Breaking through in the adult industry used to take years. Now it can take a few months. A new generation of performers built big audiences on TikTok, Instagram and OnlyFans first, and only then signed with the major studios in Los Angeles.
The clearest measure of who made it is the AVN Awards in Las Vegas, the industry’s version of the Oscars, and especially the Best New Starlet category. These are ten newcomers who stood out, counting down to the biggest name of the new class.
10. Scarlett Alexis
Scarlett Alexis from North Carolina studied for a career in healthcare before flying to Southern California for her first shoots. She now combines studio work in Los Angeles with running her own subscription channels, a mix that has become the standard career model for her generation.
9. Xxlayna Marie
Wisconsin-born Xxlayna Marie is a textbook example of the TikTok route. Short lip-sync and dance videos brought her hundreds of thousands of followers, which led to a deal with an agency and then work for big studios like Bang Bros and Reality Kings, along with several award nominations.
8. Rissa May
Before her first professional scenes, Californian Rissa May worked in hospitality and posted fitness and lifestyle videos. At just over five feet tall she stood out to agencies straight away. Her move to studio work earned her a nomination for Best New Starlet at the 2025 AVN Awards, while her TikTok audience grew into the millions.
7. Dan Dangler
Dan Dangler from Michigan has a fine arts degree and worked as a wildlife painter and Twitch gamer before entering the industry. After building a following of millions on TikTok and Instagram, she made the jump from independent creator to the big studios and earned a Best New Starlet nomination in 2025.
6. Hayley Davies
Hayley Davies from Auckland took an unusual route to the top. She started as a webcam model and independent creator in New Zealand and Australia and became one of the region’s best-known OnlyFans names. Only then did she move to Los Angeles to work for studios like Brazzers and Vixen, which brought her a Best New Starlet nomination at the 2025 AVN Awards.
5. Elly Clutch
For years, Californian Elly Clutch was one of the best-known independent creators online, with cosplay videos as Harley Quinn and Catwoman pulling in millions of views. After winning recognition as an independent clip creator, she moved to big studio productions in 2025 and was among the nominees for Best New Starlet at the 2026 AVN Awards.
4. Ada Lapiedra
Anyone who knows the Spanish adult industry recognizes the surname. Madrid-born Ada Lapiedra was discovered by the Lapiedra brothers, the Spanish directors who also launched Apolonia and Lucía Lapiedra under the same stage surname. She quickly made a name in European productions shot in Barcelona and Budapest, proof that Spain has become one of the industry’s most important talent pools outside the US.
3. Chanel Camryn
Chanel Camryn grew up in Florida and moved with her family to the small coastal town of Seward, Alaska, as a teenager. At 21 she left Alaska for California to start a career in film.
Her rise was remarkably fast: at the AVN Awards in January 2024 she won Best New Starlet, and she has stayed one of the most in-demand names of her class ever since.
2. Gal Ritchie
The name is no coincidence: British performer Gal Ritchie picked it as a pun on director Guy Ritchie of Snatch fame. She started on social media and OnlyFans in the UK before crossing the Atlantic to work for labels like Vixen, Tushy and Deeper in Los Angeles.
The move paid off quickly. At the January 2025 AVN Awards she was named Best New Starlet, making her the face of her class.
1. Cheerleader Kait
Her nickname dates from college, when she went viral on TikTok with videos in her cheerleading uniform. After graduating, she started an OnlyFans page under the same name and grew into one of the biggest online creators in the United States through daily social media posts and brand collaborations.
When she decided to work with the big studios as well, she immediately became the breakout star of the season. On January 24, 2026, she was named Best New Starlet at the 43rd AVN Awards in Las Vegas, the top newcomer prize in the industry.
