the same room. The people behind the cameras are there, the people in front of them are there, and everyone gets the chance to catch up, celebrate and, inevitably, have a few drinks while wearing something that probably isn’t particularly practical.
For the British contingent, 2026 was certainly a night worth talking about. Ella Hughes made history as the first British woman to host the ceremony. Catherine Knight took home Female Performer of the Year. Keiran Lee and Lily Phillips were among the British winners in the scene categories, while Amirah Adara managed the rather impressive feat of hosting the show and winning two awards on the same night.
And Babestation? We got to put our name on the XMA shortlist, walk the red carpet and be part of one of the biggest nights in the European adult industry.
Not a bad excuse for a trip to Amsterdam.