Apple Daily Hong Kong and Melbourne metro The Age were among winners in the first World Digital Media Awards, named on Tuesday.

Apple NGA was named best mobile service and the Fairfax Media ap was named best in tablet publishing.

WAN-Ifra honoured eight news media companies which had been previous winners of its European and Asian awards. Other regions are to be added with the organizer promising “no less than the most prestigious competition in the industry”.

Chief executive Vincent Peyrègne says winners created ground breaking digital products that engage readers while increasing their online business: "As news publishers re-invent themselves, it is essential to recognise, and learn from, media that are finding outstanding, innovative ways to demonstrate the opportunities that digital provides.”

Winners were:

Best news website: The Guardian - Guardian News & Media;

Best digital advertising campaign: General Election - Kleine Zeitung;

Best use of online video: How to put a human on Mars - BBC News;

Best data visualisation project: Null CTRL – Dagbladet;

Best mobile service: Apple Daily NGA - Apple Daily;

Best in tablet publishing: The Age - Fairfax Media;

Best reader engagement: World Chess Championship 2013 - Verdens Gang; and

Best outstanding new product: godt.no - Verdens Gang.

Pictured: Winners gather during the Tablet and App Summit in Amsterdam