Journal-World Web sites were nominated Tuesday in all four categories of the 2003 “Edgies,” a group of national awards that honor excellence in online journalism.

The Journal-World was the only newspaper in the nation to be nominated in all categories.

“We’re giddy,” World Online General Manager Rob Curley said. “Many people across the nation feel these awards are the closest online equivalent to a Pulitzer.

“To receive these sorts of nominations from our peers across the country is truly an honor,” he said. “But our goal isn’t to win awards. It’s to serve Lawrence by building cool local Web sites.”

The top three entrants in each category were nominated for the “Digital Edge” awards, as the honors from the Newspaper Association of America are formally known.

World Online was nominated in the following categories, for newspapers with circulation less than 75,000:

• Most Innovative Use of Digital Media: News Event Coverage, for the Journal-World’s Kansas University news section.
• Most Innovative Use of Digital Media: Features/Enterprise, for “Parched Prairie,” senior editor Bill Snead’s series on the effects of drought in Kansas.
• Best Sports Site: KUSports.com.
• Best Advertising Program: KU Bookstore’s sponsorship of KUsports.com.

Curley said KUSports.com received a “massive overhaul” in August. The Journal-World’s KU news section was revamped in November.

Award winners will be announced during a Newspaper Association of America convention Jan. 27 in Orlando, Fla.

“The timing of this is a lot of fun,” Curley said. “For us computer nerds, this is a great little Christmas present.”