A BBC website has been named the best local or regional online platform at this year’s Online Media Awards, pipping several regional newspaper sites to the prize.

The awards were handed out last night at a black-tie ceremony in London’s Grosvenor Marriott Hotel.

Six regional newspaper websites were among the 12 nominations for Best Regional/Local News Site including those of the Belfast Telegraph, Derby Telegraph, South Wales Argus, Lancashire Telegraph, Edinburgh Evening News and Kent Messenger.

However they lost out to BBC Online’s East Midlands portal with the corresponding BBC East site winning a commendation.

Other local press nominees including Lincolnshire Echo photographer Anna Draper, who was commended in the Best Photographer category, and former Express & Echo editor Marc Astley’s digital startup The Exeter Daily, nominated in the Best Best Use of Crowd Sourcing or Citizen Journalism category.

The full results were as follows:

Grand Prix – Website of the Year: theguardian.com

Chairman’s Award: RadioTimes.com

Online Editor of the Year: Anna Doble, Channel 4 News

Digital Writer of the Year: Geoff White, Channel 4 News

Outstanding Digital Team of the Year (Sponsored by the British Journalism Review): the.guardian.com

Best Site for News-Led Journalism: BBC News Online

Best Specialist Site for Journalism: Gannett Digital, for USA TODAY

Best Local/Regional News Site: BBC Online – East Midlands

Commended: BBC News Online East, The Detail

Also nominated: belfasttelegraph.co.uk, Bristol Culture, derbytelegraph.co.uk, edinburghnews.com, ITV News Central, KentOnline, Lancashire Telegraph, southwalesargus.co.uk, The Lincolnite

Best National/World News Site: theguardian.com

Best Campaigning/Investigative Journalism: The Guardian – The NSA Files

Best Commentary/Blogging: Guardian Live Blogs

Best Video Journalism: VICE Media for VICE

Best Designed Site: Get The Gloss

Best Twitter Feed: BBC News Online for @BBCBreaking

Best Use of Social Media: Channel 4 News for Philippines family reunited – #c4newspopup – #WT4

Best Use of Crowd Sourcing or Citizen Journalism: BBC News Online for BBC News Online Winter Watch

Also nominated: The Exeter Daily for The Daily UK Ltd

Best Brand Development: The Scottish Sun

Best Commercial Innovation: Dennis Publishing for Adnostic

Commendation: Herald & Times, Glasgow for HeraldScotland 2.0

Technical Innovation: Channel 4 News/ITN for #DataBaby – Technical Innovation

Best App – for smart phone or tablet: Financial Times for FT App

Best Freelance Writer: Simon Hooper for Al Jazeera English Online

Best Photographer: David Rose for Telegraph Media Group

Commendation: Anna Draper for Lincolnshire Echo

Best Lifestyle/Leisure News Site: Radio Times.com

Best Business/Finance Site: Forbes Media for The Transformation of Forbes.com

Best Health/Education News Site: TherapyToday.net

Native Advertising Solution/Campaign of the Year: The Economist