The Web Marketing Association is looking for the Best Government Websites in the world as part of their 30th annual international WebAward Competition for Web site developmentat www.webaward.org. The WebAwards is the standards-defining competition that sets benchmarks for 86 industries, including Government websites, based on the seven criteria of a successful web site. The deadline for Government websites to enter to be judged is May 29, 2026.
“In the public sector, a government website is a critical infrastructure asset, not simply a communications tool,” remarked William Rice, President of the Web Marketing Association. “Citizens expect secure online services, accessible design that meets ADA and WCAG standards, multilingual resources, real-time updates, digital forms, payment portals, and clear policy transparency. Government agencies must balance cybersecurity, data privacy, compliance mandates, and budget constraints while delivering intuitive, mobile-first user experiences. As digital service delivery becomes central to public trust, performance and clarity are essential. The WebAward Competition provides government agencies and their development partners with an objective evaluation against industry benchmarks, along with the high-visibility distinction of being recognized as an ‘Award-Winning Website.’ That recognition reinforces public confidence, strengthens transparency, enhances discoverability, and validates a commitment to modern, accountable digital governance.”
Web sites are judged on seven criteria including design, innovation, content, technology, interactivity, copy writing and ease of use. Each WebAward entry is judged against other entries in its industry category and then against an overall standard of excellence.
All entrants benefit from receiving valuable feedback in terms of their specific scores compared against the average scores for their industry. They also may receive specific comments from the WebAward’s professional judging panel on their Web site development efforts.
Winners of a WebAward in the Government category will also receive:
- Increased visibility for their company
- Marketing opportunity to promote the company website to the media
- Links to your site from the highly ranked WebAward site to help SEO
- Social media posts for your company and personal feeds
- A highlight for your resume.
- Admiration of peers, friends and co-workers
- Unlimited bragging rights
Each year the Web Marketing Association names the Best Government Website based on the scores submitted by the competition judges.
Here are the past Best Government Website WebAward winners:
2025 – Exemplifi LLC for Sacramento Regional Transit Website Redesign
2024 – State of Colorado in collaboration with Tyler Colorado for Colorado.gov
2023 – East Bay Regional Park District for Providing Public Safety Messaging During the Seasonal Impacts of Climate Change
2022 – The State of Mississippi for ms.gov – The Official Website of the State of Mississippi
2021 – U.Group for NASA Earth Science Applied Sciences
2020 – Websparks Pte Ltd for Centre for Liveable Cities (CLC)
2019 – City of Brantford for Brantford.ca
2018 – Maryland Department of Information Technology for Maryland.gov – Official State Website
2017 – Hawaii State Public Library System for Hawaii State Public Library System Website
2016 – The State of Mississippi for ms.gov
2015 – The State of Utah for Utah.Gov
2014 – State of Hawaii for Hawaii.gov
2013 – The State of Utah for Utah.Gov
2012 – Alabama Interactive, LLC for State of Alabama’s Official Website
2011 – EXTRACTABLE for California Courts Website: Judicial Council of California
2010 – City of West Hollywood, CA for City of West Hollywood Website
2009 – Defense Information Systems Agency for BRAC Information Portal
2008 – Ektron for City of Frisco Texas
2007 – GSD&M and Zugara for Do Something Amazing
2006 – Digital Library Division for National Library of Scotland
2005 – USPS Mailing Standards for Postage Rate Calculator
2004 – Batiz.com, Inc. for Drive Clean
2003 – TMP Worldwide for United States Naval Reserve
Government websites can be entered into consideration for the 2026 Best Government Website WebAward at the WebAward Website.
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To learn more and to enter the 30th annual WebAward Competition for Website Development, please visit our website and create a nominator account.
About the WebAwards
The Web Marketing Association was founded in 1997 to help define the standard of excellence for online marketing. Our internationally known award programs, such as WebAward Competition for Website Development, Internet Advertising Competition and the MobileWebAwards, recognize the people and organizations responsible for developing the most effective online marketing programs on the Internet today. Entrants benefit from assessment of their marketing efforts by a professional judging panel and the marketing opportunities presented by being recognized as an award-winning web developer.