The Web Awards has introduced a new category for this October’s ceremony and it should make a very flattering addition to one organisation’s trophy cabinet: Most Influential Irish Website Ever.

Perhaps it's University College Cork, the first website in Ireland and one of the first in the world? Or the Revenue On-Line Service, which changed the way taxpayers did business with their favourite public body? Or how about, cough, one of the early media sites that changed news consumption habits?

Nominations for this and other categories in the Realex Payments Web and eCommerce Awards are open until August 20th, with other new categories including Best Sports News Site and a comeback for Best Podcast – podcasting in Ireland is now flourishing, says organiser Damien Mulley.

Public nominations for the “influential” award will be whittled down to a shortlist and final winner by a panel of experts and will be promoted via the hashtag #greatestIrish.

“I’m thrilled to be part of the Web & eCommerce Awards again this year, particularly now that the whole legal row with Marvel has settled,” joked returning awards host Rick O’Shea. “They finally admitted their Spider-Man franchise doesn’t allow them global rights to the word ‘web’.”