UK sites do terribly well @ Webbies

This needs to get more headline media play — UK sites have won 26 awards across 119 categories at the industry Oscars, the Webbies. That is a lot.

Really pleased to see Zopa win 'best financial service site'. I met the guy behind it a while back and was extremely impressed with his drive and purpose.

Transport for London also deserved to win 'best government site', mainly for their online journey planner but the design is really good too. I could get picky (no! moi?), but have you seen US government websites? The competition? As I was pointing out the other day, 10 Downing Street's efforts are several thousand miles ahead of the White House. Seriously. they should enter for next year (paging Mr Dickson) ;] Problem of course with UK egov sites is kindof that's it. Quality at the top is award-winningly good but then it kindof falls off a cliff ...

New York Times won 'best news site' from the judges (they also finally beat The Guardian for 'best newspaper') but BBC News online won the people's choice.

Other deserving UK winners included nature.com for best science site, Moo.com and in the highly competitive 'best visual design' category a small, Leicestershire agency Checkland Kindleysides won. Their site has great, subtle Flash but the text is too small (but they all do this, these 'creatives')! Plus Flash's limitations are blindingly obvious as I have to screenshot to show you what they're like ... no 'right-click, save logo' ... no Flash/HTML integration ...



Flash: great looks, lots of issues ...

The BBC won for their Radio site for BBC World Service and Radio 1's Meet the DJs for best music site. The latter is pretty good going, but they've won for radio before (against lesser competition). Annie Lennox won too. As did out-law.com from Pinsent Masons.

Nothing for Patient Opinion in Health, but maybe next year, if they nominate themselves. (n.b. on Patient Opinion - I love their self-description, what you get in Google, "Patient Opinion is all about enabling patients to share their experiences of health care, and by doing so help other patients, and perhaps even change the ..." 'Enabling' actually is a real-world word and not, as you might think, 'elitist'. Just check The Sun's website, as I've suggested before as a Plain English checker shortcut).

Deservedly, the Huffington Post won best political blog (note absolutely no political parties even nominated). As did Invisible Children in activism.

• All the awards