The website is hoping to add to the 11 awards it has won at the last three annual ceremonies.

Science editor Dr David Whitehouse is up for three prizes

It dominates the categories for best feature story, general news presentation and best entertainment, technology and business stories.

The websites of the Guardian newspaper, the New Scientist magazine and Spanish newspaper El Mundo each have four nominations.

BBC News Online won four awards in both 2001 and 2000 to go with the three it won at the first European Online Journalism Awards in 1999.

This year, its science editor, Dr David Whitehouse, is nominated in three categories, including internet journalist of the year.

His story about reservoirs of ice being found on Mars is also a contender for the prize for the best story broken on the internet.

Innovation

Features about Consignia and the rail network are named in the best feature category, while special reports on the Bristol babies heart scandal and the aftermath of 11 September in New York are nominated for best news presentation.

A section encouraging people to vote in the 2001 general election was also singled out for a nomination for best innovation in online journalism.

The nominations for the best news story of the year were the Guardian Unlimited's coverage of 11 September, The Scotsman's reports on the Lockerbie appeal verdict, and a feature interviewing people across North and South America on Spanish site Espiral, which saw the first interviewee suggest the next, and so on.

In June, BBC News Online was named the world's best news service at the prestigious Webby Awards.