According to "Big Daddy" Ferguson, founder of Gay Chicago Magazine and creator of the awards, the Grabbys are "...our way of highlingting [sic] certain aspects of the past year's videos that, in our opinion, are worth[y] of special notice.
[5] The first live show took place in the Music Hall of Man's Country,[4] a gay bathhouse in Chicago's Andersonville neighborhood.
Fans, gay "adult male erotic performers",[6] directors, other industry people, and national media came from all over the United States to attend.
[7] Unlike the similar Gay Video News (GayVN) Awards, which are open only by invitation to participants and journalists, tickets for the Grabbys are available for public purchase, allowing fans and performers to mingle and network directly.
Relative newcomers to the industry Ken Ryker, performer, industry critic and author Mickey Skee from Adult Video News and Bob East, the Executive Director of the Men of Odyssey Studio, were inducted alongside long-time directors Jim Steel, Toby Ross, and co-hostess Chi Chi LaRue.
Commenting on the award for "Best Ethnic Video", LaRue remarked, "With 10 hot black studs and a white bottom boy, how can you miss?
The award ceremony, held over the Memorial Day Weekend of 2000, also included a surprise appearance by comedian Judy Tenuta, in town doing promotional work.
She delighted the crowd and, as Ferguson remarked in his report on the event, "it was a great treat to have her come out to support the gay porn industry.
However, Jeff Stryker, on his way to sign the "Wall of Fame", managed to "lose" his bathrobe and strut across the stage naked—his body well-oiled— and proceeded to stroke his erection for the appreciative crowd.
"[11] For the first time, the Trophy Studs for the 2001 awards were selected during the previous few months at events at Chicago's Lucky Horseshoe nightclub.
Jason Sechrest, of JasonCurious.com, was on hand to present a gift basket of several types of sexual lubricant to super-bottom performer Bret Wolfe.
[13] The 2003 award ceremony was held at the Park West theater on May 29, 2004, moving to a well-known professional concert / event venue.
[15] Jason Sechrest was in attendance again to present the basket of lube and was joined by the previous year's recipient, Bret Wolfe.
The recipient, Michael Knight, was called to the stage and the popular bottom thanked "the endless number of inches who have entered me".
[20][4] On January 5, 2009, for the first time ever, the Grabbys allowed fans the chance to vote for their preferred porn star co-host.
The finalists were: Steve Cruz, R.J. Danvers, Wolf Hudson, Trevor Knight, Nash Lawler, Collin O'Neal, Erik Rhodes, Jason Ridge, Giovanni Summers and Jackson Wild.