The undisputed star of the first annual WebsAwards was the BermyNet.com website and its creator Brenton Richardson.

Mr. Richardson scooped four awards out of 20 at the award ceremony held in the e-Venture Centre on Pitts Bay Road last night, including the best community website, the best living website, the best news website and the People's Choice award for the best website.

"I'm overwhelmed," said Mr. Richardson after the prize giving.

"The people of Bermuda make the success of the site possible.

"Without them, it is just another website."

Mr. Richardson, who splits his time between the BermyNet website and his job as a web-developer for IDM (Independent Design Media), thanked all those who contribute and support the site and was already thinking that next year's awards would be far more competitive.

Telecommunications Minister Renee Webb was on hand to present the awards and said the success of this sort of event was important for Bermuda.

Ms Webb was happy to say that there had been more than 270 entries and added: "In our mission to become the foremost offshore location for e-commerce we have to always remember that an important measure of our success will be how sophisticated and advanced e-business is within the community itself."

She said international companies thinking of locating their business on the Island will want to see a switched-on society and said: "In my view, we will have failed unless we are able to demonstrate in the Government, in our schools, in our businesses and in the community that we have got the e-business message and by the evidence tonight, I think that we are all getting the message!"

Other winners included the Bank of Butterfield who won the top award of the night, the prestigious Minister's Choice Awards for overall excellence.

Lucy Hollis received an honourable mention as the sole entrant in the youth category for her website and the best personal website winner was Sean Collier.

The awards were organised by Walton Brown through Evoke International and a full list of the winners is below:

Personal Website: Sean Collier, www.bermuda.bm/dogs/

Bermuda Portal: www.bermudamall.com

Arts: www.lynnmorrell.com

Community: www.bermynet.com

Education: www.bermudaworldheritage.com

Health: www.bfm.bm

Living: www.bermynet.com

Broadband: www.BlackburneDS.com

Commerce: www.justaskinc.bm

Service: www.bfm.bm

News: www.bermynet.com

Legal: www.justaskinc.bm

Government: www.bermudatourism.com

Sports: www.bermudagolfing.com

Travel: www.grottobay.com

Technical Achievement: www.bfm.bm

Designer: Martin Teesdale, www.bankofbutterfield.com

Honourable Mention: Lucy Hollis, www.geocities.com/lucyhollis_bda

International Business: www.cdp.com

People's Choice: www.bermynet.com

Minister's Choice: www.bankof butterfield.com