Grooby Productions
| Company type | Privately held company |
|---|---|
| Industry | Adult entertainment |
| Founded | 1996 |
| Founder | Steven Grooby |
| Headquarters | Los Angeles , United States |
Area served | Worldwide |
Key people | Kristel Penn (Marketing Director) |
| Products | Transgender adult websites, DVD content |
Number of employees | 25 (2008) |
| Website | grooby |
Grooby Productions is a privately held enterprise established in London, England in 1996, now operating out of Los Angeles, California. It focuses on transgender adult entertainment delivered online and is acknowledged as a trailblazer in this sector, notably through its premier site Grooby Girls, the first transsexual subscription platform offering original material. The company manages several transgender adult websites, produces DVD content, and participates actively in forums, blogs, social media, and events such as the Transgender Erotica Awards.
Company history
Founded by Steven Grooby in 1996, the company initially launched various websites. One of its prominent platforms, Shemale Yum, transitioned from an adult verification service into a paid membership site. Although the word "shemale" is regarded as offensive by many within the transgender community, Grooby maintained the brand due to its strong market recognition. The portfolio expanded to include Ladyboy-Ladyboy in 1998—the first site dedicated to Thai transgender models—as well as sites featuring Brazilian, Black, Japanese, and Canadian transgender women.
Grooby previously operated official websites for performers such as Joey Silvera and Gia Darling before ending those collaborations on good terms. In 2006, the company celebrated its tenth anniversary with an event held in New York City.
In 2008, Grooby introduced SheMaleJapan.com to highlight Japanese "newhalf" transgender talent, a project developed over eight years alongside local partners. By late 2008, Grooby was running twelve websites with a core team of seven full-time employees at its Los Angeles base and a total workforce of 25 worldwide. Annually, it produces more than 2,000 photo and video sets for online distribution along with roughly ten DVD releases. The company moved its headquarters from Honolulu to Los Angeles toward the end of 2009.
Starting in August 2017, Grooby embarked on a rebranding initiative to remove the term 'shemale' from its offerings. This included renaming key sites such as 'Shemale Yum' to 'GroobyGirls.com' and 'Shemale.xxx' to 'Tgirls.xxx'. Kristel Penn, the marketing director, highlighted the company’s dedication to aligning with LGBTQ community values through this change.
By 2018, Grooby operated over 35 subscription-based adult transgender websites and produced about 50 DVDs annually. In October of that year, trans performer Domino Presley made her directorial debut with Domino Presley's House of Whores, initiating a series featuring Presley alongside Natalie Mars, Eddie Wood, and Jane Marie.
Transgender Erotica Awards
Grooby organizes the yearly Transgender Erotica Awards (TEA), held each February or March in Los Angeles. Established to honor excellence within the transgender adult entertainment industry, this event has grown from a modest online presentation into a significant ceremony recognizing performers and producers across 21 categories and attracting attention beyond just the transgender audience.
Awards and nominations
- 2010 XBIZ Award: GLBT Company of the Year
- 2012 XBIZ Award: Transsexual Studio of the Year (Winner)
- 2013 XBIZ Award: Specialty Affiliate Program of the Year - Groobybucks (Winner)
- 2016 AVN Award: Best Transsexual Movie and Best Transsexual Sex Scene - The Transsexual Housewives of Hollywood
- 2017 XBIZ Awards: Trans Studio of the Year (Winner), Trans Release of the Year - Real Fucking Girls (Winner), Adult Site of the Year - Shemale Yum (Winner), Specialty Affiliate Program of the Year - Groobybucks
- 2017 AVN Awards: Best Marketing Campaign, Best Soundtrack, Best Transsexual Movie (Real Fucking Girls won), Best Transsexual Sex Scene, Clever Title of the Year for various projects
- 2018 AVN Award: Best Transsexual Movie - All My Mothers Lovers (Winner)
- 2018 XBIZ Award: Best Trans Studio - Grooby Productions (Winner)
- 2018 XBIZ Europa Award: Trans Movie of the Year - Euro-Tgirls (Winner)
External links
- Transgender adult film production companies
- United States erotica and adult content platforms
- LGBTQ-focused media outlets in the United States
- Adult entertainment industry in Los Angeles
- California-based entertainment firms
- Los Angeles headquartered corporations
- American enterprises founded in 1996
- Entertainment industry entities launched in 1996
- Media organizations established in 1996
- American companies established in 1996
- Companies of the United States by year of establishment