The Belfast Telegraph scored another awards success last night after its website was named the best regional newspaper site in the UK.

Already named as Newspaper of the Year at last month’s press awards, the Bel Tel scooped the main regional prize at last night’s Online Media Awards.

The event, designed to celebrate the best in digital journalism, was sponsored by the Press Association, Society of Editors, NUJ, IE School of Communication and HoldtheFrontPage.

HoldtheFrontPage publisher Paul Linford helped judge the award and presented it at last night’s ceremony at the Emirates Stadium.

The Bel Tel overcame opposition from no fewer than 11 nominees in the category to emerge with the top prize.

Highly commended in the category were lancashiretelegraph.co.uk, Trinity Mirror’s Welsh portal walesonline.co.uk, and independent website Bristol24-7.

Also nominated were liverpoolecho.co.uk, southwalesargus.co.uk, thelincolnite.co.uk, thisiscornwall.co.uk, thebusinessdesk.com/yorkshire/, Leedsstudent.org and the Manchester Evening News site, menmedia.co.uk.

Said Paul:  “This was an incredibly strong category and the number of nominees demonstrates the growing degree of creativity and innovation in regional digital journalism.”

There was also a commendation for the South Wales Argus in the best use of social media category, won by The Guardian, but other nominees from the regional press failed to overcome national opposition in the battle for last night’s prizes.

Walesonline.co.uk was also nominated for best designed site, but lost out to fashion and beauty website Redonline.co.uk.

Trinity Mirror’s Dale Street Associates was nominated for best blogging and commentary, with the prize going to Channel 4 News.

And Newsquest South London also went away empty-handed despite nominations in the commercial innovation and technical innovation categories.

Online Media Awards founder Gordon Young said:  “Now in their second year the, Online Media Awards have very quickly become established among the world’s top online media owners and editors as an important benchmark for the work that they are doing to build strong online brands.

“What is also encouraging to see is that not only the major media brands are winning these awards, but smaller brands are also proving that when it comes to great online journalism it is not always who has the deepest pockets that wins.”

The full list of winners was as follows:

Website of the Year: The Guardian

Chairman’s Award: Mail Online

Best Brand Development: Emap, for Student Nursing Times

Best Campaigning / Investigative Journalism: The Sunday Times

Best Commentary/Blogging: Channel 4 News, for FactCheck

Best Commercial Innovation: Mindful Money

Best Designed site: Red Online

Best Local/Regional News Site: belfasttelegraph.co.uk

Best National News Site: The Guardian

Best Site for news-led Journalism: BBC News website

Best Specialist Site for Journalism:  The Economist

Best Technical Innovation:  The Guardian

Best Twitter feed: The Guardian, Paul Lewis @paullewis

Best Use of Crowd Sourcing or Citizen Journalism:  The Times, for Cities Fit for Cycling

Best use of Photography: The Sunday Times

Best Use of Social Media: The Guardian

Best Video Journalism:  BBC News

Digital Writer of the Year:  Murad Ahmed, The Times

Online Editor of the Year: Carla Buzasi, editor-in-chief, The Huffington Post UK